New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-12
THE FATAL BRIDGE.
"A Strange Freak Of White Pine the Cause
of the Disaster.

VI inc DIsHsttFs
Prom the Nashville Union and American
IL order to ascertain with certainty tn,
truth of the many rumors that are afloat il
reference to the condition Of the bridge a
the wreck on the Nashville and Northwest
ern railroad, we got on a train yesterday
morning and went to the scene of the disas
ter. We went without prejudice, and shall
state honestly the results of. our obser
walton: -. sa = ,
We found about one hundred workmer
engaged in clearing away the debris AND
putting up new structure, which viii be
ready this morning for the passage of trains
The bridge is known as the Howe Truss,
of two spans, ninety-six feet each. The
centre pillar and the end abutments are
solid ASHER masonry, to all appearances
perfect and in good condition. There is no
visible defect. The wooden superstrueture
was built by the United States military au-
thorities in the summer of 1864, and is con-
sequently about seven years Old The tim
Der used, except the cross-ties on the track,
was white pine, brought from Cleveland or
Chicago. The eastern span was entirely
destroyed by the recent accident at the
place, while the western span still remains
and is in proper line, with the Gambler or
arch perfect. In the ordinary wear of such
bridge. the invariable indication of giving
way or decay is manifested in the sinking
of the Gambler or arch, resulting from the
weakness or decay of the chords, which are
the strongest timbers, and support the rest
of the superstructure. The timbers of this
standing span showed no outward sign of
decay, except in one brace and lennon,
which were unimportant We examined it
critically, cutting and probing, which dis
closed a perfectly sound exterior. LHL
On reaching the point where the eastern
span broke from the western, we found the
timbers thus broken, though externally
sound, were in some cases filled with rot
ten core. This observation applies also to
all the large timbers of the broken span
which we saw and examined. Not one of
them but was rotten in the interior, yet
they have sound shell of from one to two
inches in thickness on the outside. We
account for this singular phenomenon upon
the superstition that that the timber was cut
in the spring when the sap was up, and
while the outside dried and seasoned, the
inner sap soured and caused the rapid and
premature rotten within. This is sustained
by the fact that all the small timbers used
for bracing, with the exceptions mentioned
above, were sound. That the decay was
premature and rapid ia this case, we have
the fact that the ordinary life of time upon
which timber is free from dangerous rot is,
In white pine. ten years; yellow pine, twelve
years, and oak eight years. This bridge,
therefore, being but seven years old, had,
IN the ordinary course of things, three
years of reliable service. -
But this was NOT really the case The
bridge timbers proved to be rotten, as we
have described, and did actually break and
precipitate a precious cargo of life to de-
struction. 1t turned out to be as the coro-
ner's jury stated-"that the timbers com
posing said bridge were so rotten as to be
unit for the passage of an ordinary passen-
ger train" 4a
Yet, while this is undoubtedly the fact,we
unhesitatingly, after a careful and patient
examination, having bored with an auger
into timbers appearing sound on the out
side and proving rotten within, and which
gave no indication of unsOundness by per-
cussion, acquit the officers of the road of
all blame. They discharged, in our opinion,
their whole duty, and used every diligence
and caution required by ordinary care and
prudence to preserve, the road against this
calamitous accident. Less thar three weeks
ago Major Lands, general agent, Mr.. Smith,
superintendent OF bridges, an expert who
has spent his life in the bridge business, and
Joseph p. Kelly, supervisor of the road, |
went over and inspected carefully every |
bridge and trestle from Chattanooga to |
Hickman. v-r -..rrs
h. Z. Morris, resident engineer, gentle |
man OF large experience and high character |
in his profession, having been in charge of |
railroads for more than twenty years,
passed over the road about one month |
since, and says he examined carefully all |
the bridges constructed of white pine and
found them in good shape" Superadded to
this, Supervisor Kelly travels over his di-
vision of the road, from Nashville to John
'onville, twice each week, and who has
spent twenty years in the business, care
fully examined this bridge on Saturday eve
ming last and found no stretch of chords,
and the Gambler or arch perfect. The de-
ect was hidden one and not suspected.
The bridge had sustained every strain that
lad been put upon it up to the fatal moment
It the catastrophe which has brought
Mourning and sadness to so many hearts.
)nly few hours previously it had safely
passed loaded freight train with thirty
i've ton locomotive, and was to the officers
# the road who look after such things,
bove suspicion.