The Perilous Bridge at Union Gap
Superintendent Prowell lobbies for the relocation of the decaying Union Gap bridge, citing safety hazards and potential Northern Pacific assistance.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Superintendent Prowell is back from the east and reports his eyesight as much improved by treatment received. Mr. Prowell spent Wednesday in the city and had a conference with the county commissioners regarding the removal of the bridge in Union Gap to a point a mile and a half below. He stated that the present location was one of great danger; that the piling was badly rotted and would have to be renewed shortly, anyway; and if the bridge was removed to Parker, where the company has sidetracks, it would be of great accommodation to the entire Konewock country. 'The N. P. company,' said Mr. Prowell, 'will contribute to the removal, either in work or material.'
“He stated that the present location was one of great danger; that the piling was badly rotted and would have to be renewed shortly.”
The infrastructure struggle over Union Gap—a critical transit point—remains a perennial issue in Yakima valley history. The tension between public safety, the high cost of maintenance, and corporate participation in public works is a narrative that persists in modern regional planning.
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