Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-02-20
YEACER PROPOSES
TO REMOVE BRIDGE
OVER BLACK RIVER
Recommends Taking Steel Span
From Dave Johnston Road to
Scatter Creek Site.
HAS COST COUNTY $4,000
Neither Road Nor Bridge Has
Ever Been Used-Take $4,000
to Complete.

w SO1uH1CCC.
Another chapter in the two years
history of the Dave Johnston road
connecting the road from Little Rock
to Gate with the road from Little
Rock to Rochester, which has
never been opened, and the bridge
on it across the Black river, which
has never been completed, was
gineer w. H. Yeager, Jr., recon-
mended to the county commission
ers the removal of the 60-foot steel
span of this bridge to the point
where the Case road between Grand
Mound and South Union crosses
Scatter creek and the construction
of trestle in it's place over the
Black river when the county gets
enough money to complete the work.
The commissioners adopted the re-
port but took no further action,
though it is expected they will call
for bids soon on the proposed
change, which the engineer esti-
mates will cost not to exceed $500.
The engineers report states that
the Scatter creek bridge on the Case
road, an old wooden structure, is in
a dangerous condition and will have
to be replaced Immediately. A new
steel bridge there, he says, would
cost $4,000. The removal Of the
Black river bridge to this point
would cost $500. the construction Of
Ia 60-foot trestle in it's place over
the Black river would cost $3.50, he
says. and 50 estimates that the
change he proposes would save the
county $1.450.
Nearly $4,000 Already Spent.
The county has spent $S,779.70 to
date on the Dave Johnston road and
Black river bridge. the engineers
report says, and he estimates that
it will cost $3.962 to complete It.
Work on the road and bridge was
begun two years ago under Engi-
neer Fred Brown. All the clearing
on the road has been completed and
it is ready for grading, but the only
point on which any grading has
been done, the report says. 10 ON
the steep hill on the south side Of
the bridge.
The land on the north side of the
bridge is quite low. necessitating .
1,500-foot wooden trestle as an ap-
proach. OF this only 900 feet has
been constructed, the report says.
and in six places in that distance
the grade was broken so that the
north end Of the uncompleted ap-
proach is now six feet lower than it
should be and, as the report says.
has been covered with water all this
winter and will have to be raised
before the bridge can be used all
the year.
Find "JOker" In Deed.
What the county officers call q
"joker" in the deed by which Fred
Sargent conveyed part of the right
of-way for the road to the county
was discovered in this recent inves-
tigation and requires the county to
construct 20x20 foot cattle chute
under the 2O0-foot long approach
from the steep hill on the south side
of the bridge. The original plans
for this approach ca"ed for it's con-
struction on a 5 per cent grade, but
instead it was constructed on a level
grade and ii will have to be raised
before the cattle chute can be built
underneath.
When it comes to the completion
of the bridge, however, the engineer
recommends that the south approach
be raised to per cent grade,
making less cut in the hill and
bringing the road out on the other
side on a level with the Milwaukee
railroad. on the 5 per cent grade
the road would go underneath the
railroad.
The engineers recommendation
that the Black river steel span be
moved To the Scatter creek location
five or SIX miles distant is based on
the statement that the county will
not have enough money to COM
plete the Black river bridge and