Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/568

 462 THE HISTOEr OF BAREINGTON. day, June 30, 1894, the committee referred to above, con- sisting of Messrs. Royal D. Horton, George T. Baker, and Charles H. Bowden, made a written report to the town, on plans and estimates as instructed by the town. Subsequently the town voted : "I. 'To build a bridge at a cost not to exceed nine thou- sand dollars. 2. To authorize the Town Council to appoint a committee to build said bridge. 3. That the committee thus appointed shall serve without compensation. 4. To authorize the Town Treasurer to hire the sum of nine thousand dollars, or as much as may be necessary to pay for the building of said bridge." At the same meeting Royal D. Horton, George T. Baker, and Charles H. Bowden were elected the Committee on bridge building, and they were confirmed by vote of the Town Council, July 2, 1894. The committee organized by the choice of Royal D. Hor- ton as Chairman, and George T. Baker as Secretary. After an extended correspondence with bridge builders in all parts of the country, the committee advertised for bids for building a bridge and the approaches to the same, as a result of which a contract was made with the Berlin Iron Bridge Co., of Berlin, Conn., for the bridge proper, and an- other contract for the approaches was made with Messrs. Corcoran & Hunter, of Providence, R. I. The plans as finally agreed upon having been submitted to the board of Harbor Commissioners and approved by them, work upon the bridge was commenced on August 6, 1894, and prosecuted continuously until finished, about Dec. I, 1894. On Tuesday, November 13, 1894, the bridge was tested by the engineer, with a load weighing twelve tons, consisting of a low gear loaded with steel rails and stone. The greatest defection noticed was three-eighths of an inch, and was not