Evening journal., 1914-02-10
SAFE
DESPITE TALK
SAYS BURRIS
Strengthening Of OundatiOnS
Will Rid Structure Of Rattle
Commissioner Says
NINTH WARD MEN
TAKE DIFFERENT VIEW

ceivcd the report OF James p AlcGowan,
chairman OF the Washington bridge
committee, at the meeting of the asso'
citation last night Mr. McGowan stated
that he had read the report of John 4.
Grcner of Baltimore, who was the en-
gineer secured by the Levy Court to
examine Washington street bridge and
from that report had arrived at the
following conclusions:
First-rhe bridge is unsafe and the
Levy Court was told so in the report
which the engineer made to IT,
Second-That the engineer recon- /
mended that the Levy Court have the /
bridge either reinforced with concrete, 1
or close il to the public and erect a new
bridge. The recommendation that the
bridge be closed was made by the eng- |
neer in case OF heavier traffic which the
bridge would be compelled to carry.
Mr.. MCGOWAN stated that he had
read the report and had come to these
conclusion from its language and what
il implied He declared that the Levy
Court, regardless of what Samuel l..
Burris or anyone else has said, has
taken practically no steps toward
strengthening the bridge.
Burris Says Structure is Safe.
Owing to the fact that County En-
gineer James Wilson is in Florida, he
could not be questioned this morning
, relative TO the assertions made by
, the members OF the association. SAM
uel L. Burris, chairman of the bridge
! committee of the court, however, stat
ed today that the "allegatiots made
BY the Ninth Warders we're absolutely
without foundation"
trrI,. I.rsI 10 5uf fpnIu ul ~
ever was" said Mr. Burris. I'VE will
/, have to admit that the foundations of
the bridge are constructed entirely
too light, and therefore the bridge
q rattles when heavy traffic passes over
it. But II is perfectly safe-lust as
4 safe as II ever was"
THE only way the rattling can be
stopped" Mr. Burris continued, would
: be to strengthen the foundations"
= It was stated at the meeting last
night by a member of the association
I. that when the firemen we're planning
I their parade last year they thought
! OF including part of the territory
h beyond Washington street bridge in
their route but were Informed BY
, the committee in charge of the cele-
bration that IL they wished to include
y the bridge in the route Of the parade
u they could, but would have TO take
"a chances Of finding themselves in the
a bottom of the creek.
II was also stated by a member OF
i the association that he had been in
Il formed by an employe of the Ameri-
= can Bridge Company that the bridge
4 was absolutely unsafe according TO
- his figures, and he had calculated the
sl strength of the bridge for his own
n information several times.
= For some reason the association
has had considerable trouble in
learning the contents of the report
I. of the Baltimore engineer since the
~ agitation about its safety was started.
~ Robert Adair, Jr., made motion TO
IN have the report of Mr.. MCGOWAN
ne copied and published in the news
lo papers. which was carried On mo-
As tion of Walter Brinton, steps will be
IN taken to have the report of Mr..
Greiner which is in the possession OF
ga the Levy Court also sent to the
d. newspapers.
We The general feeling OF the members
rs of the association seems to be that the
to bridge is unsafe and that the Levy Court
}. should either have it repaired OF give
some proof TO the citizens living beyond
the bridge that the structure is safe
They demand that the Levy Court give
something beside the words OF some OF
its members that the bridge is safe and
if no action is taken by the court q
campaign of agitation will be started il
that section OF the city. Ii was init
n mated last night from several state
IA Iments that it must either be a saf'
bridge across the Brandywine OF new
Levy Court.
&C. The report Of the statistics commit
ar tee of the association. which was di
Ike rected to investigate the assessments n
his the city and county, was received. In
ith report showed tie assessment in vii
ut minpton for the year 1914 TO be S55,
in sos a54 as compared with Sal l63,9O0 10
ing 1912. or a gain of So. l30.O49.
In rural New Castle county IN 1911
rec the assessment was S2l .0l7,024, as com
the pared with $4,000 ,s36 for 1913
Ike A communication was received fror
ion Z. G. Grimes, suggesting that the as
the sociation take some action towar
of stopping children from skating on IN
be sidewalks. He also complimented IN
the association on its work.
der The Chamber of Commerce sent
ton letter TO the association acknowlede
inc the letter of the association som
time ago which expressed approval {
the merger of the chamber with IN
NJ. Mercantile Association.
NJ. Fred X. Felt, agent Of the Concor
Heights Company, stated that he wa
NJ. sure the members of the Genera
NJ. Thomas A. Smyth Monument Associs
me tion will select Concord avenue an
Boulevard as the site of the monumer
. to the general and that the base
the monument will be placed In pos
ton in a short time.
Mr.. Felt also stated that II WI
proposed to direct traffic away fro
the Ninth Ward by opening he o
> B. and o. Railroad bridge to anoth,
. part Of the city He said this shou
not be done as the amount OF traif
> going through a section always Il
creases its value.
Robert Adair gave notice mat
&. n would offer an amendment 10 ine a
~ sociation constitution changing I.
meeting of the association from q
,II second Monday night la the mon
~ N "a the third because the presc
meeting night conflicts with u
,gs-...f.....l ~, Ifaup TWOl.