Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-04-11
BoYD'S FERRY BRIDGE

BOYDS F.ERHY BklDGE
Although fifty working days time
has already been lost on the, Boyd's
Ferry bridge project on the Catawba
river between York and Mecklenburg
counties because Of unfavorable
weather conditions, employees of the
Hardaway Construction Company in
charge of the undertaking are quite
confident that it will be completed
within the $50 days working time
which remains for them. They admit,
however, that it is largely matter of
how the river behaves Five times al
ready has the tawney stream over
flown the banks and filled up the great
shafts being sunk in order to provide
a foundation for the mighty piers that
are to be the main support OF the 1900
foot bridge Several times has it been
necessary to take several feet of river
mud and debris out of those shafts
with great suction pumps.
The main pier on the Mecklenburg
side Of the river has about been COM
pleted and the builders are now wrest-
ling with the principal pier on the
York county side, which is to rest In n
pocket Of rock eight feet deep. While
it isn't the hardest kind Of rock there
is, it is quite solid enough for the
bridge piers, according to foreman
Gooch Of the construction company.
One can dig a pick into that rock to
a depth of a half inch at a strong
blow; but according to the expert
bridge builders, the foundation Is a
plenty strong to support the heavy
bridge q l to withstand the pressure
when thu mighty river gets as high as
IL has ever been known to be. The
shaft for the pier is sunk to depth
Of twenty-seven feet below the sur
face. But the great pumps are kept
working daily to pump out the water
from the river that persists III coming
in faster than the concrete foundation
can be laid If it is not kept pumped
out.
While the river is only about 301
feet wide at Boyd's Ferry, it is neces-
sary to build an approach of several
hundred feet on the York county side.
bank on the Mecklenburg county side
where it will be necessary to build a
short approach. 1t was because OF
this approach on the York county side
that the project was held up for some
time, the Mecklenburg authorities con-
tending that they should be RESPONSE
BILE for building up to the middle OF the
river while the York county authori-
ties should do likewise on their side.
The matter, it will be recalled dragged
for a long time but the Charlotte peo-
pie finally realizing that the bridge
would be of more benefit to Charlotte
than 1t would to York county finally
agreed to pay the cost of building two
thirds of the entire structure.
When the bridge is completed some
time this fall York county is going to
find itself having the use Of perfect
" good bridge with no way to get to
it unless all signs fail. There is prac-
tically no road to 1t now after one
leaves the main road just about
quarter of mile below the home Of w.
P. Boyd. The only approach is field
road, rough and soggy mighty danger
Gus for Fords and which in the opin-
ion of some road experts will take much
more money to put in travelling shape
for all kinds of weather than the legis-
lative delegation has appropriated so
far.
Travelling to the new bridge site yes
terday afternoon from Yorkville to
take a look at the project, two repre-
sentatives of The Yorkville Enquirer
elected the Armstrong Ford route to
Barnett Brothers store. The Arm
strong Ford route to the store must
be worked a lot before it Is popu lar to
travellers into Mecklenburg. Picking
up Mr.. J. NJ. Barnett at the store the
party proceeded to the bridge by A. H.
Barnett's, Davis's Mill, the Finley
place and on to Mr.. Boyd's. And that
road from A. H. Barnett's on to Mr..
Boyd's is not one that would make the
owr RS Of Cadillacs and Packards
broken springs and crankshaftS and
other costly auto parts.
Can you drive all the way to the
new bridge in a carr" inquired Mr.
Barnett Ola young man he met at Mr.
Boyds You can go part Of the way
and you might go all the way; but its
mighty rough" was the reply.
And ii was.
That flivver hadn't turned out Of the
main road which as aforesaid Is hardly
any road at all before it was stalled in
thick, red, sloppy, greasy, red Bethel
mud. And If ii hadn't been for the 240
pounds of Mr.. Barnett behind the car
pushing while the plucky motor strain
ed and tugged the flivver would be
right there now
Finally it was pushed out and
travelled on a way, the road getting
worse and worse until it was decided
by the party that safety first lay in
travelling the rest Of the way q la foot.
So the flivver was parked in the firmest
looking spot around which wasn't firm
and the party started to hike. Finally
the home of a cOlored man named
Andy something or other was reached
and Andy said it was about half q
mile from his house to the river. 1t
was half all right and then some.
The eldest member of the party
thought il was several.
But finally the river and the bridge
construction camp hove in sight as
work was being knocked off for the
day. The camp of the construction
gang is located on the Mecklenburg
side, several small boats serving to
take the workers to and fro There
are about thirty-five hands working on
the bridge. 1t was said that the gang
would be laying steel on the York
county side within another month,
the weather permitting.
Hiking away from the bridge and
back to the flivver seemed like several
more miles going up grade. Then the
flivver had to stall in another mud
hole and Mr.. Barnett and the others
bn m cDpnn mora ron l1U NOT