The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1919-12-25
.O-W RAILWAY
BRIDGE OUT
OF COMMISSION
Big Cakes of Ice Shave Off Pilinp
on the Benton County
Approach
PIERS ARE NOT DAMAGED
Grave Fears are Felt for Safety of
Highway Bridges Across the
Yakima River

The O-W. r. & N. railway bridge
across the Columbia about five miles
below this city went out Of commission.
when the big ice field which had form
led above the bridge began to go out.
Contrary to reports which have found
their way into the daily newspapers
during the week, the damages to the;
bridge are not serious. In fact the
bridge proper is unimpaired, the only
damage being to the approach Or this
side. -;.!.ssss 81
| Fearing that the great mass Of ice
which was being jammed against the,
pier by, the strong current Of Snake
river might do grave damage to the
structure, worlmen Sunday began to.
dynamite the ice field to break it up.
As the huge cakes Of ice were driven.
down by the current they literally
shaved of the piling which supports.
the approach on this side. This caus-''
ed several of the bents to be carried
away and others to be thrown out Of
alignment. The bridge proper, which
rests on concrete piers, has not suffer
ed in the least nor has the approach
on the other side. -
The chief engineer inspected the
bridge this morning and reported that
Iin all about so neW piling will have
to be driren m 81 Will probably re-
quire ten days or two weeks to- re-
Eplace the approach. The ice field has
been broken mp, the channels between
the piers are open and no further dam
age is looked for. rs
Since Sunday all trains, both pass
enger and freight on the Yakima VAL
ley branch of the O-W. have been
routed via Pasco over the N. p. be-
tween Wallula and Kennewick.
Just what is going to happen when
the ice in the rivers begin to; break
lis matter Of wide conjecture.
Until today the sthawing out process
has been slow, but if the present warm
southerly wind continues for the next
| "a hours the great ice fields will be-
gin to. move. The Yakima river is
almost an unbroken ice gorge from
| its mouth to Prosser. Grave fears are
felt for the safety Of the old highway
bridge,eb between, here and Richland,
and some damage may be done to the
piers which have just been put. in
place. for the new bridge. Both the
county and the the bridge contractors
are keeping watchmen at the bridge
and every possible effort will be put
forth to combat the ice when it starts
out, Concern is also felt for the other
bridges over the Yakima and there
is some apprehension for the big ir-
rigation dam at the Horn. ! ]
| Manager G.. E. Edwards, of the Go.
llumbia Irrigation district, said today
that he did. not fear any great dam
age to the dam, altho a close lookout
is being maintained at the headworks.
Mr.Edwards made tour of inspection
of the canal down the valley this fore
noon and will make similar trip up.
the canal this afternoon. He said as
yet no damage had been done to- any
of the irrigation works.
Not within the memory of the old
est oldtimers have the rivers been so
full of ice. The river between Hover
and the Wallula Gap is one huge jam
which is. daily growing larger. Should
the ice in the upper river break up
suddenly rather serious flood in the
lower valley might result from the
] immense ice jam across the Gap.