The Washington herald., 1912-02-25
BRIDGE ORDER
IS MODIFIED
Pedestrians Allowed to Walk
Across Calvert Street
Structure.
OFFICIAL ACTION TAKEN
Washington Herald's Position sus-
tanned by the District Commits !
sioners in Board Meeting.
OFFICIAL ACTION TAKEN

In accordance with the suggestion in
yesterdays issue of The Washington
Herald. the District Commissioners
late yesterday afternoon. following a
conference, issued q formal order
opening the Calvert street bridge to
pedestrian trafic. The order states,
however, that all persons crossing the
structure do 50 at their own risk, thus
relieving the Commissioners of ali re-
sponsibility in case of possible acci-
dent
The order states that the pedestrians
mast confine themselves TO that part
Of the bridge within the line of truss
es. and that persons trespassing upon
the footways will be placed immedi-
ately under arrest The bridge will
railway cars win continue to be ex-
cepted. All day yesterday vehicles
and pedestrians crossed the bridge, re-
gardless of the first order which was
issued by the District oficials. As an
nounced exclusively by The Washing
ton Herald yesterday, the order was
not enforced and the bridge was not
closed to trafic. although at each end
of the bridge a policeman was sta
TONED and solemnly made q record of
the owners and drivers of teams which
crossed. When this information had
been written down, the vehicles went
gayly over the bridge.
No Order Affecting Cars.
1t was suggested in The Herald YES
terday that the structure might reason
ably be closed 10 vehicular trafic, but
that to bar pedestrians would cause
much inconvenience and additional ex-
pense I'm car fares to the residents of
the section. The Commissioners adopted
this view Of the matter in their order.
They did not, however, pass any order
restricting the speed of the cars across
the bridge, nor the number of passen-
gers which the cars might carry, nor
did they even forbid two or more cars
20 be on the bridge at the same time.
The cars weigh twenty-five tons, and
their load Of human freight is fire.
quently eight tons additional.
Mai. Richard Sylvester. superintend-
ent of police. has been directed to en-
force the order. The order will become
effective to-day, and will remain in ef-
feet pending the outcome of the injunc-
tion suit filed by the Capital Traction
Company. which will be heard by Chief
Justice Clabaugh on Friday, March !.
Although the bridge has been closed
to yehicular traffic, it is not thought
TO be by any means unsafe. Il is gen.
orally believed that the order of the
Commissioners was issued so as to re-
here Them Of all responsibility in the
matter.
Says bridge Is safe.
Thomas c. J. Baily. District engineer
of bridges. believe that the structure
will bs safe for fifty years. providing II
Is kept painted and providing that new
flooring is laid every three or four years.
as is customary. Mr.. Baily is in favor
OF the erection Of a new bridge, how
ever. He says that the present structure
Is not ornamental enough for the prorni- |
nent position which it commands. He /
also says that the rapid Increase IN traf- |
nc concomitant with the growth OF the |
northwest section of the city viii demand |
a larger bridge in the near future.
Nal Judson's Statement.
Mai. Judson. District Engineer Com
yesterday afternoon issued a
statement explaining why the bridge was
closed to vehicuIar traffic and kept omen
TO railway trafic. The statement is az
-
The street cars passing over the CAL
vert street bridge. being supported be-
tween the trusseS, stress the members of /
the tr;sses in a normal manner. bringing
considerable strains-but allowable ones-I
upon the metal pieces and connections
that compose the trusses Other traffic
on the Calvert street bridge is carried
on the parts of the bridge floor that
oVerhang the trusses. Even pedestrians.
crossing the bridge upon the overhang-
ing portions, set up vibrations which in
1uce additional strains in the truss mem
oers- These strains, while indeterminate,
are considerable in amount and they are
ADDED 70 the strains produced by the
street cars in certain of the pieces Of
metal composing the trusses
These strains, thus rc-enfoTced, should
rot be allowed to occur IL the public
iafety is to be absolute. In its present
condition the bridge must be closed either
o the heavy street car traffic which pro-
iuces the major part OF The strains, or
must be closed 10 the traffic which pro-
iuces the vibrations and the resulting
ndeterminate but momentarIly great re-
strains.
AS to the question of closing the bridge
o the traffic that produces the strains
lue to vibration and leaving the bridge
pen to the crossing OF the cars, We have h
he following facts to consider:
"Ftrst-The public Inconvenience would
oubtless be greater IL the cars were Ia