New-York tribune., 1874-06-11
THE CIVIL ENGINEERS.

CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY
A ,.poy AND SUCCESSFUL OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
on RRtDGE BUuDING-CAUSEs or FAILURE op
THE WILLIAMSBURG DAM-ANCHoRAGE OF iiih
HAsT RIVER BRIDGE-IMPR0yEMENTs OF NE"
YonK's WATER FRoNr-oTuER INTERESTING IA
-rErs.
The sixth annual Convention of the American So
,;,v os Civil Eng,neers assembled yesterday lore
noon in Tammauy Hall, and its session cohtinuou
throuoh tho afternoon and evening. over io aeio,
cates representing nearly all the Ticpai ei''0' Va
the Union, were present Inc PlperS io'u-
fourteen in number-and the rpTts OIL va
rious committees, though OF interest 10 inc
sn,;,a country, are of peculiar value to the
residents of this city, treating, as many OF them
do. of strictly local subjects. Col Julius W. Adams
Of New-York, who presided, called the Convention
TO order The most important papers and reports
that would be interesting to the genera reaoei are
herewith given more or less fully.
A report on THE Form, Weight, Manufacture,
and Life OF Rails not yet ready for publication
as the Committee had not received all the necessary
data. The superiority of American railroads over
those in England was asserted and explained. lhe
Convention adopted a memorial to Congress urs-
lag thorough tests of American irsn and steel
The report on the Failure of the Dam at Williams
burg Mass, gives the conclusions Of committee
appointed by the Society to investigate the causes
of that catastrophe. Their report is exceedingly
plain-spoken. They do not regard the dam as o
piece of engineering work in any proper sense OF the
term; but as performance planned and executed IN
utter disregard of the risk encountered and OF the
established laws which should govern suoh cOnStruc-
tons Gen. j. G. Barnard of this city read an erudite
paper entitled the Resistance of Beams to Flexure.
1t discussed the applicability of certain formula to
the problem in question; and while OF un-
questionable value to the engineering fra
ternity, was far too technical to. be
of interest TO the general Feader'
The method Of putting in the foundations of the
BROOKLYN anchorage of the East River Bridge was
the subject of concise and interesting paper by
Francis Collingwood The difficulties and discour-
agements which arose during the progress of the
work. aud were overcome. of as much interest to
residents of this city and BROOKLYN as to civil en-
gineers The origin present condition, and effects
of the fire now existing i'll Pennsylvania coal heds
were briefly stated by Martin Coryell OF
Wilkesbarre, Penn. G. w. X. Bayleys paper
on Tho Teredo," read by Francis COllingwood,
described the writer's personal experiences at the
bridges over the Bay of st. Louis and other places
The object of the paper of Capt. James B. Eads
of st. Louis, on Upright Arched Bridges" was to
show that this class of structures can be more
economically constructed than any other form oil
bridge no matter what length of span may be re-
0uired His own eminent success as bridge-builder
entities him to speak in this matter with authority.
At the evening session Mr.. John ID. Van Buren, jr.,
diseoursed on the improvements of the Water Front
of New-York.