The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-17

the three small ships which con.
veyed Capt. John Smith, and his
hardy band of pioneers to James
town in 1907. And the gallant cap
tain and his brave companions Will
be represented.
The three bridges will afford the
only direct highway connection be-
tween Newport News, and the Nor
folk and Portsmouth districts In
Virginia. The longest and most I'M
portant of these is the one cross
ing the James river at Newport
News, this known as the Newport
News-James river bridge, which
ranks among the longest bridges in
the country. It. has one OF the
largest lift spans in the world, with
a life of $50 feet, enough room Tor
the largest craft afloat to pass
through it. Its foundations extend
over 100 feet below the water. It's
greatest height is 200 feet. while the
motorist is about SO feet above the
water most of the. way.
The second bridge in the chain
from Newport News to Portsmouth
is the Chuckatuck bridge, across
Chuckatuck Creek. 1t Is 1885 feet
long, with q bascuIe span OF the
rolling type affording q clear pas
sage of so feet in width for river
traffic. Leaving the Chuckatuck
bridge. the next concrete road ap.
proach leads across the small peninF
sula of liz miles, where the Nanse-
mond River bridge is crossed. This
is 3,74O feet in length. with bas-
Guile span giving clear passage Oh
"a feet in width.
Cost S7,0OO,OOO
All three bridges are OF concrete
and steel trestle type. with concrete
roadways % and % feet wide carried
on huge steel beams spanning con-
crete supports. These supports are
spaced Al feet apart, and gradually
ascend in an easy grade until the
roadway reaches a height Of so feet
above the water.
They are the longest piles ever
built, their length reaching record
breaking achievement of lis feet.
They weighed 35 tons each and had
to be especially poured, treated and
transported to the site. The only
four-lead pile driving machine in use
today, a mechanical giant, which
handles four of these huge piles.
hammered them into the river bot
tom. A view of the river during the
building operations brought to mind
a fleet of floating factories, each an
individual unit.
over $4,000 cubic yards of gravel,
as. 900 cubic yards of sand, 148,000
barrels of cement, $4,000 tons of
reinforcing steel and 5000 tons Of
structural steel were used to COM
plete these massive projects.
The James River Bridge is the
only one downstream from Rich
mond which is IS miles by road
from Newport News. Ferry service
is the only means Of crossing the
river.
Famous in History
The chain of bridges constitutes
an adjunct to the Virginia State
Highway development program and
is now an important link in the
Atlantic Coastal Highway. The
bridges also connect the eastern
end Of the Midland Trail from st.
Louis to Norfolk with the northern
portion OF the coastal highway.
The Virginia Peninsula is the
site OF some of the earliest mile
posts in Americas history. Here
it was that Capt. John Smith estab
lished the first English settlement
in North America at jamestown in
1907. Williamsburg is the site Of
the first revolutionary convention
that Virginia had ever known, in
1859.
Yorktown is the scene of Corn
wallis surrender. Here too,
Marquis de Lafayette fled over a
stump studded road in 1882 with
his men making n brilliant escape
from Cornwallis's entire army
His action checked the British
army long enough to allow re-
serves from tile American forces
TO arrive. That road has been
named after him-The Marquis
Road.
This, too, is the land where Capt.
John Smith was captured by the
Indians and brought before their
mighty chief, Powhatan, whose
lovely daughter, Pocahontas, saved
his life by her brave intercession.
William and Mary College is
located here amid a hundred and
one spots redolent of thrilling
incidents OF Americas early
history.
1t is the type Of country the
touring motorist enjoys to the ut
most. There is history at every
turn, scenic beauty on every hand
and a fascinating combination of
land and sea with the majestic
Hampton Roads to cap the climax.
Cars If all makes, models and prices
are listed for sale in the Automobile for
81 Al