The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-09-10
The Fr.nkIin street Bridge.

JAMES SHANkLlN, OF NanuerDuiSu.
The Franklin street Bridge.
The famous thurman mechanical con-
structionn of Mr.. Saunders at the Frank
lin street crossing of Pigeon Creek nave
within the last few days been examined oy
a number of most competent bridge build
srs and engineers. We visited 1t on Thurs
d.v evening with an experienced bridge
architect, one in whom the whole commu-
uity have entire confidence in the sound
ness of his judgment and practical Skill
He confirmed all the objections we have
made to the structure, and pronounced the
sbutments entirely unfit to sustain the pres
sure of the fill that is proposed 20 cast
against them. In his opinion the first rise
in the creek that would saturate the earth
around them, would throw them into the
creek. There is stone and masonry enough
if built in the right shape and placed where
they should have been, to have completely
answered the purposes of good bridge.
There has been more money expended upon
these misplaced and ill-shapen abutments
than would have been required under judi
cious plans to have built the entire bridge.
The contractors have apparently done
good job for the extravagant pay they got.
.fbs stone are of good size and well laid in
the exterior courses, which is all that can
be seen-but they are not pointed with &C.
ment, as asserted by Mr.. Saunders, except
on the face and ends, where it has been
done with apparently poor cement mortar.
The form selected for the abutments has
no precedent in the art of bridge building
or any other "merely human mechanical
constructions" over our creeks and water
courses. The bridge is to be arched but
the walls OF the abutments are built OBJ
hquely to the direction of the arch; there
will consequently be q tendency Of the
timbers, forming it, to slip from their posi-
tons in the direction of the obliquity OF
the wall; and as the strength of an arch
depends upon the frmness OF its base, the
superstructure will be apt to fall, icon
trary to all reasonable probabilities-the
abutments should happen to stand. The
only remedy for the blunders already COM
mittsd-in the opinion of the gentlemen
who examined the works to build-as
we have already suggested--two nsw abut-
meHts further up the banks-use the pres
emit ones as piers-and make the bridge
twice or three times as long as first pro-
posed.
Let the present abutments stand alone
naked in their beauty and majesty-mOnu-
and of the wise heads that adopted and
sanctioned the plan of them They will be
worth, perhaps, more than their cost, in the
useful lessons they will teach to the people
of the county in the future administration
of their affairs. If they shall be the occa-
sion of inaugurating reform in the county
administrator Of the county they may be the
means of saving to the people ten times the
amount squandered upon them. -
The new abutments, it is estimated, win
cost eight or ten thousand dollars. This ex-
pense would be saved, partly, in avoiding
the fill. They wJni prevent the destruc-
ton of the work already done. 1t would be
better to pay the additional costs than to
lose all that has been expended, and that
which may be added to it.
II 10 obviously the duty of the Conmis.
sioners,-in compliance with the demand:
of public opinion,-before they allow thu
work to proceed, to cause a survey TO be
made of the sbutments by competent engin.
GERS and bridge architects, and take their
opinions for their guide. There is Mr.
Daniels, at Patoka, an experienced and sue
cessful bridge builder for Railroads, who un
derstands more of such human mechanical
constructions than almost any one else il
the Pocket There Is also Mr.. Ball at Terri
Haute, practical and scientific engineer
and several experienced men in bridge build
- OeA N"A NouhhyJ VIM Ooaiu NC SOii
suited, and on whose opinion the Commits
sioners might rely. Before any more publ
money is wasted the opinions of these me
should be taken.
II the Commissioners will persist in goin
on under the plans and direction of tn
present engineer, IL ,cil be the duty Of som
Of the taxpayers of The county 10 ask for a
ivunetion, to stop thecar of extrayaganc
and folly which has thus far attended thi
work. -z 4. st.e-E..E ssp--
Since writing the above, we learn that
petition is in circulation, receiving numerou
signatures, asking the Commissioners tohay
the abutments examined by Mr.. Daniels,
Patoka, before proceeding further with IL
work on the bridge. !. 3 =, =. sss- 49,
D0 The Enquirer will not publish M
Saunders card, because we omitted aiewPa
agraphs Of personal scurrility, which th;
print deems an essential part of a discussio
in regard TO piece of masonry and eng
neering. Too many prints of the same kit
nsy make personal vituperation the staple
all controversies it is their unfailing reso
and last argument in eyerv contest v,