BATTERY BOYS BUILD A BRIDGE

Members Of Crack Artillery Corps Connect Wenonah and Sewell.

PATIENT RESIDENTS
WAITED FOR YEARS

The feat of a detachment of Battery B, Field Artillery, of Camden. in constructing in six hours a 38-foot span bridge over the deep ravine which separates Wenonah from Sewell was witnessed by hundreds of interested spectators yesterday morning, and the men were warmly congratulated upon their achievement.

For more than twenty years the people of the two towns have implored the Gloucester county Freeholders to build a bridge across this ravine, which would reduce the driving distance between the towns by more than three miles. Battery B's pistol range is just across the ravine toward Jewell, -on the top of a picturesque knoll, surrounded by nature's primitive works. In order to reach the range from this side with wagons it was necessary to drive around through Wenonah, Mantua and Sewell (a distance of more than five miles.

At daybreak yesterday morning a canvas-covered wagon, resembling a prairie schooner, the type lately adopted by the War Department reached the edge of the ravine, loaded with the necessary implements for quick bridge-building, even including a blacksmith's outfit, with forge and bellows. Dressed in their service uniforms, the National Guardsmen fell to work work driving piling. laying sleepers and putting down planks and retainers, and in less than six hours they had completed a substantial bridge, which would do credit to professional builders, and the two towns were connected.

When Mayor Charles H. Lorence, of Wenonah, returned on the train last evening from day's outing he was surprised to see the connecting link between the two towns, and called up on the telephone Postmaster Hiram M. James, of Sewell, and the two exchanged congratulations. The bridge was constructed under the supervision of Captain 8. R. Barnard, of Wenonah; First Lieutenant W. G. Hin-derer, of Camden: Lieutenants Charles M. Ferat, Jr.. of Camden: 8. R. Inirlish. Charles Hinderer, Dr. Joel W. Fithian former Coroner of Camden, and Corporal Charles North.

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Battery B was active in the Civil War and has a monument at Gettysburg, PA.
https://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/union-monuments/new-jersey/new-jer...