The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-12-21
REMlNGTON'S BRIDGE.


We published an article last week Civ
ing the trials Of an American, in introlu.
cling his model for the construction Of bridg.
es upon an original plan. in England
The S,afi1rdshire Advertiser, speaking o.
tho bridge constructed BY Mr.. Remington
across the Trent, for Earl Talbot. says
"This bridge is remarkable for the length,
OF its span. about $50 feet, md for The d.
minutiye dimensions Of the timber used ia
It's construction. Il will nlmos, appear IN
credible 20 our readers, when VIC state tina,
the SIX s'ringcrs. or beams which, support
tho plnnks forming the floor of tho bridge,
are but five inches square at each end; md
gradually diminish in size, until o, the cen
trc they arc only two and one quarter inch.
esther length being, ms already in,imates..
l50 feet. The siringers are formed of
pieces of oak timber. cnch abont 20 or q,
tcet long. attached together by the method
technically known ne "scnrfing.' The
abntmcn,s consis, Of oak posts. six inches
square, and Il feet long. and five fee, in
the ground. projecting outward ut consd-
erah'c angle, and firmly clamped together
with iron.
"Mr. Rcmington's own language shall
he employed in describing the principle on
which tho bridge is bnilt "The gren.
principle sought to be- proved in this bridge
tsays Mr.. R.) is that beam Of timber. o.
Whatever size. shapc ar length. lying hori-
zon'nllv and resting ri each extremity on
ab,ll mrnts. is as strong. and will require
as much weight on the top of il TO break il.
ms it would take 10 break the same piece
when pulled lonriiudinalIv in the direction
of the fibre" We npprehcnd that Mr.. Re-
minctons meaning would be better under.
stood il he had sind TINT the principle con
sisis in ,hr longitudinal power of timber
being applied in cur.iIincnr form. bv
which every portion of the mnterial is
brought nj once into play and supports M
equal share of the s,rain. Instead al
sprineInC trom the nbuimept ns an arch
or resting upon them "a horizontal bridge
tho sirincer mav he enid II hang or bc sus
pended from the piers. thus bringing th,
principle Of tho longitudinal bearing int,
action.
1--WE unders'nndthat mnnv practical me,
10 whom the principle MAS explained dloub,
cd in The firs, place its applicability 10
bridge this sizc. bnt which indeed. is dc
monstrated. We have seen scveral car
riages pnss over it. and have ourselves driv
en- across i. There is vibratory motion
when any thing passes along the bridge
hat there is scarcely NM DETECTION: an,
VIC cannot but express onr own cnnvic,io,
81 the complete triumph of this novel m,
most extraordinary system Of bridge build
ing.
"'Thc s'rinrers curve gracefully upwnr,
from each nhu'men'. and then rradu,ll,
bend in n curvi'inrar direction downward
10 the centre ol the bridge: the loves; pnin
being twcni,-inur inches below the icyc
oi the ahu;men,s The curves pcnr IN,
ahu,mcnis arn designated more for boaut,
thnn for strength: bn: VIC understand the
arc Indispensable in faulty foundations
WEIGH is tho case in the present ins,rnce
There is a hana-rni on ench sid. Of th
bridge. attached 10 tho floor by trcllis wor!,
md n tEc hnnd-rail il of cons ilcrabl
strength. md is fixed 10 the nbu,mcnis i,
tho snme mode as the stringcrs. i, add
materially 10 the security and soidi,y q
the bridge
"The m'in advantage or this lescrip
tion Of bridge il it, cie0pncss. The cos
Of tho structure which we IRE describing !
ONLY ahou' Geo; whereas. bridge to nc
comp'ish the same purpose. hull, on M,
other plan. would have required many thou
sand pounds. Another advantage il. tina
a bridge can he erected in situations wher
any other wooden bridge would be imprsc
,icable. A third advantage j., TINT III
span may. ns VIC are informed. he extend
cd ten times as lar ms anv wooden bridp
over vet constructed; md il may be added
TINT the inventor is If opinion that sue
bridges will b" more durable than those O
any other make"
A ncw kind Of life prcsrrrcr has bee,
brought forward in New York. the inven,
ors Of which claim for il tho following nd
vnntaces:
"a person wearing ono Of these Iife pre-
servers cnn carry from fifty 10 ono hnndre,
lbs. in addition 10 their persons. and iloa
four persons in the winter, without sinking
and can take no other position on the wa
ter. except. with the bend and shoulder,