Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-09-19
local ann State Nems.
The Iron Railroad Bridge across the Kennebec.

The splendid iron railroad bridge over the
Kennebec river in this city, to take the place
of the wooden structure, large portion of
which was swept away by the ice last winter,
is now complete, and the trains will pass over
it this week
The last piece of rail was laid and the.trial
trip made over the bridge on Saturday after
noon. For two days the workmen strained
every nerve to get the bridge ready for testing
before Sunday. Superintendent Lincoln was
notified that everything would be in readiness
about six o'clock Saturday afternoon. He
accordingly detailed the engine ''Halowell,"
run by Samuel Carter, the Oldest engineer on
the road, for the trial trip. At half-past five
the engine with one platform car attached
containing the workmen, moved slowly over
the bridge to the east side and back again, not
the least detection being visible. Twenty
loaded freight cars were then attached to the
engine, and the train as thus made up again
crossed to the east side, there meeting n
freight train loaded for the west The trains
were coupled together and hauled back across
the bridge, making train which covered the
gregate weight of more than five hundred
tons. This trial will prove to the public that
it is impossible to get train on the bridge of
sufficient weight to break it down. After
being in crippled condition for seven months
the company is now able to resume business
without any interruption.
AS it blessing, in disguise, to the city
and the Sprague company, when the old dam,
with its imperfections, was swept away, so,
with look into the future was it really
blessing when the awkward looking and poor
ly constructed wooden railroad bridge yielded
to the elements, although at the time it seemed
sad misfortune, and in the interruption of
travel and Inconvenience of the public it has
been, to say the least, EMBARRASSING The
wisdom and foresight of the directors in early
determining that the material for the new
bridge should be iron instead of wood will APP
pear, when it is considered that with iron there
is nothing to fear from fires which during the
past two years have swept away several valua-
BILE bridges on this line Of railroad; and that
while wooden bridges require constant atten-
ton and numerous and expensive repairs and
frequent rebuilding, tins will stand for long
series of years with but slight expenditures in
these directions. The elevated position of
the new bridge places it almost entirely out of
the reach of danger from below.
As soon as the water subsidized in the spring,
the railroad company commenced topping out
the old piers, upon which the iron bridge was
no &c
false bridge, for the purpose of raising the new
structure. A subsequent sudden rise in the
river swept portion of the false bridge away,
but it was soon replaced without much delay.
On thorough inspection it was found unneces
sary TO rebuild the stone piers from their base
They had withstood without injury, the vio-
lence of the most violent freshet ever known
on the river, and had passed through most
convincing and satisfactory test as TO their
strength They were simply raised, an addi-
ton of ts n feet being made to each, the tops
strapped with iron, and new abutments at each
end of the bridge constructed.
The foundation work on the piers and abut
ments having been completed, the contractors
for erecting the new iron bridge commenced
their work. The bridge was manufacture d by
Kellogg, Clarke & Co., of PhGnixvile, Pa,
who have manufactured and put up several
bridges of this kind in different parts of the
country, but none superior to the one over
the Kennebec. Every part has been made
from patterns drawn by German engineer of
great skill and experience, who has been in
the employ Of the company for several years
The angular course Of the bridge must make
this very difficult task. To fit every part so
that in adjusting the whole there will be no
mistakes, no clashing and imperfections, must
involve great deal of mechanical skill.
Work was commenced on the erection of
the bridge on the first Of August, and prose-
cuted for several days when there was delay
on account of nom arrival of several portions
of the bridge. There another delay from
the same cause about the Goth, bat from the
Goth utimo until Saturday last, the work has
been prosecuted with but little intermisson.
The structure has been put in its place by
about thirty-two workmen, under the iuim, di-
ate supervision of Mr. 0. +. Hilt master
workman, who has been in the employ of the
bridge company since 1861, and whom we are
happy to claim as Maine man, native of
Warren. He is the kind of a man who does
not stand silent witness of the operations of
his men, but one who takes off his coat and
enters with them into their labor.
The structure is what is called a "Truss
bridge" 1t is divided into five spans, four of
which arc la feet in length each, and one
span $50 feet in length, making the entire
length of the bridge SAG feet. 1t is built tor
a single track, is fourteen feet wide and twen-
ty-eight feet high, and rests on wrought iron
columns, or ''piers," as they are specified in
the contract. These columns are twenty feet
in length and have their solid foundations
upon the four river piers of stone and the
shore abutments, four columns rising from
each. From the highest point on the bridge to
low water the distance is eighty one feet. The