Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-07-31
THE FREE BRIDGE
 AT FORT SMITH History of The Big Struc- ture and of The Methods
 of Building.
ECONOMY OF LIFT SPAN
Is Great Improvement Over Old Swing Span and May Be Altered
 If Necessary.
(By MEYER SOLMSON.)

CBy MEYER SOLMSON.)
 Fcrt Smith. Ark, July 3O.-An act CT the general assembly, approved April It, 1909' established the Fort omith-Van Buren Bridge District and endowed II with power to assess and collect taxes, negotiate the sale of se- cu'rltles, let contracts, and carry out to complet1on, and to maintain and op- crate bridge over the Arkansas river between Fort Smith and Van Buren. Arkansas. In accordance with the terms of this act, the commission was established. and petitions from the majority of the real property owners Wltnln the limits of the district were Tiled With it. Public hearings were nerd, and t was fully determined that the petitions were properly signed by the majority in value of the land own CTS. The commission then employed consulting engineers to advise them ln regard to the engineering features or the various sites proposed for the bridge, to furnish estimates of the structures at the various sities and of structures providing for the various Kinds and amount of traffic that it might be desired to provide for: and finally to make the borings to deter mine the character of foundations. to prepare the complete plans and spaci- llcatlons' to inspect the materials used Tn the structure, and to supervise the construction of the bridge. After studying from every viewpoint the various possible locations of the bridge, it was finally decided to place It on the continuation line of Jeffer- son street, Van Buren. This location was dictated by It's proximity to the business district of Van Buren and by- the more satisfactory arrangements it afforded for the railway connec- tions on the Van Buren end of inc bridge while, at the same time. it was far enough away from the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern railway station to permit the free use of the street railway tracks without interfer- ence from passenger trains at the rail- way station.
 Complete Dec. 1. 1911.
 After determining approximately the amount. of money available for the construction of the bridge and mak- ing several preliminary plans and es- inmates, the commission concluded if advisable to construct a bridge which would carry one standard steam rail- way track, two street railway tracks. two paved roadways for vehicular traf- flc, and two sidewalks fer pedestrains complete detail plans and specified tons were then prepared and bids were taken separately upon the super- structure and upon the approaches. IS ds were also taken upon the bonds the district proposed to issue to pay for the structure. The attorneys for the bond raisers raised some uues- ton regarding the legality of the pro- posed bond issue; therefore friendly suit was brought; speedily carried through and decided by the supreme court, which established the character of the districts securities beyond peradventure of douot The coriniis- sion then negotiated the sale of tho securities, let the contracts for the substructrTe and for the superstruc- ture' and appointed bosrI of as- sessors to assess the benefits against the various parcels of property in the dis rict.
 The contract for the substructure was signed on November 8, 1910. The contract provided that the building Of the eight piers and two abutments should be completed within eight months from the date thereof, or by July s. 1911; but the. construction has been prosecuted with such dispatch that the piers were rapidly complet- ed and the contract complete long in | advance of the prescribed time, and in record time for piece of work of this character and magnitude.
 The signing of the contract for the superstructue was delayed till the sale of the bonds was concluded, but was signed on February 1, 1911. steel began to arrive by the middle of Juno and that erection was completed and the bridge ready for traffic by De- cember, 1, 1911.
 Has Nine Spans. The bridge consists of nine spans of equal length, 196 feet center to center of piers, with earth embank- ment approaches, concrete piers. c0n- crete abutmentss the central portion of which rests on rock, the wing walls on piles.
 The piers and central portions of the abutment were sunk by the pneu- I matic process until their bases enter- cd from one to two feet into the rock 1 forming the bottom of the river bed, l ill order that the foundation might De < absolutely secure. no matter how ne river channel may SCOUT or shifl me bases of the piers arc 16 '1eet by AS sss l feet long up and down Stfeams anQ ltfFom the hut of thl pleHi M sfhe eop