The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-01

able pieces of engineering work. They
are lighter than the draw span, weigh
ing but 500 tons each, and are 1870 feet
long. There are three of these spans
on each side of the draw. The remark
able fact about them is the history of
their construction. While the massive
draw span was built on its basic pier,
the six thanking spans were constructed
on false works on the shore near the
line of the bridge and were f1oated into
place. the old freight car boat Thor
oughfare being utilized for the floats.
The six spans rest on double reinforced
concrete piers Is feet in diameter at the
base and graduated to a lesser width at
the top. The she'll for the center 40-foot
pier runs = feet 5 inches to bedrock,
and the shell for the piers for the flank
ing spans are So feet in the bay.
The total length of steel structure,
counting the 80 foot draw span and the
six $50 foot spans, is 1890 feet. The ap
proach on the east side of the main
structure is a 1902 foot pile trestle,
with ballasted deck, and on the west
end is a trestle of similar construction,
1856 feet long, making the entire struc-
ture S,058 feet long, exclusive of the
long file across the marshes at both
and the main bridge is a draw span of
$50 feet over the Newark slough.
COST s3,5OO,OOO
The total cost of the entire work is
approximately S3,500,000. 1t was begun
three years ago and was to have been
finished last year, but delays and con-
struction difficulties have caused a post
ponement of the opening of the cutoff.
DIT Z Holt
will be completed about the middle of
September and the traffic will be di-
verted over the road regularly before
the end of the month.
The Dumbarton bridge was planned
under the regime of Z. II. Hartman
and the work was designed by Chief
Engineer William Hood and executed
under his direction. Engineer w. E.
Marsh was in charge of the work un-
til his death and then C. r. Broughton
took up the task and is carrying it to
a conclusion.
STARTLING STRUCTURE
The drawbridge rises firm and sup
pie out Of the marsh and over the gray
waters OF the bay. Beyond can be
seen the outlines of Redwood City and
the more classic roofs of Stanford uni
versity. The black framework of the
bridge, studded by rivets that would
seem uncountable, were it not known
that each one had been drawn on an
engineers plat, rears itself suddenly
against the western sky 1t joins the
world OF overland freight with San
Francisco. 1t brings Newark and Niles
and the traffic that passes through 40
minutes nearer San Francisco in actual
running time, and will save the great
expense and delay incident to the pres
ent method of transferring all San
Francisco freight from the Oakland
terminal by boat
That is the reason that Newark sees
in the opening of the Durnbarton cutoff
an occasion for a celebration.
The plans for the festival are nearly
perfected. About all that the citizens
now await is the announcement by the
railroad company of the time when the
cutoff Will be in operation and eXcur
sion trains can be brought into Newark
over the firm, supple bridge.
CONTEST FOR QUEEN -
There is lively contest on for the
honor of presiding as queen over the
Observation-Disclosures bridge. There are
three young women candidates in the
race for the royal honors. They are
Mrs. Elvy Wyatt, wife of W. Wyatt,
Southern Pacific agent at Newark and
president of the Newark chamber of
commerce; Miss Emma Wales, deputy
postmistress of Newark, and Mrs. A T.
Biddle, wife OF A. T. Biddle, a. member
Of the citizens committee and county
officer of Alameda. county. The race
is holly contested and votes are rap
idly piling up for the rival candidates
The plans for the celebration include
an GRAFTON by District Attorney William
H Donahue OF Alameda county, base
ball game between the st. Mary's col
lege team and another good team yet to
be selected: a. barbecue to be presided
over by Ben Artigo. a famous old Span
fish barbecue chef. and dancing in the
afternoon at the pavilion and in the
evening. A large orchestra from Oak
land will play for the dancers
The committees in charge of. the
affair are composed of the following:
Finance W. Hofner, L. Rushin, Tony Cal
deria. r Richmond, O. Schlessinger.
Entertainment-S. A.. d. Buchanan. f. Jacobs,
L. Wpolys Fs jones' NJ D. Silyeys p Steinhon,