Fire Destroys a Bridge.
The old wooden bridge over the Raritan river at Raritan Landing, just at the limits of New Brunswick, N. J., was burned Sunday morning. The fire started at the East Brunswick end of the bridge, and it is thought was due to the explosion of a kerosene lamp. The timbers being dry were quickly consumed, the entire structure being destroyed in an hour. The bridge was the property of Middlesex County, and was erected over seventy years ago, before the Delaware and Raritan Canal between Trenton and New Brunswick was built. Prior to the building of this canal, Raritan Landing was.an extensive grain centre, and vessels plied between New York, New Brunswick and Philadelphia. There was a large wagon traffic, even into Pennsylvania, from the Landing.
Last year, when the heavy freshets prevented any use of the partially constructed stone arch bridge across the Raritan river, some three miles below, this bridge was the only passageway for vehicles between Bound Brook, seven miles above New Brunswick, and New York.
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