Evening star., 1934-06-07
CALVERT BRIDGE
MOVING IS BEGUN
Many NotabIes Attending
Cheer Start of 60
Foot Journey.
Continued From First Page.)

line. sighting laterally from end to
end.
Engineer Commissioner John G.
Gotwals and District Commissioner
Melvin c. Hazen we're early observers
of the progress of the venerable struc-
ture Straddling Rock Creek. Gotwals
had general supervision of the project
for the District government Assisting
him was Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, en-
nicipal officials
Subcontractor Nonchalant.
John Eichleay, jr., portly Pittsburgh
engineer, noted for his success in mov-
ing many large buildings and bridges
throughout the country, was the sub
contractor directly charged with the
responsibility OF placing the bridge on
its new concrete tiers, south of the
old location. Shirt-sleeved, perspiring,
but quite nonchalant, Eichleay de-
clarcd the job Just routine one" in
his business. He said he had moved
bigger and better bridges longer dis
tanCes and sighted as his toughest job
the moving three years ago of the
nine-story indianapolis telephone
building without evacuating it of its
occupants or holding up telephone
communication for an instant.
The general contractor in charge
was John w. Cowper. Other contrac-
tors present included Ralph Modjeski,
Frank NJ Masters and M. B. Case,
widely known bridge engineers, who
have the contract for building the new
Calvert Street Bridge.
Preparations for moving the bridge
have beer under way for some weeks,
but the actual final steps began last
midnight, when acetelyne torch crews
cut the street car rails which were the
last bonds tying the bridge to the
abutmentS. This work was completed
little before o'clock this morning, at
which time Eichleay and his small
army of laborers and engineers took
over the job. Capt. WhitehurSt was
on the scene. The bridge was slowly
jacked up a few inches, rollers were
placed beneath special Sledges sup
porting each tower and all was ready
for the first "heave no" as Washington
was waking up today. Scores Of citi-
Kens, mostly from the vicinity. were on
hand early. They were kept back of
ropes by large force of policemen
under Inspector Beckett.
Little Level Variance.
Capt. Whitehurst said that when the
bridge was let down on the rollers It's
level Gid not vary more than an eighth
of an inch.
1t took just Is minutes for the bridge
to move the first inches. At 8:20
am it had gone feet; at o'clock, 4
feet. at 915, feet: $40, feet; 9:45,
feet; at 10 am, s feet, and at 1920,
IL feet. At first the movement was
taken in easy stages, but as the work
progressed the speed was accelerated
so tnat by 80 am. the structure was
"a feet south of its old base.
To compensate for the disconnected
street car service. the Capital Tran
sit Co. ran Is shuttle busses on a
frequent schedule between Connec-
ticut avenue and Woodley road and
two terminals across Rock Greek VAL
ley-one at Columbia and Kalorama
roads and the other at Eighteenth
and Belmont streets.
. Inc OlQ DTlQge was COIlSlTuCUeu lOI IIle
Rock Greek Railway Co. in 1891 and
was transferred to the District Com
missioners later that year. 1t con-
sists of six iron truSSes on masonry
abutments and iron trestle towers.
Two of the spans are rs feet long,
two are 135 feet long and two are
80 feet long The towers vary in
height from A to lot feet. 1t was
found necessary to replace the bridge
because of its insufficient strength for
present-day loads and its inadequate
capacity for modern traffic conditions
New Bridge Plans.
The new bridge will be monu-
mental concrete arch structure OF
three 146-foot arches, faced with In
diana limestone. 1t will be in the
exact location of the old bridge
Under the contract. the Cowper
Co. was given the option of building
a detour trestle during construction OF
the new bridge or of moving the old
one downstream. The contractors de-
cided it was easier to move the present
structure. The contract permits the
stopping of traffic for only 48 hours
and If more time than that is taken
damages are provided for. The job
Is being done by staff of 40 men and
the five horses.