, 1873-05-26
THE DIXON BRIDGE DISASTER.
MIR. TrucAtlcllsa Explanation nNd de-
fa1Yn4

I'VE U&NNH bS1tuNA uAJHo ! Nsta
MIR. Truos,leli'" nxp,nnntioa mud de- ,
70 tAs kJitor NJ hs Springfield l,h.a,) Republican:
aassse sy sst ri sa1g asyS 'S e Ds raos @
falling Of Dixon brldEo Whereby go many ltyos
wore lost. It Is this lattor specially dHtrosafng
featuro Of tho case, which, ollcltlng an 1t dooA
tno keenost nympathy md regfet tron me- ~ -
facts, 30 fat aa nm ahlo. in order to roevo tho
Common Council Of Dixon, undor wlioso att
thorty tho bridge was built, from Tho ol,argos OF
corruption III roferonco to tho letting or th9 coll
aelontious thorolghness III tho construction OF
tie briiIgo..
Tho Dixon bridge was 600 fect in length IN
Ayo apsnS Of 1873 B-l0 feet each, trpasaa l3 foot
roadway Is faot in tho eloar; two sidewalks, o
foot onol,, making tho bti1go 33 foot from out
eide 10 oritalle.. THO bottom chords, including
first and SECOND, contained 1o hquare Inches OF
iron; top chords Of sullciont strength to res'at
a compression force of ovor. 300, 900 pounds to
oacl, al,an. All Of tho wrought Iron was rnnri1i-
factnred expressly for that bridge, md warranted
To auatau a tonsllo atrain Of 10000 pounds ror
taken promlaeuous1y from tho Hatno1 oaoll was
found capable Of rosiBtiug over 80 600 potinda;
and know thatl noyor malo lettor brl.go
than tho one at Dixon In ovory part1oniaI' Mter
alrongll, wns mado, WHOM each sl'an Was loaded
with toamB and pooplo, as ID shown by photo-
graph taken 1t tho timo, md having weight o.
at loaat 10000 ponllds. Ihc Ilaoh 1cteySMn,n l,N
Of that date thus described tho bridge nnd thls
teAt; ....,-5..'
Tile tos of tho 21at lt., under the direction Of tho
City Council md cbnpeant engncer consisted Of
ss k4esm a"s n'yx m e .aa
Pylng al the ayaiabio spaee o. tho bridge yeFo men
Ss Grp @ - tic hs' oy
course the slightest depression Of span, conneo-
Cd Us they all by tho iron notwork, would corre-
5as tho nE ThS D s1S IN
cat variation under tho weght 10 10 only Que ana one
eighth Of IN inch Tho satisfaction with which cisi.
citation OF tho integrity Of Tho contractor Mr. TrIeB-
de in Its erection are suitably expressed In subso"
quent vote of the Council. ,..,
ovor 10000 pounds with safety, and yet ia said
to hnyo fallen With less than Ii, GOO pounds. II
some OF tho bolts lad been looseneu N tho top
chord near tho eonnoottons, snd weights placed o. cd
fallcn precisely as 1t ia sad to hhyo fallen and
oannot conceive Of any other cause.
am accused Of bribing tho City Council to OBJ
tain tho contract. Not by word or not did over
bribe or attempt to bribe, or promise to romu.
nerate In any manner whatever. Neither did
either ono Of thom ASK, or intimate Gin any way
whatovor-tl,at they wanted, or expoctcd, any
from ThsE and aest otS
and fully bclioYo that, had made the attempt
to briba them, would not havo obtained the
contract. defy Any party to show that ever
did bribo or attempt to bri6o any party, East or
Wost.
Il is stated that many other bridges on tho
"Trueadell plan" have fallen, each causing the
death Of many people,-one ut Rockford and
one at Elgin being narnod. Ineuer built bridge
.thoro on the :: Truesdoll plan." In 1860 built
one ut Elgin- For tho cause Of its falling,, !
| quote from the report of tho City Council, and q
| public atatemont made at tho time:
iron bridge conatrl1eea by L. E. Truosdol, Esq.
piers and preciptstoa into tic river, aud whereas at
CATTLE averaging 1,10o hs each. aud whoreas. IT mp.
poara from an Investigation that when about half
Of The cattle were near the end OF tho bridge they
turned around md commenced running meetine tho
othcr portion Of the cattle In tho contro Of TIC bridge,
Thsro they crowded together somo Of ths eat,ie being
sido motion which threw tho standard from Tho 1der
and whereas nefore tho bridge vas accented BY ih'
ea.t twlce tbs eight which tho builder warranted it
! to sustain; therefore, =,
Of tho bridge was not ca,lHod by my defect In tho
| bridge, or fault OF the builder.
eDaFs2 a z e akassnsy @ e Il t5s s ,ss.p,4
construction Of Tho Tread. briaan. becnlse It faiy
10 bear bear Oh tic sdo Of IT, il simply III absarty Thc
bridge built to resist downward, not Rido weight
When tho standard snppGd from tno mef, tno hot.n
aldo OF the apan setet mus cateeuaHH ~ ~
10 " sloe auu man eaeyonn er " ~
mas rearlus planglIIl n,a IsniH ~ @ TX i - ~ "s a
IN lnat pos!lo, wualo nnsS oruan t n5 pnH W. &
uaae o4 "9ou q ls9n. aAo ~ H. Li Mo.tn6 % IN a1t
dfeu noulue p!aceu uEoa ~ ile!iu M nel ~!
ilGiHeA " sart ~ ~ ~ lusi ~ .ss az
u VIII tnKe p9"eT elu1! 10 LUZ ..na @ louaua ~ ~ ~
ssanLy hlop y: Iis tao ~ d alu uo et ~
pounas O.! aonisgnai pUwet% % ~ h+ ~ tn III,
noH!enn n1asu ~ 'no atsu! moeIs e,t ~ wv
mMen W. ~ asu o ~ ~ sit,a nm ,ds 10 th1
~ ns o ~ De, u .ant fo nae @ ccessarv
tons o. aetu1 lug po%Se ad n
proyca snnal to tbs emergency We should lave nait
Air Truesdcll ad~pcrlornet! miracle. As it is, WI
say 1t Ii superior in every reEpcet to hs reconeuda
ons as was sufficiently o., ~ m the M tea nsli
s1Sa peao1o @ mnG cso ~ 3 ~ aaan
St ,an OK nat, r"qaa nver ii litornv rnvcr,,,r ~
oua aud oy ono srar, oocio fc11. thc otl,cr ro
,na;n;no m tho 1ior anl ,orn crain laavo IL,
namaa t6 thes swnrr, stntanoI'ta nf oiaycn man
Who lad never. been in my employ, aud whs
rn;sod tha failen and: ''1>
.a,sss' ssa,s -, ~ nv,,ats rou,,, ~ ran..,
7sS Ts rnsrssned. % hayne beet arat 1uly sworp o,