J. D. BULLOCK
B. T. BONNER
F. C. KUGLER, CHAIRMAN
H. C. BRAGAW
T. A,. BROOKS
BEAUFORT COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, N. C.
March 3rd., 1921
Mr. W. B. Rodman Jr.,
City.
Dear Sir:
From appearances, it will only be a matter of a few days until your dredge will be ready to cut through the Bath Road. According to the action of the Road Commission they granted you the right to make this cut providing you provided this opening with a bridge complying with our specifications.
I passed this site yesterday afternoon and could see on the ground no lumber for the construction of this bridge this should be provided at once so that traffic may not be interfered with more than is absolutely necessary.
That no hitch may occur in the acceptance of the bridge by the Commission I wish to give you below specifications that will be acceptable tto [sic] the Conmission;
The lumber for this bridge should be heart pine throughout, with the ecception [sic] that heart cyprus [sic] may he used for caps and girders, but the decking must be heart pine. The caps should be not less than 8" X 8", the girders or stringers should be 4"X 10" spaced two feet on centers, the decking should be not be less than 2" thick and 16 feet in length layed on nine stringers in each bent spaced two feet on centers,and [sic] spiked securely thereto. I understand that the canal is twenty feet or more in width in which case there should be two equal spans in this bridge and a center bent of piling. There should be not less than four piling[s] spaced evenly under each cap sill. These piling to be not less than 10 inches in diameter and driven at least three or four feet into the bottom of the canal and to a firm bearing. Behind each shore bent of piling there should be built a wall of two inch plank to serve as an abutment wall to prevent the wash of the canal undercutting the bridge approach. The understructure of the bridge should be securely braced with cross bracing to secure good stability.
I trust that the above is sufficiently clear but if not I will be glad to explain further,and [sic] if necessary submit a sketch for your guidance,
Sincerely yours,
[signature: H. G. Bragaw]