Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1918-12-07
WOULD BRIDGE
The CHESAPEAKE
Governor Harrington Having a
Survey Made-Would Cost
Ten Million Dollars.

rington Chairman Frank II. Xouck, of
the State Roads Commission. is hav-
ing surveys and plans made for 4
bridge that will connect Baltimore
with the Eastern Shore, and insure
the retention of the present Eastern
Shore trade To Baltimore and pre-
vent further diversion Of this trade
to Philadelphia. Mr.. Zouck has al
ready done considerable preliminary
work on the project. which. it is be-
licved. can be put through at cost
of not more than $l0,OO0,O0O and pos
sibly less.
Some such undertaking has been
under discussion for many years; ii
crops up every now and then in the
Legislature. and whenever the sub
ject of the Eastern Shore trade comes
up bridge or a ferry line is men
toned In fact law has already
been passed providing for a State
ferry between the Eastern and Wcs-
tern shores. it being planned to run
it from Annapolis to Claiborne, but
the appropriation for it was not large
enough to put it into operation. The
bridge proposition has already been
looked on as more or less chimerical,
and it has been figured out that the
cost would be so tremendous that the
State could never stand it, but these
J figures have been based on bridge
some distance down the bay. from
somewhere in the neighborhood of
I Annapolis across to either Queen
Anne's or Talbot counties.
Mr.. Zouck, however approaches the
project from a different angle and
proposes a bridge from the neighbor-
hood of Bay Shore Park, across the
narrow part of the bay. to near Tol
chester, in Kent County. The Cover
nor, in letter to Mr.. Zouck on the
subject. mentions his interest in the
connection of the two parts of the
State. either by bridge or ferry. but
states the greater advantages of
bridge are manifest, especially if it
be built 10 furnish a roadway for
motor traffic and also for railway and
other traffic.
"The benefit to Baltimore city and
the Eastern Shore and, Secondarily. to
the whole State" he says, would be
more wonderful than We now see.
Baltimore city, in my opinion, if her
business people are sufficiently alert
and tactful, has an opportunity for
future development superior to that
of any other coast city. Whether the
cost will be prohibitive do not know,
but am sufficiently impressed and |
shall he much indebted to you if YOU
and your force will have an estimate
made of the possible cost of bridge
along the route you suggest. have
also appointed committee to consult
with you and advise upon the fcasbil-
ity of such a undertaking.
This is the committee named by the
Governor:
John NJ. Dennis. William II. Mat
thai. Hugh A. McMullen, Frank
Zouck. j. Barry Mahool, Frank A.
Furst, Jacob Epstein. William p.
jackson, John y. Mackal. John +.
Grciner, Phillips Lee Goldsborough.
A. W. Thompson. J. +. Aldred, Gen.
Joseph b. Seth and Jerc II. Wheel
wright.
A letter from Mr.. Zouck gives the
Governor some data as to the location
of the proposed structure, explains
how il could be built and the dis
tances that would be saved. He says;
"A bridge could be built from Bay
Shore, which is eight miles from the
new city limits, and can be reached
by reasonably good road, as well rs
being the terminus of fast electric
line there also being steam rail
road only several miles away) to the
Kent county shore at n point about
three miles south of colchester.
"The bridge would be approx
mately 0 miles long. We have two
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