The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-29
CANNOT HANDLE
ELECTRIC Il R W|R ES
City Engineer Fears Cables May
Prove Proterbial Last
ny Straw.
NEW BRIDGE is NECESSARY
Burkert Gives Result Of Water
Pressure Calculation for
Southside. i,

How Is electric current from the mu-
nlcipal plant to be carried to South
Richmond? That is the question which
Consulting Engineer f. w. Trarord !:
trying to solve The contract has been
awarded for erecting poles for the dis
trbutlon system in the southside, and
1t is anticipated that within sixty days
South Richmond will be Illuminated BY
home made electricity. produced at tho
city's own plant But the problem or
how to get over there is puzzling.
Tho obvious route is by attaching
the wires to the Ninth Street Free
Bridge. But City Engineer Boiling
has called a. halt. It is frankly an
spen question whether the dila pidated
structure Will stand UP until the new
Mayo Bridge Is completed and opened.
and all precautions are being taken.
Might Break Cancels Back.
The City Engineer has expressed an
unwilingness to have 1t loaded with
several tons of copper wire and insulh-
tors. though on bridge OF ordinary
strength the weight OF limo OF cables
would be ae n feather. But Mr.. Boil
ing remembers the proverbisl last
straw, and Is sitting UP nights think
ing OF ways to put some more wooden
props under the old FREQ Bridge to
keep 1t from swaying In the breeze.
Mr.. Trarord Ia getting prices from the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad for the
cost OF carrying cables across on that
bridge. It may prove necessary to lay
q cable on tho river bed, which woulo
be expensive construction, compare
lively, but Manchester citizens would
consider that better than waiting IN
darkness for the completion of the
now bridge.
An exact estimate OF the weight OF
the wires and It's distribution from pier
TO pier Is being made. and 1t may De
that Mr.. Boiling Will yet allow the
wires to be hung from the Free Bridge
especially ns extensive repairs arc
now being made to the weakest part
that built by the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway como years ago. and which. In
etead OF being the strongest. as was
supposed. was found to have holes In
the stone work large enoughto insert
a Hour barrel.
PInn Another bridge.
More than year ms ,a nesn ,d spc mard
ing a contract for the new Mayo,
bridge. work on which Is to begin ms
week AMI nish T f I? street re f9 eomnmit
ice has secured much Information. both
as TO bridges and as TO methods OF
procedure to secure results. IT mas ms
y B
Mayo Bridge Is well under way
resolution be oIered in the Council
lnstructing the Street Committee to
hold composition for plans ana , Sc
.'that nj tho foot OF Ninth Street. the
work to commence as soon as the
Mayo Bridge Is opened to travel. BY
such course much tii.o would be
saved. and. leaving out entirely the
factor OF endangering human life. the
city might be saved enormous dam
ages through any aeident snat IN might sTd
structure. which engineers reported
two years ago had ''ontl'ved its period
OF usefulness"
Water p, obi ems.
Another Southsihe problem Is being
worked out by Superintendent Davis.
OF the Water Department. and Assist
ant Superintendent Burkert. in charge
Ing the new water mains for service
of South Richmond from New Reser-
roir. thus allowing the abandonment
OF the present Manchester pumping ia
ton. elaborate calculations have been
made to show the amount of pressure
IN different sections. AS result Of
his figuring. Mr.. Burkert says that II
the river, as originally plnnned-a sun
My main from New >Reservoir to South
/ Richmond without intcrruption-the
attempted to supply the southside by
means of water mains taken across
the two bridges. ard connecting with
the Main and Cary Street pipes in
Richmond, which already have a heavy
draft on them for large sections of
the old city, the pressure will be
greatly reduced. and may not equal
that now given from the old Man
chester stand pipe. which mas up to
this time proved ample for fire protec-
/ tion In tho Southside without the use
q pressure at the nre plugs OF about
eighty pounds. This is a greater pres
Sure than on the average fire plug on
( Richmond water mains