Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-08-14
mon dug all the rot out with hi, iack. knife :

mon dug all the rot out with his jack knife ;
| it is sap rot, on the outside.
| In my opinion some extra jar or jolt broke
the bridge; don't think it could be done by
simply running train over it. If the bridge
was new don't know as it would break down
| by any jar; broken wheel might do it. II
| the engine broke the bridge don't see how
that and two cars got across, for if it broke
under the engine, it would double up like a
jack-knife.
Several of the employees of the road test
fed, but their testimony was little different
from Gibson's. Charles ID. Hutchinson, who
lives near the bridge, and is ship carpenter
and bridge builder, testified that he notified
Mr.. Small that the bridge was dangerous and
ought to be repaired. ea..-4'--..
Edrin Noyes, SWorn and testified Am
Superintendent OF the Maine Central Rail-
road; never personally got up into and ex-
amined the interior of this bridge Have al
ways employed the best men | could find to
inspect and repair the bridges on this road.
The first man so employed was Dea S. Scam
mon, from lS4S to 1860. The next was Mr.
Gibson, who had been employed under Scam
mons, and who took his place when his age
untitled him to bear the exposure and fatigue
indicated to the duties Of the position. Their
Directors have been to examine the Kendalrs
Mills bridge once week, the longer bridges
below once a month, and the short bridges
not so often, say three or four times year.
believe both bridge masters have fully done
their duty. They have from time to time re-
ported to me the results of their investiga-
tons and what was necessary to be done.
Then for some years we have had Railroad
Commissioners appointed by the State, whom
l have requested to make thorough investiga-
tons into the condition of the track and
bridges, and if anything was needed to warn
me at once. Once a year l myself have
taken an engine or hand car and gone over
the road, taking with me one man, sometimes
Scammon, sometimes Gibson, and sometimes
Col. Wildes. 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. l have also occa-
sionally 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
Hampden Road bridge, putting in these later
al 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
be one of the stiffest on the road. In the
spring examination Mr.. Gibson reported the
same.
On the first days of July. Col. Wildes, MIR.
Gibson and the road-master inspected the
track and bridges, on his return, Gibson re-
ported them all right. On the 24th or July
received the communication before alluded to.
from Col. Wildes. The week following,
met him in the cars, and he told me he found
the bridges all right, but said he had made
some suggestions in his communication. l
replied that his suggestions were exactly what
l had intended to do, for in the spring had
planned the arching of the Newport, Hermen
Pond, and Hampden Road bridges, and had
commenced getting together the necessary
stuff, which as it required very wide, clear
pine planks, was hard to obtain Immediately.
A number of years ago, without suggestions
from any body, commenced arching bridges,
and from year to year our bridges, commence
ing with the longer spans, have had arches
added, increasing their strength. At Pitts
field had pier put under the middle of the
span. The longest spans at this end of the
road are IS feet, or less, and had this year
arranged to put arches in all of them. Gibson
and concluded last spring that it was cheap
er to build the Damascus" bridge New
port) than to repair it, and l had obtained
stuff for new bride. The new track tim
bers for the short bridge over the road to
Crosbys ship yard were sawed before Col.
Wildes' recommendation was made, as the
sap on the top of the old tmbers had rotted
so that they would easily take fire. As re-
CARDS strength, the new ones are no better
than the old.
In May was under the Hampden Road
bridge when heavy freight train was pass
ing over, and could see no detection. After
wards came with q ton engine to test the
bridges, and determine when new iron should
be laid Tried every bridge, from Newport to
this city, by running the engine back and
forth over it while l sighted along with my
eye to the rail- No DETECTION was visible on
any of them.
No man ever reported to me any defect in
this or any other bridge, rendering them I'M
safe.-The defect in the Newport bridge
amounts to nothing at all. Deacon Scammon
dug out a small piece of sap rot on the upper
chord, not in the least involving the strength
of the bridge. l consider that Col. Wildes'
note concerning the Newport bridge as apply
ing to the roof, which was shattered when the
gauge was changed, and have purchased
new iron for it. l have seen Col. Wildes
twice since receiving his report, and he has
assured me that the bridges were all safe, and
that what he suggested were improvements.
If had known the Hampden road bridge to
be rotted as badly as it appears now, l should
have stopped the running of trains over it at
once, and not allowed them to come nearer
this city until new bridge was built. There
was a shell one or two inches thick over all
the decay in the timbers and in falling, this
shell was knocked off. The outer surface was
hard and it was the inner parts where the
rot was. If the bridge man had struck the
rotten plaae he would have known it, if he
had struck foot on either side, he would not
have discovered it. A blow on one timber of
the chord would not detect rot in either of
the other two timbers. Mr.. Moves here made
diagram showing the position of the timbers
and the extent they were effected by decay. ]
The cause of the accident was, think, the
breaking of the lower chord of the bridge,
from rot, and do not see any evidence that
any of the cars got off the rails until the
bridge broke.
see no indications that the inspection of
the bridge was not thorough. Rot commences
first around keys, where wood is put to-
gether with the grain running in different d.
rections, or where different kinds of wood
! are in contact. 1t is usual to make more