Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-07-20
Timber Mats Being Made


Workmen are now engaged in max
ing the timber mats for the three
piers, which will be in the deepest
part OF the river. and the placing of
which will form one of the most in
teresting engineering features of the
bridge The water there il Al feet
deep. and is over toward the Balti-
more side of the river. The mud at
this point is very deep.
Al the location of these piers 90
foot piles will be driven as closely to-
gether as they can be put down and
then sawed of level at the river bot
tom. Because OF the depth of the wa
ter and character of the bottom il will
be impraeticable to build Golfer dams
around them
The mats. which arc 20 by 90 feet,
are constructed of four layers of Il
by i2-inch timbers. all bolted to-
gether, the bolts being placed one foot
apart each way and each bolt going
through all four layers, the joints OF
the top layer being. caulked tight.
VIII Be Sunk To Bottom
These mats will be towed to the
pier locations, held firmly in position
by piles driven along their sides and
ends, the forming for the concrete
built upon them, and then they will
he loaded with concrete until they
settle down and rest upon the tops OF
the piles in the river bottom. Being
some distance under the mud, they
will lie safe from the attacks of the
teredo, the marine worm which cat;;
underwater piling, and being con-
stantly wet 1t is calculated they viii
last indefinitely
already the abutments on both
sides of the river have been complet-
cd, and four Of the piers have been
finished to above the water-line. The
concrete will be poured for the fifth
pier today. 1t is upon these COM
pleted piers that the steel work will
lie erected this week. Above the
water-line the piers appear to be
small. They are 5 by 81 feet, but
at the bottom OF the river they are
IA feet wide and SS feet long. The
piers for the basculc drawbridge are
larger and heavier.
Twenty-Eight Piers In. All
Altogether there will re 2S piers
and two abutments. The piling has
already tcen driven for IA of the
piers, and The concrete viii be pour
ed on them as soon as the Golfer
dams can lie built,
The Annapolis end OF the bridge
win land on Government property.
Mr.. Mackall said yesterday that Adj
miral Fl. b. Wilson. superintendent of
the Naval Academy. has done every
thing in his power to facilitate the
building of the bridge, and he had
not the slightest trouble in securing
from him the right of way needed at
no cost TO the State.
The approach to the bridge on the
Naval Academy. side will extend to
the top of the hill which now over
looks the Lridge and about 500 feet
back from the landing OF, the old
bridge. This viii be sufficient to give
a straight approach to the bridge. and
win he 10 feet above the water level.
Roadway To he % Feet
The grade OF the bridge will be %
feet above water, and the bottom of
the arches Win be II feet above water
At their highest point This viii en-.
able most of the motorboats which
use the river TO pass under any of
the arches without opening the draw.
The roadway OF the bridge will be %
feet wide, giving room for three We
hicles abreast and there will be Al
six-foot sidewalk on each side of this
roadway.
NJ Mackall said yesterday that he
expected to open the bridge for traf
nc about September, 1928. As som
As il is opened the old bridge will be
rorn away. 1ea