Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-06-06
Victory Bridge CaiSsOn
TO Be Sunk Tuesday
Ceremony to Be HeId-Me-
mortal Committee to Meet
Commission Session Here

The construction work on the new
Victory Bridge across the Raritan
River. connecting this city with South
Amboy, has reached the stage where
the contractors are ready for the
Cornerstone" laying which will take
place next Tuesday afternoon at
1:30 o'clock when the caisson for
the northern foundation of the draw
bridge Is sunk.
All Of the members of the state
highway commission will be present,
as will members of the memorial
advisory committee and representa-
tives of the construction companies
In charge of the work. Considerable
headway is being rlade in driving the
piling for the new bridge, making
the fill for the approaches on either
side of the river and in unloading
the materials needed in this enor-
nous undertaking.
Next Tuesday morning at 10
o'clock the highway commission will
hold meeting in the Office of the
St.llman, Delehanty-Ferris Company,
the general contractors in charge of
the bridge construction. which is To-
Gated on the bridge site. An inspec-
tion of the work done on the bridge
will likely be made during the morn
ing or afternoon by the com mission
ers in order that they might keep
in close touch with the project.
At noon the highway commission
ers and members of the memorial
advisory committee will lunch at the
East Jersey Club. The memorial
advisory committee was NAMED by
the highway board for the purpose of
deciding upon and having designed
appropriate pylons commermorating
the services performed in the World
War by the men from all parts OF
New Jersey.
Following the luncheon the party
will again go to the Perth Amboy
side of the bridge where the launch
| ing of the northern drawbridge Gals
son will take place. This advanced
step in the construction work will be
similar to the laying of the corner
stone of a building as the work of
erecting the huge concrete founda-
tions for the structure will then start
in earnest A meeting of the men,
orial advisory committee is sched-
uled to be held during the after
noon for the purpose of reviewing
the work already done and planning
definite steps for the future.
The construction of the Victory
Bridge involves some wonderful en-
gineering feats, possibly the chief of
which is the construction of the
southern pier of the drawbridge
which will be lis feet under water.
This will be record for foundation
work under rivers in this county and
possibly a worlds record as the
somewhat hazy records at Washing
ton show the present worlds record
to be 1875 feet. The foundation
work for the draw piers Is being
done by the Foundation Company of
New York.
The great depth to which the
contractors are going in building
the draw bridge piels IS in order to
reach rock bottom. Soundings TAX
en- across the river at the site of the
bridge show that there is a ledge
of rock, slanting southward until
the maximum depth of 115 feet is
| reached at the point where the
south pier of the draw Is to be con-
structed.
j. Earl Jones, superintendent of
the entire construction job, has ex-
planned the need of going so deep
with the reinforced concrete foun-
dations as follows:
1.-THE reason for going to rock
bottom with the foundation for the
draw is that we will have a draw
with a span of $50 feet in length.
! When the draw is in operation 1t
will have to swing at both ends to
point which must not vary a
fraction of an inch. If 1t swayed.
| the dangerous variance of a fraction
of an inch might develop and the
whole traffic could be tied up. SO
we must have the center and end
piers for the draw on such firm
| foundation that there will be no
possibility of trouble from sway
| ing"
| In the center of the 360-foot span
there will be a pier SO feet in dia-
meter on which the draw will turn.
The draw will have clearance OF
twenty-eight feet above the water
at high tide, making 1t possible for
most Of the river traffic to pass un-
lder the structure without making 1t
necessary to open the draw. When
1t is necessary to swing the draw
open, however, 1t can be done with
such speed that only two minutes
will be required in completing the
operation.
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