The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-02-05
HEAVY TRUCKS WARNED
NOT TO CROSS BRIDGE
Board of Trade Committee
Urges Permanent
Structure.

The county bridge spanning the st.
Johns river at Palatka has been de-
clared unsafe for heavy motor trucks,
and the bridge tender has been in
structed by resolution of the board of
county commissioners to refuse pass
age to- any vehicle which in his judg-
ment he deems too heavy, or which
causes too great vibration.
Several truck owners in this city
who have been in the habit of crossing
the bridge with their auto trucks,
have been warned that they must
cease.
The commissioners have been max
ing repairs all along, but it begins to
look now as if the next thing to do
would be to build new and perma-
nent bridge The present bridge was
built only few years ago. 1t is
frame structure on piling, all but the
draw, which is of iron and substan-
tial.
The piling needs replacing and
much of the frame work of the bridge
will have to be replaced. Repairs
are going on all the time.
1t was only last summer that the
big Caterpiller Tractor, road ma
chine, went through the bridge at a
point midway between the draw and
the Palatka side. The county was not
liable in this instance for the reason
that the owners were warned not to
cross. The big tractor caused intense
vibration, and it was this, rather than
the weight of the machine, which
caused the accident. The bridge
parted and the big machine went into
the water. Fortunately no one was
killed and the damage was not heavy.
The bridge is getting shaky, and
realizing that there is danger of the
county's becoming involved in damage
suits from further accidents of the
kind, the board of county commission
Srs has authorized the bridge tender
to stop any vehicle he thinks too heavy
Palatka and the precincts across
the riverN are most vitallv interested
in this bridge. After several years Of
passing to land fro, to be deprived Of
the bridget now would indeed cripple
the business of this city and the towns
across the n ,Realizing this the
falatka board Setrates e. by its board
of governors lFs-.,a comfe2ight, orig
mated move f-s!s.ied. ca new
and ermanentIe y 'Ss.--s- '-r--
The idea origiE ~ with Gen. de
He IN, huced resolu-
lion to effect that the board of county
be requested to ask for
bids for permanent bridge, and that
hey also take steps looking to the es-
of a special tax road and
bridge district for Palatka and the
precincts on the east side of the river
San Mateo, East Palatka and Fed
,ral Point. This resolution carried
md committee composed of H. M.
lie Montmollin, chairman; F. H. Will
on, T. ]. Barnett, H. A. Davis, S. J.
[ennerly, S. J. Hilbprn, ]. V. Walton,
J. J. Fearnside, DR.. H. A. Johnson,
v. W. Tilghman, F. D. Wattles, ]. H.
John Ledbetter. w. A.
russell, G. E, Burlington, H. S. Nc
ienzie, w. J. Tilghman, ]. H. Yelver-
on, W. E. Wattles, Moses Folsom,
}. o. Markey, Ed. Hummer, J. D. Des-
land, Ed. M. Earnest, P. M. Hoist,
has. Burt, DIR. E. w. Warren, Noah
'ilghman, Julian Calhoun, DIR. ]. C.
of Palatka; J. A. Crosby,
red Darlington, J. D. Gray, C. A.
'ailey, of San Mateo; S. S. Browning,
"A Helms, j. NJ Park and Frank
Browning, of East Palatka; E. S.
and S. S. Tenney, of Federal
'oint; and J. o. Eddy of Orange
fills.
Some thirty or more members of
his, committee waited on the board of
ounty commissioners on 1uesday and
he board agreed to take up the mat
er as requested.