Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-10-25
MODERN BRIDGE OVER
COLLEGE CREEK LIKELY
Government Condemns Draw Works
Of Present Structures. o
MUST HAVE 4O-FOOT SPAN.
And All Wires to be Carried Under
Opening by Submarine Cables
One Year Time Limit.

That the draw works of the railway
bridge of the Maryland Electric
Railways (Short Line) spanning Col
lege creek, as we'll as the county
bridge across that waterway, are an
obstruction to free navigation, is the
judgment If the War Department, as
set forth in an official edict received
today by the railway and county
officials from Robert S. Oliver, acting
Secretary Cf War.
In other words the Federal au-
thorities have condemned the draw
spans of both bridges, and the railway
company and county officials are al
lowed one year in which to remedy
e sting conditions in accordance
with the requirements laid down in
the official notice.
These notices from the War De-
partment came as the result of a pub
lie hearing held in this city about
three months ago before Colonel
Longfitt, of the Engineer Corps of
the Army, on duty at the War De-
partment. The hearing was precipi-
tated largely through the complaint
registered by Mr.. w. b. Gardiner,
whose lumber yard is located at the
head of College creek, and who had
experienced great delay and incon-
venience in hauling materials to and
from the yards.
The same complaint applied to the
Governments bridge, leading from
the Naval Academy grounds to the
naval cemetery. In consequence, off,
cials representing the Naval Acad-
emy, county and city were present at
the hearing, a. were also a number
of boat captains, the latter telling of
the delays experienced in getting into
the creek, and how number of them
had even refused to contract for MAX
ing trips therein on this account. But
as far as the Naval Academy is
concerned, it is not now party to
the controversy, for government Off
cials already are considering plans
for the construction of a thoroughly
modern bridge of reinforced con-
crete to replace the present wooden
structure.
The notice sent the railway COM
pany and County Commissioners says
| in effect, as follows: "That the
| bridges are an obstruction to free
navigation, because of the insufficient
width of drawspans, or draw operat-
ing devices, and the presence of over
head wires.
The alterations that will be required
to render navigation free will be
widening of the drawspans to not less
than 40 feet in the clear; to provide
draw opening machinery. capable of
opening the draw the full width with
in three minutes from the time a sig
nal is sounded from a vessel desiring
/ to pass through, and that all wires
passing over the bridges to be carried
across the draw opening in submarine
cables, laid on the bottom of the
| creek. The notice then states that
one year is a reasonable time for the
parties concerned to comply with the
regulations.
Just what the railway officials or
the county will do in the premises is
| all conjecture. As far as the county
is concerned, the State becomes a
| third party to the situation, for while
the State has not vet assumed juris-
diction over the College creek bridge,
that was made part Of the Annap-
olis-Baltimore boulevard, it is only a
matter of time that the Roads Com
mi ssion will take control of it.
At any rate the installation of
modern draw works will mean an out
lay of several thousand dollars in
each instance, though it is not un.
likely that new bridges will be con.
structed. A suggestion that has
been strongly advanced at different
times is that Of building combina-
tion railway and general traffic
structure-the railway company, state
and county to bear a proportionatf
share of the cost. No negotiation:
along this line have as yet been en-
tered into, however.