The Republican journal., 1871-08-17

tnat tlllS Dfu3e hccdcu strengthening. NUuiu |
not give the officers of the road the impression |
that the danger was imminent Mr. Moves al |
ways Immediately looked after the repairs | |
suggested, and did not use so strong language |
on this | should on other roads, on this ac |
count The examination was made between |
June Sth and 18th according to the date in my |
memorandum book, but | may have nalvcrt- |
entity written June instead of July, Us my re-
port is dated July 18th, and have been accus-
toned to report 1t the close Of the examination
of each division of the road | commenced at |
kendalls Mills on this division, and worked |
this way. but my attention was called to points
on the lower road and went down several |
times. If had discovered indications of rot |
sufficient to render the bridge unsafe for travel,
IT was my duty to notify the superintendent at
once. The bridge man was with me through |
the whole examination of this division. The |
man in charge of the bridges always goes with |
Ms.
Did not think danger to this bridge was inn |
mipeut and oniv recommended that it be |
strengthened on account of the rolling stock be-
ING heavier Think the examination was made |
the Sth of June. My report is dated July 18th. |
Think there must be q mistake in one OF the |
dates Have been in the habit of making a re- |
port when have gone over division OF the |
road. Was in Bangor June Sth | suggested |
10 Gibson when we examined the bridge, that |
a new floor timber should be put in. Spent |
more time than usual in the bridge and thor
oughly examined it. Still when under the |
bridge, didn't feel satisfied; knew they We're |
running heavier trains and more Of them, and |
thought the bridge ought to be strengthened by |
arches. Before my report was made, Mr.. |
Moves knew, to a certain extent. what it would |
be- we talked the matter over. MIR. Moves |
Is generally very prompt i'll making repairs.
The lateral braces are not mortccd in. and not |
essential to support the bridge, but are merely |
used to prevent lateral working. they might |
fall out by the loosening of the nuts on the lat
eral rods; should think il might not injnrc a |
bridge seriously if one pair of lateral braces
dropped out. if the others We're retained III |
place. I did not notice the absence of the |
braces when examined the bridge.
Bowen Holman, sworn and testified: | saw |
the accident Wednesday night; was looking out |
Of the window ofmy house, about 100 feet west |
of and opposite the bridge. First saw the
second baggage car run oil the track and turn |
over to the right; the other cars followed in |
succession the same way. The next car from |
the Pullman ran under and changed the course
of the second car ahead, changed ITS course so
that it pointed down river. I have examined |
the bridge hundred times or more. Have |
stood within 20 feet of il. in the road. and also |
in my garden, and watched, Il great many times, |
to if it settled under passing trains: but |
have never been able to discover the least VI
brafion. Have looked at the timberS OF the |
bridge, from the ground. and saw no defect in |
them. About year ago two braces that went |
across the bridge to prevent its Swaying, fell out
l picked them up and laid them up on the but
tresS, where they laid for months. Some time
dttTNiTuS. tllt tlltl vi Slllllltl Dldtt
dropped out and it hung there some time. !
saw these braces were not important. Some
men came and replaced some Of them. | think
some that fell out were carried off. as these men
put in several new ones heard Mr.. Hutchlr-
son. Il neighbor. say he considered the bridge
unsafe and had notified some one whose duty it
was to repair the bridge; the braces were alter
wards put in place. | have no doubt these
braces laid out six or eight months They laid
where put them through the winter. for | saw
them in the snow.
| think the cause Of the accident was the de
cay of the wood. There was one brcal near
the middle of the bridge where the timber was
rotten and another place near the northeast cor
ner. From the fact that number of wheels |
were torn oil and laid against the abument, i
think the bridge first broke near the northeast
corner. Gentlemen, of whom Col. Wildcs was
one came TO my house in June or july for a
ladder. They examined the bridge and went
up into it. ! believe that by boring the rot
could have been discovered, but have seen no
place where examination with Il lack-knlte
would reveal the rot. I have seen no rotten
place where there was not n shell an inch or
two thick over it. One of the middle chords is
very rotten ut a Joint in the middle of The bridge,
Tor Il distance OF foot and a hall. There Is
another break near the northeast corner. !
have never seen any new timber put into the
bridge except those two braces. The bridge
stood five Years without covering, then it was
covered; soon after Il high wind blew part Of
the covering off, but it was replaced and has
remained till the accident.
Edwin Moves, sworn and testified: Am
Superintendent of the Maine Central Railroad
never personally cot up into and examined the
interior of this bridge. Have always employed
the best men | could find to inspect and repair
the bridges on this road. The first man so en-
ploved was Dea. s. Scammnn from 1913 to 1860.
| The next was Mr.. Gibson, who had been en-
| poyed under Scammon, and who took his
| place when his age untitled him TO bear the eX-
posture and fatigue indicated 10 the duties Of the
| anime the Eendars Mills bridge once n week.
| the longer bridges below once a month and the
| short bridges hot so often, say three or four
| times n wear. I believe both bridge masters
| have fully done their duty, They have from
| time to time reported to me the results of their
| investigations and what was necessary 10 he
| done. Then for some wears we have had Rail
| road Commissioners annnintnl lay. +I.s Ct.t.,
| Wnom / nave requested to make thorough in
| vestigaions into the condition of the track and
| bridges. and if anything was needed to warn
| me at once. Once year myself have taken
| an engine or hand ear and gone over The road.
| taking with me one man, sometimes Scammon,
sometimes Gibson, and sometimes Col. w lldcS.
| The longer bridges have been through myself.
| and in addition have sent Dea. Scammon, at
least once year to see if the bridge inspectors
| had given me All the necessary information. ]
| have also occasionally employed another man
| Mr. Osgood-to inspect the bridges while the
| other men were at work elsewhere.
| Last November, when the gauge was changed
| Two OF these men looked over the Hampdtn
| Road bridge, putting in these lateral braces and
| screwing up the nuts on the crossroads. The
| lateral braces, while they add nothing to the
| strength of the short bridges, prevent the men
| from Screwing up the rods too tight, as well as
| hindering lateral vibration. These men report
| ed the bridge to be one Of the stitlest on the
road. In the spring examination Mr.. Gibson
| reported the same.
| On the first days OF July. Col. Willcs, Mr..
| Gibson and the road-master inspected the
| track and bridges, on his return. Gibson re-
ported them all right On the 9th of July re-
| ceived the communication before alluded to. by
| Col. Wildes. The week following. met him
| in the ears, and he told me he found the bridg-
es an ll@hl; put SAD ne h.i maqe some sil@-
| ges1Iohs IN ms COMMUNICATION. replied that
ms Suggestions We're exactly what INTENDED
| to do, for IN the spring had planned the arch
| ing OF the Newport lermon Pond, and Ham
| den Road bridges, and had commenced get
ting together the necessary stun, which as it re-
quired very wide. clear pine planks, was hard
| to obtain Immediately.
number OF years ago, without suggestions
| from anybody, commenced archin@ bridges,
and from year TO year our bridges. commence
me with the longer spans, have mad arches adj
ded increasing their strength AZ Plttsfetd |
mac per put under the middle of the span.
The longest spans at this end of the road are