The Pittsburgh Post from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 19

DECEMBER 29, 1924. 'fmu Arsenal Trade jSody Proud of Historic I (1 fL THE PITTSBURGH POST The Old Forty-Thirder Ewalt Bridge, Built On Installment Plan, Span's History Shows The lower photo is a view of the Arsenal Motor Company, Batler and Thirty-seventh streets, one of the newer buildings in the Arsenal area. It is of the most modern type and exemplifies the activity of business in Only Living Man of Original Firm Tells Of Troubles. SHAREHOLDERS GAVE MATERIALS the district. Above are members of the Arsenal Hoard of Trade.

From left to right, sitting, are Dr. A. L. Lewin, Rev. Al-lTt G.

Curry, president; D. J. Brod-crick, secretary. Standing, left to right, H. J.

Browne, Joseph Eisner, Frank X. Fuchs and Harry P. Hall, vice president. Background Historian. Alv are numbers of th.

Annul 11 rrs II -kVA. 5 ZL tfi. I is mi This photo gwes a straight-across view of the old Ewalt Street bridge, hdw tDe Fony-tmra Street bridge, which the Washington Crossing Memorial bridge replaces. The old span, constructed of wood, was looked upon as a wonderful bridge when it was finished, in 187L It still is in good shape, though traffic across it is limited. The original floor, made of black oak, never has been replaced- Arsenal.

Boosters 1 on the bridge for the heavily loaded wagons that came from the mill. One A story of the building of the Forty-third street bridge, formerly known as the Ewalt street bridge, erected back in 1S70, should have its rlace here. Its method of construction, how it was paii for, the diary kept by its first toll keeper, which is existence today, and other facts concerning it are of unusual interest. The only living member of the original Ewalt Bridge Company, P. W.

Siebert, 241 South Winebiddle avenue, a life-long resident of that section, has furnished most of the material for this account. Mr. Siebert was elected syretary of the company when it was organized in the Lawrencville Public school, March 22. He served in that capacity until 12 years ago, when the county freed the bridge and took it over. CHARTER OBTAINED.

A charter for a company that would erect a bridge at that point was secured in 1S6S by General William Purviance, then a member of the state Legislature. He saw the possibilities of developing the other side of the river. The commissioners named in the charter are believed to have been "dummies." General Purviance is said to have been the only person named in the document 'who had any interest in the project His sole purpose, it seenvv was to obtain the charter and make a commission by selling it to some company which would erect the bridge. He had no interest in the bridge itself. In some manner the charter was placed in the hands of the real estate firm of T.

R. Sill and J. J. Shutterly and was bought by James Bennett and Christian Siebert, father of P. W.

Siebert. FLOORING STILL GOOD. Later the company was organized lit tSE' 'fe 4v1r 3 I iiliiar-- P. v.V ji shares by supplying the iron bars, nailm, etc Other payments were made in different ways. In fact, the bridge was erected on the installment plan.

No money was asked stockholders until it was needed, and then was requested from each. Things looked rather gloomy when time came to let out contracts, but i Robert Henderson was given the work the stone piers. The stone came from the old Freeport aaueduct when Pennsylvania canal that connected Pittsburgh with the East was abandoned as the railroads made their advent in 1S36. The stones were loaded flats and towed down the Allegheny. The stones were of immense size and were the pickings from the best quarries' in Pennsylvania.

Other stones fill in were taken from the Nunnery Hill quarry. WORK WASHED AWAY. while the bridge was being built flood water demolished the piers. The contractor had considerable false work in place both times the flood came and all of it was battered and almost ruined. Different contractors attempted to build the superstructure, one firm going nnder.

because it had money to rebuild the work the rivrr had torn away. The massive pine lumber used for the spans came from Clarion county. The wood on the floor cannot be obtained today except from the Pacific coast. At one time tracks were laid time, while P. W.

Siebert was on the roof of the bridge, making repairs, it was covered at first, several wagons of iron drawn by four and five horses each, came" across and the bridge shook so much that he had to lay flat on the roof and straddle the top to keep from being hurled into the river. The bridge cost $200,000. TOLL KEEPER'S RECORD. The first toll keeper, William Rtavely, an old Scotch school teacher, kept a record of every day, and this is owned by Mr. Siebert.

In the margin he made jottings. Here are some: "September 17, 1873, President Grant in Pittsburgh, injured business on bridge. May 1, 1S71. Sharpsburg bridge rebuilt, le.ss receipts here. "Not so many horses lately, due to the epizootic." This was a disease similar to influenza.

