The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1910-12-02
ELEVEN BRIDGES ARE
STILL UNC0MPLETED
Several Nearing Completion,
Others Hang in Balance.
The Flood Conditions of Last Sprina
Placed Heavy Embargo on Tax
payers to Replace Structures Car
ried Away Engineer Sims Busy.

There are IL bridges in the embryo
stage in Whitman county at this writing,
the use of which is greatly needed by the
public. Perhaps under the circumstances
We should be thankful that we have not
more on our hands in an uncompleted
condition, as it is considerably less than
year since food waters washed away
and destroyed over so county bridges,
big and little, leaving much work and
heavy expense for the county to meet.
The main cause for delay in construction
OF bridges has been the failure to receive
structural steel as per contract, one steel
plant in Iowa, where a contract had
been placed for structural steel for two
OF the unfinished bridges, having been
destroyed by fire and only recently re-
built and ready to turn out the product.
The county engineers Office has been
the last nine months making plans for
new bridges and supervising the work
each structure, even to the apparently
most trivial bolt and rivet, was first
worked out in the engineers office, blue
prints made and furnished contractors.
This work was revised, marked and ex-
planned in every particular before being
sent to the plants where the structural
steel was made, hence the work has been
we'll done and reflects credit on the
engineers Office. This work has been
largely in the hands of II. n. Sims,
deputy county engineer, and a civil
engineer of reputation before he came to
Colfax. 1t is pleasing to state that Mr.
Sims ie a brother of Commander Sims of
the battleship Connecticut, which was
the flagship of the American fotilla
which encircled the globe two years ago,
being in command at that time.
Bridges Under Construction.
Foundations for what is known as City
Hall bridge, Pullman, are finished except
the Gaping, which cannot be done until
the steel arrives. The steel has been
shipped from Canton, Ohio, and may be
expected here any day. o. Fl. Stratton
of Spokane has the contract for the con-
structiOn of this bridge, which contract
called for it's completion on October Is
No penalty, however, is attached for
non-fulfillment OF contract in this in
stance
The American Bridge Co. OF Portland
have contracts for FIVE bridges namely,
the fair ground, Young, West Elberton,
Winona and Fisher.
The Young bridge, which is on Union
fiat, and the fair ground bridge are prac-
tically finished and in use, although
approaches have yet to receive the finish.
ing touches.
West Elberton bridge is finished and
can be put to use as soon as the county
completes approaches.
Winona bridge is being rivted and will
be ready to turn over to the county Gin
two weeks.
Fisher bridge is in course of eonstruc-
tion and should be finished in three
weeks. 1t spans the Palouse river AZ
miles north of Endicott.
In this connection it should be stated
that the American Bridge Co. has a
supplemental contract to rebuild the
Hamilton bridge near Hamilton school
house on Union fat. Material for it's
construction will be taken largely from
the fair ground and Winona bridges
washed away during the food period of
last March, about 25 per cent new
material being necessary to complete the
work.
]. W. Janney has contracts covering
the construction of Matlock bridge lover
Palouse river, six miles northeast of
Endicott), and Pine City bridge over
Pine creek. These bridges are completed
and ready to turn over to the county.
A. Walk holds contracts for Rock Lake
and Cooper lake bridges. Both bridges
are badly needed. The structural ma
terial should be here from Ottumwa,
Iowa, soon. This is the plant said to
have been destroyed by fire. Detailed
plans for these bridges have been in the
hands OF the builders for several weeks.
Foundations for Cooper lake bridge have
been completed as far as can be until
material is on the ground. penalty of
$40 day from the 10th of October is
attached for non fulfillment of contract
on each of these bridges How far the
structural steel plant at Ottumwa is re-
sponsibe for delay remains to be seen.
A representative of The Gazette was
permitted the first of the week to ex-
anime the plans connected with the
bridges OF the county recently con-
structed and in course of construction,
and can testify to the faithiulness and