The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-16
STATE STREET BRIDGE OUT OF
 COMMISSION
Passengers Obliged to Walk as Trolley Cars Are Forbidden to Cross -Supt.. 6. H. Chap man and SeIeCtmen in Con- ference

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 Westport, May 16.-The condition of the State street bridge is giving the town officials cause for worTys and since noon Wednesday, 1t has been closed for trolley traffic under orders of Supt- c. H. Chapman of the Bridge port dtvls56n Sof the Connecticut Co. This neaSlS that passengers from Nor walk have 9to walk across the bridge as well as those on the North Main lstreet-Railroad Station line, andS the tCompoz Beach line. This order was ssssued upon a report of one of the scompany'S engineers that the bridge, fxhe western end, is unsafe for trolley Tor other heavy travel, and the order lhas been enforced to the extent of re- '1using to cross. empty car.
 No one in Westport seems to know just where the weakness lies, Select man R. H. CoIey so expressing himself yesterday, and the other selectmen are equally fnt the dark as to the danger point. Every one in town, however. tknovEs that the bridge is old and weak land some such contingency has been Hpoked forward to for some time.
 Yesterday afternoon Supt. Chapman and some other officials of the Con snecticut Co, made an inspection of zhe bridge, and later there was con ference of the selectmen and Supt. Chapnan at the 1atter's office in kBridgeport. The result of the con- ference. if any decision was reached, has not been made public here. 4
 Speculation as to the necessity for a new bridge Is freely md ged in, and many Of the people of the town seem inectfcut Co., would be called upon to contribute to the cost of new struc- sture- Such is not the case, however. TO law conpelling, the Connections CO, to contribute anything toward re- ineWinE the bridge, and the state not being interested except to the extent of $500 which it contributed annually toward the care of all draw bridges over which a trof1ey line is operated. A new bsddse will prove Costly. and if constructed should be wider than the present one at least to the full width of State street
 As yet automobile traffic has not been. interfered with and they continue to cross but the heavily loaded trucks are under the bans- cross at the risk of the driver, although no no tice forbidding traffic has been post ed Should it be necessary to close the bridge for time it will interfere greatly with the business of the town, as the Saugatuck river divides 1t into two sections and the State. street bridge Is the only means of crossing except by a. long detour to what is called the "Old bridge" or by some the Red bridge" nearly half mile further north, or in case of travel to
 
 bridge at 7Saugatuck- a couple of miles further down stream.
 An examination may show that the present structure can be streng gthened and made to answer for travel for some time to come in reasonable safe ty, but the people of Westport have to face the prospect of building a new bridge within a. comparatively short time The cost will range from $25,- 900 upward. largely depending upon the type of construction
 As the bridge is4upon a state high way many people believss the state should paY<a portion efstheseost, but a special act of the legislature will be necessary to obtain state aid, and that is very unlikely at this stage of the session of the general assembly.
 This morning Supt. c. H. Chapman of the Connecticut Co, said that it was very uncertain when trolley travel over the bridge would be resumed. He said that the bridge engineer for the companp reports the structure in an travel. but also for the ordinary high way travel The iron work of the bridge is badly oxydized, and the bridge is generally in weak condi- tfon- MT. Chapman and the selectmen held a conference late yesterday af- 4ernoon and the full report of the bridge engineer was given to the se- 1ectmen, and the exact situation ex- plained. Any further action in the matter rests with the town officials zSo cars will be run across it until it has been strengthened to the satisfac- Hion of the company2s engineer. As to zhe necessity for a new bridge Mr. Chapman declined to express an opin- Son.
 Harry l.. Roosa has terminated his connection with the Westport' Hotel,
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