"Six hundred sheep crossed, charged $6. He also made records such as 64 days, 2, days, etc The first mes- senger on the bridge was Thomas D. I Burns, who started when about 15 i years old. He continued and rose to I higher positions and was employed on the bridge until 1912. Now he is borough clerk of Millvale.

The old bridge has to go. it has been condemned, but those who knew it years ago. say it has plenty of life left. I pens 21,940 and of the sheep 20.160. The local yards are considered by the TJnitad States Department of Agriculture as one of the most sanitary in the country.

All pens and alleys are raved, they are electric lighted, ventilated and each pen contains running water. Part of the equipment includes 50.000 pound capacity scales, operated by self-registering beams, which eliminate errors in weighing. The company has its owl well water on the property. Last year 54,000 through and local cars passed through the yards. Th years.

The Pittsburg-h Provision arnl Packing Company which adjoins the stock yard? is the largest in the Pittsburgh RESTED, FED, WATERED. The yards are the most pretentious this side Chicago and are the gute-way for all live stock coming from the West to the East, It is on Herfs Island that this stock is rested, fed and watered and kept for at least five hours before being shipped on. This is in compliance with the 28-hour law. The stock yards proper comprise 28 acres undr one roof including a horse barn, and sheep house of fireproof concrete and steel construction. Altogether there are 6S3 pens.

2S1 for cattle. 332 single deck pens for hogs 28 doable decks and 3 storage single deck pens for sher.p and 25 dojlie df-ek pens. The capacity of The HERR'S ISLAND STOCKYARDS WELL-KNOWN Few persons in Pittbunrh know the magnitude of business done by the stock yards on Island, near the relocated Ohio street, nor the prominent part they play as the gateway to the East for cattle, hotrs. sheep and Iambs. The local stock yards are far better known in other sections of the country.

The Pittsburgh Union Stock Yards were starte-i many years asro in old Allegheny. They were moved to the East Find in 186 and from that time to 1903 and extended from the East Liberty railroad station out Perm avenue to Point Breeze, The yards have been located on Herrs Island tor zi with Bennett, president; Christian Siebert, treasurer; J. W. Riddell, solicitor, and P. W.

SleJbert. secretary. The board of managers elected at the first meeting were Bennett, who later was in the foundry business nnder the name of Graff-Bennett A Co, on the present site of the til vale car barns; Joseph I. Williams, prominent Pitts-burger, who died in 1907; Dr. A.

H. Gross, one time candidate for mayor of Pittsburgh Shutterly, Otto Krehs. Charles Theobald, late father of Attorney E. Theobald. Millvale br- cars were valued at about $2,000 each.

The receipts from the sale of hogs in i amounted to $1,084,000, those for cattle for shep. $7M0 am for calves. $95,000. A big increase in 1 the amount of business has come within the last 10 years. Robert is president, J.

S. McPadyn, vice prea idnt, and John Anderson, secretary Rev. Curry of the Arsenal Board of Trade was untiring in his efforts to make the plans of the detficatioa tofear successful. He will proooanee the beaetfietioa at tonight's banquet. cattle pns is 5.500 head, of the heg IE-BERT Mr.

Sielwrt has lived in (lie Law-renceville district 75 yrars. He has a remarkable meanory and ran tell of liappenings in that section that took plre when he was a hoy, and can reel off dates immediately upon being asked. He is th only living officer of tle rhvalt Bridge Company, which built what is now he Forty-third street bridge. The company was dissolved 12 years ajro, when Allegheny county took over the bridge. ough solicitor; Edward Jamison, Thomas N.

Miller and Peter Keil. The company was capitalized at $100,000, par $50. The span was designed by Felician Slataper, then a prominent bridge designer. It was of the Hlowe truss and burr type. It was built to stand 100 pounds to the square inch.

The floor of the bridge I was made of black oak brought down jthe Monongahela river. The original i flooring remains today after almost 55 i years of continuous service. BUILT ON INSTALLMENTS. There was very little money in the treasury when work commenced. Every one who bought shares was asked for a $5 payment.

Some didn't pay in money. For instance, the Graff-Brnnett Company paid its Crossing Bridge to all the People $5 the for the on to no 3 "'3 IP ZZZ UH "lr1- SJ1 In the Completion of the Washington Improvement we see a distinct benefit and the East Ohio Street in the Pittsburgh District PANT 1 ni YARD i COM.