The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-02-22

| - Unsafe ana Likely 20 Fall, By she
| Caey Engineer - the CITY 81 Rack
! leland.
The following article, from the Islander and
Argus OF February 18th, presents such indu-
oitaoe evidence Of the dangerous condition Of
| the celebrated Rock Island Bridge A must Il
once arrest public attention. Courteous and
Discerning editors Of Chicago, Keokuk and else
Wnere, who have accused us Of lying in assert-
ing that this bridge was 10 falling condition,
will please "read and ponder:n
THE BRrDGE.-From the subioined affidavit
OF Mt. Stilman, it will be seen that the bridge
fs evidently 10 bad condition. Mr.. Stillmans
ability or competency as Civil Engineer or
surveyor, will not be questioned by those who
are acquainted with the man. What follows
will be read with interest:
To the O0fcers and Employees Of le CHICAGO
aud Rock Island Railroad Company:
| You are hereby severally noti6ed that the
Railroad Bridge which crosses the Mississippi
river between Davenport and Rock Island is in
a very dangerous condition, and unsafe for the
passage Of trains.
Below you will find copy of the affidavit Of
the City Engineer Of Rock Island. The original
OF which has been filed in the Office of the
Clerk Of the County of Rock Island
Should any accident occur to any train upon
said Bridge whereby any lives are lost, you will
be proceeded against for the crime of man.
slaughter, this notice being sufficient to render
you all liable therefor r. G. GRAY.
| Rock Island, Feb ID, 1859.
State of Illinois, Toe
City of Rock Island CO.
Amos Stiman being duly sworn deposes and
says that he is a Surveyor aud Civil Engineer,
and has made that his profession for the last
fourteen years; that he is now the County Sur
veyor Of the County of Rock Island, and the
City Surveyor and Engineer of the City of Rock
Island.
Deponent further says that he has often ex-
amined the Railroad Bridge across the Missis-
sippi river at Rock Island. and did on the llth
day OF February, 1859, make careful examiH-
alton OF the superstructure and piers thereof,
and he says that the same is in a very unsafe
condition and in great danger OF falling He
further says that the piers are very much crack
ed, and some of them are displaced and out of
shape, caused by the strain of the wood work |
He further says that the stone pier next the |
draw on the Iowa side has been showed side
ways more than foot by the span, and s crack
ed IN every direction; that he measured some |
OF the cracks in the stone work and found them |
TO be more than three inches WIDE and that |
some OF the large stone have been displaced |
fully six inches. He further states that in the |
month of October last these cracks were all I
open, and he measured some of them and found
them to extend four feet into the pier that since
that time they have all been plastered up, ba
the pier has moved again and they are opening
again, and new ones are visible, in some cases |
breaking the stones in pieces. He further states
fhnf ,asn ,,,l H., e..
with tmbers along the side to assist in bearing
the thrust OF the arches, and in his opinion, but
Tor these timbers one of said piers would have
fallen long ago, that in one pier these timbers
are badly bent, and liable at any moment to
break. He further says that the upper chord
Of said bridge, on the Iowa side of the draw is
BADLY broken and pulled apart in several places,
md at the point where the lower chord OF the
pan meets the draw truss they have been
ut off fifteen inches to enable the draw to be
pened.
Deponent further says that that part of the
aid bridge on the Illinois side Of the draw is !
a better condition than that par; on the Iowa $
lde, but he considers the whole to be very un- !
ale for the passage of railroad trains, and that
very train which crosses is in great danger of :
ding through into the river {
Deponent further says that the spans of said {
ridge are about $50 feet long, and the trusses +
cry heavy, which makes it more dangerous q
lan ii the spans were shorter :
AMOS STILLMAN. !
sworn 10 before ME, and subscribed in NV =
resencc, this 18th day of February, 1859. i
E. r. BEAN, j. P.
bill has been prepared, founded upon the h
hdavit of Mr.. Stman and will be presented n
} the Court at the March term asking for an
junction to prevent trains passing on the o
ridge in consequence of its dangerous condi n
on