The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-03-17 00:00:00, page 3

Sir, the gentlemen have travelled a
great way to find precedents in their fa
vour. I believe they have mentioned
all the nations in 'Europe, except Egypt,
Africa and Guinea. Now in Egypt, it
my antique, my antiquity is right—lor I
only sptak from old history—it was go
verned by a king. I only mentioned the
other two powers, because.they were
not mentioned before, and: I thought
that all the powers of Europe ought to
be mentioned. .We have been told of
France and England : but I wonder how
gentlemen can compare these places with
our government, which is the only free
republic on the face of the yerth.' Sir,
theie is no alagy between them coun
tiics and ours ; and I only wonder how
gentlemen will mention them.
God send that there may be a majo
rity of the people for this resolution. I
•m sure there is a great majority for it,
and don’t care who it hurts most—il the
labouring part, let it be so—I don’t care
v\ ho it hurts most. I wish the people
to see how we vote on this here ques
tion. I shall give my vote for bringing
these judges in the power of the people,
v ho ought always to govern—because
I think il a major.ty ol the people is for
turning out the judges, they ought to
have the power.
•- [ ^he resolution upon which the fore
going speech was delivered, was
rejected by the House of Representa
tives of Pennsylvania early in the ses
sion, when all the members were pre
sent. On the 10th February, the reso
lution was passed in Senate, and sent to
♦the other house. Several members op
posed to altering the judicial tenure, be
ing at that time absent from Lancaster,
the friends of the resolution had a ma
jority present in the House. On the 11th
February, the friends of the resolution
determined that it should be acted on
'immediately, 1 he usual course, when
a subject is introduced, is to make it the
order for some future day. After some
discussion, the friends of the resolution
determined that the question should be
taken. I ne resolution was carried, 41
to 37. It has since, with other resolu
tions on the same subject, been carried |
before Congress, and referred for con
sideration.]
IRON BRIDGES.
[A gentleman who wishes the princi
ples of iron bridges to be more general
ly known, and their cheapness, strength
and durability to be considered, has re
quested the republication of the follow
ing article, from the Washington Fede
ralist of the 17th ult.]
We are happy to announce, that a
Bridge is again completed across the
Potomac, near the little Falls, three or
four miles from the City and George
town. This bridge brings several miles
nearer to Georgetown and to the Capi
tol of the United States, the finest part
ot Virginia; and is important, not only
to the convenience of a well cultivated,
populous country, but to the commerci
al growth of the seat of government.
This is the the third bridge that has
been erected at the same place within
the last 12 or 14 years : the first was
built by Mr. Palmer entirely of wood,
and fell, in about seven years, from na
tural decay; the next was made by Mr.
Burr, the architect of the celebrated
Trenton bridge, and on the same prin
ciples, also of wood, and remained
scarcely six months. The cost of the
first, including Very strong abutments,
of stone and iron, raised on each side
of the river 37 feet higher than its bed,
to place the bridge out of danger from
floods, was little less than 80,000 dol
lars. But the abutments, which form
ed at least a moiety of the expence, re
main unimpaired, and promise to do so
lor ages.
1 he brdge just finished is construct
ed on the principles of that built a few
years ago by judge Findley, near Uni
on-Town, in Pennsylvania, over Jacob’s
Creek. It is supported solely by iron
chains, extended across the river,thrown
over piers erected on the abutments, a
bout twenty feet high. The ends are
well secured in the ground, and the
chains passing over the river from pier
to pier, describe a curve line, touching
in the centre the level of the floor,
which is just as high as the abutments.
I he lower tier of joists are hung to the
chains, by iron pendents or stirrups of
diflerent lengths, so as to form a level of
the whole 18 or 20 inches below the top
of the'abutments. • Another tier of joists
Is laid across the first, and receives the
floor.
There are four'chains to support this
bridge, two on each side of it. The
pendents are hung on each chain alter
nately, about five feet apart, on each
side ; so that each chain receives a pen-i
dent in every ten feet. Judge Findley
advised but one chain on a side, and the
pendents to be ten feet apart; but as it
only created additional labour and ex
pense, it was thought best, for greater
security, and this mode of bridging be
ing entirely new, to double the strength,
by doubling the chains, pendents, and
joists : but it is now seen, that the inge
nious inventor was correct in his ad
vice, and that half the number would
have been abundantly for the support of
many times the weight which the bridge
can ever be required to bear—and that
the additional chains and pendents only
aau useless strength.
Judge Findley has made many expe*
riments to ascertain the strength of iron
in different positions, and asserts that
one inch square bar of tolerable iron, in
the position these chains hang, will bear
f rom thirty to forty tons weight. The
four chains employed in this bridge,
are equal to seven and a half bars of one
inch square, and are sufficient, according
to his experiments, for the support of
225 to 2jb0 tons. The pendents, on the
same principles, would support, equajly
distrjbuted ovei; the bridge, COO tons.
Each pair of pendents, supporting one
joist, would bear at least 50 tons ; bat
irom their frequent occurrence, and the
length of the joists of the second tier, no
one oi which rests on less than four
joists below, supported , by eight pen
dents, it is next to impossible that any
one pair of pendents w ill ever be re
quired to support one fortieth part of
what they are able to bear.
The span of this fridge is 128 1-2
feet, the .width 16 feet, and the weight
about 22 tons. I lie cost is less than
4000 dollars : perhaps the expense pro
perly belonging to the bridge, less than
3000, as a portion of the money ex
pended has been laid out in repairing,
and better securing from damage bv
floods, the inclined plane leading up to
the abutment on the Maryland side. #
The wood part of the bridge, which is
but trifling, can always be repaired, by
taking out any decayed timber, without
disturbing what remains sound. The
iron part is the chief expense, and tha*
will endure for a century.