The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1924-02-15
MIR. PAGE NOT AFRAID
OF THIS ROAD SINKING
Brands Sensational Report Sent Out By An.
other Newspaper As Highly Exaggerated

A report that the Floating"
concrete road across the
swamp between Elizabeth City
and Camden c. H. is rapidly
disappearing in the bog are
characterized as grossly ex-
aggerated" by Chairman Frank
Page of the State Highway
Commission, who further says
that If the road does siuk he'll
build another.
A highly sensational report that
the road Is doomed has been spread
thruout the state by a local news
paper. The same newspaper once
upon q time published q fake re.
port ending the world war weeks
In advance of the ArmIst!ce and
only recently announced the death
Of Woodrow Wilson In a somber
spread hours before the former
president had brcathcd his last.
The statement that traffic over
the road at Elizabeth City was en-.
dangered ls entirely without founda.
tion, says Mr.. Page. who Is further
quoted In the News & Observer OF
Feb. 10 as follows:-- t%,
"0ur engineers returned from an
inspection OF the road yesterday"
he said, ."and reported unusually
high wind tides In the Pas1uotank
river. Sections Of the road were
foot or more under water. II has
happened before and viii: likely
happen again many times. We nro
going to build n foot bridge over
the entire road to take care of
foot traffic"
Engineers Of the department have
been watching the road constantly
since It was built. It was wholly
experimental to begin with. and
laying the road over corduroy
sub.grade across the morass was
the only solution possible. Some
subsldence was expected, more even
thnn has taken place, Mr. Page
said. Tho whole road may dtsap..
pear into the inorass. but It has not
gone yet.
"It IL not a perfect road" snid
the Commissioner. I'VE couldn't
build a road 10 give absolute satis.
faction and permancnce over three
miles Of swamp that will not sup.
port a mans weight. II has been
there a year. and I think It Is 60.
ing to stay there. II 1t doesn't, we
will try something else. I recently
saw IN Louisiana the third bridge
that hns been built: over n stream.
Tho first Disappeared and they
built another on 1t. The second
went down and they built n third"
Subsidencc Of the road has been
very slow. the engineers OF the
Commission report. In recent
months II has been less marked,
and hopes are entertained that II
has reached it's level OF settlement.
The high tides during the week
have almost completely submerged
more thnn a mile Of 1t. Work on
n foot bridge will begin during the
coming week to be ready for anoth.,
er high tide emergency.
II IL a fact that water has stood
high OH parts Of the new road
In recent weeks, which was to have
been expected from the fact that
Southeast winds prevailed and gave
Elizabeth City a high tide. With q
shift of the wind this week there
WAS no more water OH the road
Wednesday than was apparent any.
time last sumer. There are several
dcpressions In the road and one
break that stand In need Of re.
pairs: but with Mr.. Pages assur.
nnce that the State will maintain
the road even to the extent Of re.
building It entirely, IL necessary
there should be no cause for alarm.