99 



under the direction of the county commissioners, over the 

 Merrimac River near the site of the "Chain Ferry" in 

 Groveland and connecting that town with Haverhill. 



It was commenced March 29, 1871, under the superin- 

 tendence of Col. Coffin of Newburyport. The stone piers, 

 which are the handsomest on the river, were designed by 

 Mr. C. A. Putnam of Salem, and built by Messrs Blais- 

 dell and Parker, the former of New Hampshire and the 

 latter of Rockport. The superstructure was built by the 

 King Iron Bridge Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, and is an iron 

 tubular bridge, light appearing and graceful in construc- 

 tion, but capable of sustaining a great weight. It has 

 804 feet of flooring, and is 25 feet in clear width. There 

 are six spans, each 126 feet, and a draw of 68 feet, 

 designed by Mr. C. G. Force, engineer of the King Com- 

 pany. The bridge is warranted to sustain a weight of 

 3,000 pounds to the lineal foot. It was tested and formally 

 inaugurated on Wednesday, April 10, 1872, when one of 

 the spans was subjected to a test of thirty tons, placed as 

 nearly in the centre as possible, and the deflection was 

 only thirteen-sixteenths of an inch. About 14 tons were 

 put upon the draw with no further deflection than would 

 be caused by the straightening of the chains. 



The cost of the bridge may be summed up as follows : 



For foundation, piers, etc., $48.808.35 



" superstructure, 33,056.67 



(i interest account, 3.007.08 



$84,902.70 



and was divided between the county and the adjoining 

 towns in the following proportions : 



County of Essex paid twenty-seven-sixtieths $38,233.22 



City of Havurhill paid n:neteen-sixtieths, 20,904.85 



Town of (rrovcland paid eight-sixtieths, 11.328.36 



Town of West Xewbury paid six-sixtieths, 8,490.27 



$84,892.70 



