The Portland daily press., 1871-08-14

breaking of the bridge of the Maine Central
Railroad at Hampden.
Colonel A. w. Wildes of Skowhegan, State
Railroad Commissioner, testified that in June,
with the road master and bridge man OF the
Maine Central Company, he inspected the
Hampden bridge. The iron work appeared
well; there was some sap rot on the corners;
he thought it sprung little too much and re-
ported as follows: 1.-THE bridge over the Hamp-
den road rear Bangor is weak and needs
strengthening by the addition of arches to the
truss: He left one copy Of his report with
Assistant Superintendent Lincoln at Augusta,
for Superintendent Noyes, and another copy
at Judge Rice's office. He has examined the
bridge since the accident and found decay be
did not discover when he inspected the bridge
in june. The Cause Of the accident was that
one hard pine key between the timbers of the
chord was rotten and the chord was rotten in
side.
M. P. Gibson. employed to look after the
bridges by the company, was with Col. Wildes
when he inspected the bridges on that end of
the road; it was before the Fourth of July; he
considered the bridge over the Hampden road
safe. There was some rot on one Of the floor
beams, and they talked it over-thought one
should be taken up; he discovered NO indica~
tions of rot which could have been discovered
without boring.
The engineer and conductor of the Pullman
car testified to the circumstances of the affair."
The latter said within month he had heard
some talk about the KendalPs Mills bridge not
being safe, and few days after spoke to Col.
Wildes about ie. He said all the bridges were
thoroughly examined and safe; said the Ken
dalPs Mills bridge was all right. He remarked
that some trestle works on the road were long
or than necessary, and he had rec commended
that they be shortened by filling in. He said
nothing about the Hanpden road bridge.
- A witness who lived near the bridge testified
that year ago last winter some lateral braces-
that went across the bridge to prevent its sway
ing fell out and laid out months before they
were replaced. Three persons, among them
ship carpenter and bridge builder, considered
the bridge unsafe and SO told the employees Of
the company at Bangor. One had seen the
bridge settle under passing trains. 4
Edwin NOyes, Superintendent of the road,
gave full account of the way the bridges are
cared for. The road masters duty is to exam
inc the Kendalrs Mills bridge once week. the
longer bridges below once month, and the
sn"rter bridges not SO often, say three or four
times year. Besides this and the inspect
OF the Railroad Commissioners, he has pole
over the road himself every year with an en-.
CINE or hand car to examine it. In the spripp
ne planned the arching of the N. wport, Her
mon Pond and Hampden road bridges, and
had commenced getting together the necessary
stun, which as it required very wide clear pine
planks, was hard to obtain Immediately. In
May he was under the Hampden road bridge
when heavy freight train was passing over
and could see no DETECTION. Afterw ards came
with H-ton engine to test the bridges, and
determined when new iron should be laid.
Tried every bridge from Newport to Bangor,
by running the engine back and forth over 1t
while he sighted along with his eye TO the rail.
No man ever reported to him any defect in this
or any other bridge rendering them unsafe
Thinks the Commissioners inspection was a.
thorough as usual but if they had bored and
hammered every part they would have found
the rotten place. a
Mr.. 3. I, Corser, one of the Railroad Com.
missioners, testified to making thorough ex-
animation of this bridge two years ago, in com.
pany with Col. Wildes and one of the Maine
Central men. They examined the bridge for
rot but did not bore or hammer. Don't like to
bore as it weakens bridge. Have examined
the bridge since it fell, and flnd the timbers
affected by dry rot Wet rot always shows on
the outside; dry rot works on the inside This
bridge was built when lighter engines were
run. ] said to Mr.. Noyes that as they were
increasing the weight of the rolling stock, it
was desirable to put arches into the bridges. A
year ago went into the Hampden road bridge
and examined it. Did not stay under it while
an engine was run over. Am not fully salts
ned as to the cause of the disaster 1t might
nave happened from rotten wood; it might
have happened from some Of the nuts working
off the ends of the rods. ~. q 1,f
Mr.. Noyes-The nuts are all in place; 1 have
seen and examined them. di -
Mr.. Corser-The fact is then. suppose. there
was not strength enough in the timber to hold it,
Ii the bridge had been composed of sound tim
Der, it would not have broken down. The COM
pany has increased the weight of their engines
one-third since the bridge was built. A thor
ough examination is to get under bridge \
while an engine is run over it, try the nuts, see
if the blocks are in place and the rods all right
Weakness of the timber caused this disaster.
1 suppose we have right to remove boards
from bridge in making an examination. The
statute requires Railroad commissioners, if
they find bridges or track unsafe, to notify the
company; order them to reduce the speed of
the trains, and then apply to the courts. We
have been obliged to apply to the courts in
some eases, but never on the Maine Central.
Ed,oin Noyes, recaled:-Up to the time of
consolidation the average weight of our en-
gines with wood and water in, was q tons;
now the average is 80 tons. Our cars we're
originally were the largest ever brought into
Maine-16 wheels and 50 feet long, weighing
from 16 to Is tons each. The Pullman sleeping
cars weigh 59,7S3 pounds each. The parlor
car is a few pounds heavier. t
E. c. Cooling, testyded:-Am painter; have
regarded the bridge unsafe; have seen rotten
timbers while standing under the bridge, but
have never climbed up to examine. Know
very little about the accident
The inquest was here adjourned to next
Wednesday morning at 10 O'Clock