The Alaska citizen., 1916-05-15
NEW BRIDGE IN:
 IS EARLIEST IN
 C|TYS HISTORY
SOLID PRONUNCIATION ESTAs. LISHeD BETWEEN TOWN AND
 GARDEN ISLAND.

Never again will the people of Fairbanks and Garden Island and the people from the creeks coming to town be compelled to pay ferry tolls either on city ferry or to boatmcn. if the present bridge k able to withstand the summer floods and the driftwoOd which comes down on their crest For shortly after 10 o'clock last night the la | plank ot the new bridge, which has been under construction for the past sey- eral days, was laid, and communities tion between Fairbanks and Garden Island, other than by water, was eS. the permanent bridge which is to be constructed during the summer and fall by the Alaska Road commission. is expected to stand as monument to the commission until Father Time places the hand of age on il so heavily that it will cease to exist.
 The bridge this year has gone in earlier than ever before in the history of the city of Fairbanks. For in previous years, either the city or the bridge committee has had charge of the work. and it's reconstruction was delayed until such time as a sufficient fund could be collected to pay for it's being TO- built, from ferry tolls. Some years the bridge was not in before July 1.
 This year he Alaska Road commis- sion had charge of the work, Col. W. P Richardson, the president of the commission. having agreed to take over the bridge pending the construction of permanent struc- were adverse from the start, for, although all of the decking of the bridge was saved and could there fore be used again, all of the piling of the bents of the structure was taken out by the ice, excepting the two bents nearest the Garden Isl and side. Therefore new bents had to be put in. The ice, too, proved to be a further drawback 10 hurry-up work on the bridge. as, after the first flow had come, jam formed above the bridge. and work was delayed for a full week
 l R J. Sommers, local superintend
 ent of the road commission at first l thought that he would operate q free ferry. After the ice had gone out, however he decided to put in the bridge immediately, as the ice | jam had been the means of keep
 ing the ferry from operating, as well as stopping construction work on the bridge Accordingly, on Frl- 1 day morning the work started, witll | Tom Blaylock, the well known log, ger and river man. in charge The pile driver scow was put into the river and floated down to position and all of the available piles were driven. When the first piles had been driven, however, it was dis, covered that it was impossible to procure more in the immediate vi cinity of Fairbanks It was there fore necessary to bring piling from some of the creek wood camps The arrival of the piling, however, await ed the construction of the railroad bridge over Deadman's slough, which was completed late Saturday night and the carload of piling for the Fairbanks bridge was the first load of freight brought across by the train crew, acting under orders of General Manager Wade H. Joslin
 The driving of the remainder of the piling therefore commenced at an early hour yesterday morning, and was completed before o'clock in the evening Now all that remains to be done to complete the bridge is to lay the second decking of blanks and put on the railings.