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Show GOVERNOR BLOOD ATTEK OS JEDICATION OF HURRICANE I-OFf BRIDGE; OVER VIRGIN Washington County, under the Auspices of the Hurricane Cham-of Cham-of Commerce, with Governor ; ''Mood. Chief Engineer Wright, ""rank Martines. president of the Duthem Utah Civics Clubs associ-iion associ-iion and many prominent local len as speakers, officially dedicat- i the n'ew $35,000 bridge on le Hurricane cut-off. Chauncey Sandberg, as master f ceremonies introduced the famous fam-ous speakers and carried through "ie dedication in a commendable tanner. The dedicatorial service I pas opened with prayer by Joseph ''ebb. As first speaker Senator Hir-;hi Hir-;hi welcomed the famous visi-31-3 and citizens of Washington County to the occasion. He re-iewed re-iewed the history of this sec-ion sec-ion of the country and told of lie many handicaps that the ioneers had gone through be-suse be-suse of the lack of transportation, furieane, according to the Senator, Sena-tor, is the largest town south of 3ie Virgin river, and for years "hey have been isolated because f the lack of a road running Last and west in Washington Wiotinty. In behalf of the county e thanked all the agencies that elped in the securing of this ridge. "Governor Blood," said Senator Hirschi, "has always een in accord with the building f f this road, and much credit is ue him for the help that he has iven." Chief Engineer Wright, as the !-ext speaker, in behalf of the "tate, officially opened the bridge. Me told of the many problems jonfronting the state in the apor-ioning apor-ioning of the money, which is !ways inadequate. He compared t to a family, only on a much Jl.areer scale. Each county has a ;reat need for better roads and it Is up to the state commission to JTleride just how and where this "ncney is to be spent. Mr. Wright omplimented Washington county jn its representatives. "We have Always found Senator Hirschi and -:'oir road commissioneers very 'air and willing to cooperate at ill times." said Mr. Wright. Morris Wilson, Jr.. chairman of jj.he county commissioneers, ex-vressed ex-vressed his appreciation for the vonderful demonstration in Wash-ngton Wash-ngton counties honor. He told ),'tow this was the consumation of rears of work, and went on to Say when it was first brought up Sefore the state that Governor 3";ocd was the only one that backed back-ed them and offered encourage-Onent. encourage-Onent. Mr. Wilson indicated his elief that this would be the nean3 of tying the county more irmly together in the future. James C. Doherty, resident en-ineer en-ineer in charge of the construc-;ion construc-;ion for the state and federal tovernment, told some interest-p;;ng interest-p;;ng facts about the bridge and jts construction, according to Mr. oherty. The structure is 280 feet inches long over all. Its main 'eature is a concrete arch with i clear span of 121 feet over the nain channel of the river, while wo concrete T-beam approaches, ,0('ach 6 6 feet long, cross the bottom bot-tom lands on the Harrisburg .ench or noith bank of the river, 8 where the highway . meets the bridge on a fill. Thes two ap-. ap-. jroach spans are on a soven-de- curve, but the main arch is Jght, as is the lS-fnot ap-ch ap-ch span on the Harnjne side the River. Former representative Jo:. .": ,ej 'ow, in behalf of the St George wiamber of Commerce, f.Md how '.e fcrii0-e was the cor. iumation , the dreams of the people of i ,ia county. "For' ten years," id Mr. Snow, "representatives of is district have hounded the .fi'v-d commission." He went , en's clu that Governor Blood I ," 'Bird cl . , ; . jued on page four) T UlURRICANE BRIDGE xJr f- (Continued from first pagel vis tt - il (jjas always been a staunch advo-i'i: advo-i'i: ite for roads in this section, since . realized that this would some- 7' me become the nations play- round. This road, pointed out "It. Snow, is not only a wonder-ll wonder-ll inter-city link for towns of r ie county but is a part of the 1 fciter-park road system. Because S' these features Washington coun-i coun-i has been very fortunate in ;?curing the large quota they , aave received in the past, and it is Mr. Snow's belief that we will continue to be fortunate in i regard to roads because of this, j Frank Martines, president of I the Civic clubs mentioned the possibilities which the road is jSnre to bring and said that roads i were all that had made the towns of St. George and Hurricane what , they are. He called attention to I the condition the tourists met ten years ago and compared them with to-day. He was also high in his praise of Governor Blood as "the best friend and best contributor to the welfare of the region." Governor Blood, as the main .speaker of the ocniHslon, gave an inl.cri'sting talk in which he compared com-pared I he roads of the pioneers ami the. conditions under which they Htniggled with the present, and told of (lie many problems confronting the state In its program pro-gram for the. future. In recalling liis first trip to Dixie, Governor l!!ood told of the conditions of roads that existed at that time, lie also remembered a big sign a short distance out of. St. George which gave the following warning: "Better be ten minutes late In reaching St. George than be ten minutes early in