The Madisonian

A BRIDGE OVER THE OHIO RIVER

The Wheeling Times of the 19th ultimo has an editorial upon the subject of building a bridge over the Ohio river, at Wheeling, and states that the subject is one in which the United States are especially interested, and that the members of Congress from the West should urge on that body the necessity of making an appropriation for the purpose. The stoppage of the mails at Wheeling, from the running ice in the winter, and the detention of travellers passing East and West by the National Road, would be prevented by a bridge. The editor, as to the obstruction to the river and the duty of Congress to build the bridge, thus states:

The Hon. Charles Fenton Mercer, chairman of the Committee on Roads and Canals, in 1836, thus states:

The report expresses the confidence of the Committee in the fact that Congress is bound by the compact under which the National Road was begun, to build that bridge; and there suffering that part of the question to rest, go on to argue its feasibility and expediency. The Committee believed that by elevating the platform to the level of Main street, near the termination of the National Road, height enough would be obtained to prevent any obstruction of the navigation, it being at least 100 feet, and when constructed of wire cables, no necessity for piers would exist, or any other masonry than that required at each end of the bridge. The length required would be but 760 feet, as determined by the engineers who have surveyed it.

The cost of this structure, as estimated by Mr. Ellet, civil engineer of Virginia, would not exceed one hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Without regard to the contract to complete the National Road, it would doubtless save expense to the United States to construct this bridge, and be a very great accommodation to the whole people.