, 1873-05-06

tic WORLD, tnht til0 reporter Opth1nGu LILO most /
thorough and raking criticism, 1Io said Tint |
while tho brI'go was built protti1y and to lilo
cye waB light and cllar1ning, 1t wan practically |
uBetoas. Whero n truss was conntructod by OIL
gineors, 1t was composed Of two chords, tho low
or ono constructed Of wrought iron to boar tho
tcnsllo atrain upon It, tho uppor ono OF cast iron.
These Two chords woro hold together by yari- |
ous systcmH somo by serloB OF diagonal |
memborn, and otllora, llko tho uowo |
trusu by perpendicular and diagonal braces, with |
technical names which 1t 10 unnecessary to givc
Tho ontiro strength OF tbo bridge lioH In tho |
strength of those two chords or horizontal bara,
which aro therefore constructed Of grent |
strongtl, na 1nay 10 soon tn any Of tho Weut |
gilo yjaduote OF that oYcr North Water street, |
DY tho introduction Of tho various memlors OF
tho 1IoYo truss, tho weight Ia taken of, tho
bridge and in groat moasuro thrown On to tho
piors Mr. Tresdoll, 1lowovor, order to clieapon
tho bridge, Ina mndo tho top nud bottom cllorls
worry much lighter, and haa, to supply, as he
BupposoB. tho remainder OF tho Rtrongth, run
two and somotimos throo, chords inside tho top
aud bottom onos, whore thoy aro Of no oarthly
service. III tl1s way hc hha made pretty
bridge, with less strength than any other In
proportion, as lila top and bottom chords aro loss
subntantial than thogo OF othor hrldgoa, tho
middle chords bong practically usoloBs. Tho
bridge, therefore, whilo cheap mud plonBing to
tho eyo, 10 dangerous. lilo aamo amount Of
iron III 1t, properly disposed Of, would mako tli0
bridge as strong ns any other, but large
proportion Of it boing placed whore IT is
into into tho Ss Tver ut ass oneo. might botter oson b.
relog ntod to oblivion, because it ndds ita own
dond weight to tho bridge, and gives no strength
In return
Though gentleman Of unusual mtldnoBs Of
manner and expression, tho engineer declared
Mr. TruoBdoll to be no ongneer at all. liia
method Of construction showed IN ignorance Of
had always boon regarded as worthless by those
wtoao opinion was regarded az valuable.
Tho reporter inquired whother It was mon
BY a oty On a hS sa0 o Of seSas sag
bulky volunace from tho library, ono OF them by
an excellent Fronch authority. who had mado
tho tour OF tho united States, and
sAo tiens whiie evosy ss othor known netS %etGSod
Of bridge-bnildlng usod on this continent
was described and illustrated with outs, Dir.
Truesdoll'a bridge WAS not to bo found. Author
after author WAS consulted, until tho whole
bookcase was exhausted, but no reference WAS
mado to tho fancy man~trnp discovered by Elr.
Trucado1l.
Tho reporter wondered how the bridge had
ever boon adopted. Tho enginser replied that
per llhd been ablo to diBpose Of It in little oonn
try towns like E1gin ana Dixon, tho solcctmcu
whereof suppoHod thoy knew ovorythlng, There
Its ohoapnoas, and tho plausibilitY Of its inyon-
r snv outaidor. jike lila anoaGor aver yonturod
a auTroatfon as to fts waut Of strength. tho
oo]oc3mon'a dignity wsB much offended. ani thoy
gave tho modelling outsider to understand that he
the bridge would bo built; thon It would col
lanse. and hundreds OF homes bo rendered doao-
lato. Ho inBtancod the Ttuesdcll bridge at Ell
with drove of oxon, and onco during boat
race,
The ronorter ca)lod tho attention OF tho anc;-
noor to tie old vialuct on Wells street oyor the
Chicago l. Northwestern Railroad Company's
The enriueor aajd tbot was dangerous bridge
before It WAS bracoi up, It was Of the Truosd6lI
pattern ind yibratod 10 badly TINT tho city took
stops to have Il secured: Il was noarly. now,
but was. nevertheless. risky for reo. Ho had
Congratulated con himself that his hands yoro cloar
OF thnt mattor.
The reporter thought It rather strange that, In
q city whore, II anywhere, intelligence aud expo
Of methods of constructing bridgeg, such pya-
tom should havo boon selected. Tho ongineor
said it waB not no strange. Flo Ind
OPPOSED numbers Of things which had boon
adopted in spite Of tho circumstances Of sound
ongineo.B. but the pooplo would nevor listen
to such remonHtrancoH. They insisted Oh having
their own way, and accused those who opposed
them Of advocating private interests and job
bory. It was only by such terrible warnings as
tho tragedy ut Dixon that they would be COLI
viuced aud thousands Of innocent livoa wcro
6acrit1cod to tho acf-will and ignorance Of local
authorities and others.
ANOTHER OPINION.
Tho reporter botook him to another engineer
Of experience and ability OIL tue Wost sldo, and
without letting him know tho opinion Of tho
gentleman ho lad just interviewed, asked him