The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1913-01-30

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ed from side to side.
When the bridge was wrecked,
the cross wall was partially de-
stroyed, further erosion of the base
Of the roadway caused by subse-
quent floods, s,-principaIly the food
of Io12,-caused the total destruc-
ton Of it together with consider
able OF the side walls, and the
earth falling between.
The Board being in session for
the month of April at that time,
invited several other bidders and
myself to submit plans and cost of
making repairs, and awarded me
the contract. The work decided
upon was to rebuild the floor sys-
tenn of the truss, and extend i'll
thirty.fve feet farther shoreward,
and attach it to the cables, and
also plank bulk-head across the
roadway between the retaining
walls.
When this plan was adopted the
water was nearly at the highest
point obtained at thar time, and
precluded foreseeing the effect il
had upon the shore line above the
bridge, or the foundation at the
base of the roadway. AS the water
receded it became apparent thai
something should be done to pro
tect the base of the approach and
at the May meeting OF Inc Board
it was decided 10 substitute con.
crete wall on pile foundation across
the approach instead of The bulk
head, and extend the same on an
iangle toward the shore, the base
of which was to have been ~ feet
below the foundation of the. retain
ling walls.
| When the water had receded suit
fciently to begin work il was dis
covered that the base of the con
crete wall would be above low
water and afford but little protecs
ton TO the bank, and also that con
ditions had obtained on the south
bank above the bridge, which
meant the destruction Of the bridge
is something was not duae< 10 pre-
vent it.
In view of this | suspended op
/ erations aud called the attention Of
the Board to it, at the June meet
ling. After considering the matter,
by my recommendation, it was de-
cided to reduce the length of the
lapproacb, and instead of the con-
crete wall, to build buttress with
wing walls extending shoreward up
to, and under the brick walls on
each side to support the same,
the base OF which was to be about
five feet below the bottom of the
bayou; resting on piles driven to
la depth of about 22 feet penetra-
ton below this point.
This structure was not intended
for breakwater, but to bold up
the brick walls, and prevent the
sliding of the whole approach into
the bayou. AT point about two
hundred feet above the bridge, near
where the bayou makes a sharp
bend, the bank has broken
away tor a distance back from the
bayou Of fully eighty feet and is
sliding into tho bayou. Ihe down
e stream point Of disintegration com
mences fifteen feet east of the pier
e and extends on an angle to the
point before mentioned. which il
/. further shoreward than the anchor
age of the cables.
It's plain to be'seen what wouls
obtain if the base of the approach
gave way, with the weight of th'
$ bridge which is approximate!
e forty.fve tons suspended on tn
? cables to assist ia its movements
E if the gravity of the bank will caus
E it to slide into the bayou unas
sisted.
r There can be but one conclusion
/" and that is, if the base OF the road
y way is not properly reinforced
$ and prevented from giving away
# the destruction of the bridge
. 'certain. The best that could u
i done for the limited amount Q
le money the Board felt justified j
% expending. has been accom-
plished. and so far has stood th