reaching Kt. Peter." Pe-ter." from that time to this, the governor gov-ernor explained, he has always been anxious to open up this district. dis-trict. "The climate," he said, "the water, and the soil are of such beneficial nature that the prosperity of this territory Is only slightly touched." The governor then went on to predict that many generations would live to use the bridge and appreciate its construction. construc-tion. He said the road commission commis-sion had been careful in the work to see that flood water carried car-ried along the course of the Virgin river would not leave their marks of destruction. The principal parts of the foundation are so placed and protected that danger from the elements seems slight. The road to the bridge cost $47,000 the bridge $35,000 it will cost another $50,000 to complete com-plete the road to Hurricane and still more to bring it all up to the standard that has been set. In fact it is possible according to the governor that there "will be $350,000 expended before this ' section of road is completed. The bridge completed last week ;and dedicated Saturday is part j of a project which places Hurri-i Hurri-i cane 11 miles nearer by automo-i automo-i bile road to its county seat at : St. George than it has been. The : project reduces the distance from, say Richfield, or any other point jOn route 80. to St. George, by I way of Mount Carmel Junction ; and the Zion Canyon national 1 park, by about four miles, j By the new route the traveler , destined for the southwest will j leave the old route at La Verktn function, travel through Le Verkfn to Hurricane, and thence by the j route which takes him over the I j new bridge to Harrisburg. where! : he joins IT. S. 91. I j From La Verkin Junction to j i Harrisburg bench by this route lis 12 miles; by way of Ander-J son's ranch it is 16 mile. Until the present bridge was construct- ed the Huricane automobilist who did not wish to take his chances fording the Virgin river on a visit to St. George traveled north through La Verkin to La Verkin Junction and thence by way of j Anderson's ranch to St. George, a I thoroughly roundabout route. The road from I larrisbuig bench to the opposite, or Hurricane bank of the Virgin, 2.8-1 milen long, has been completed about a year, being built by MeiTltt, Cham pun & ticott of San Diego, for $47,753. A section 5.6 miles to connect Huricane with the bridge Is yet to be constructed. The new bridge was completed by Reynolds Ely Construction company of Springville at a total to-tal cost to the state of $34,072. In honor of the famous visitors and in keeping with the spirit which prevailed throughout the county, the Hurricane Chamber of Comerce held a banquet in the evening, and followed this with a dance. With A. N. Kimball at toast-master, toast-master, a splendid program was given which included such artists as May pace, accompanists, Jos. Wm. McAllister, Mrs. Paxman. Mrs. Gentry, Mrs. Walter Workman Work-man and an orchestra which entertained en-tertained during the banquet and played for the dance afterward. Speakers for the evening were Senator Hlrschi, County Commissioned- H. T. Atkin, Chief Engineer Engin-eer K. C. Wright and Governor Blood. Senator Hirschi expressed the hope that the completion of this road would be a great step forward for-ward for both spiritually and materially. "We in this world have to depend a great deal on the material to accomplish the spiritual," said the senator. He then gave a short history of this country and its pioneers, and told of the w-ork that is being done to bring about the Dixie highline development and the wonderful things that it would do for this country. He brought together the thought that in the bible prediction that "the desert would blossom like a rose." it was part of the Lord's plan that it should he accomplished through the agency of man and said that he beilieved that now was the time to consumate these words. Mr. Atkins told of his experiences experien-ces in working with Governor Blood from the time he first met him seven years ago when the governor was chairman of the State Road commission, down to the present. He told how he had always found the governor sympathetic sym-pathetic toward the building of roads in this district. The present route was surveyed many times and the present route was finally chosen. In behalf of the country he thanked the governor for this splendid development. - Govrnor Blood told of th wonderful won-derful organization that had been developed in this state for its roads. He paid tribute to Maurice Maur-ice Houseeroft, bridge engineer, K. C. Wright, chief engineer and t, nttmi-c in thiVi deoart- uie man.' .i,tti.j ... . ment. In the proportioning of money from the national government this state has always been among the first to receive its share because be-cause they have always been ready with plans and specifications showing show-ing how they would spend the money. He also told of the many other ways in which this state has functioned to, be among the leaders of the nation. He went on to say that he believed that the state of Utah has a wonderful won-derful record for the amount of work accomplished and money distributed dis-tributed to the real .workers as is the plan of the national government. govern-ment. 1 |