The New York herald., 1876-02-26

built by contract under the supervision OF ouiding
committee appointed by the town Authorties In
order TO obtain Official records he called upon tho Town
Clerk and that official overhauled all the papers on hle
In his Office, but found nothing in the shape OF COD
tracts plans specifications reports OF tests or any OF
those papers which &c is usual to file in the case OF
| public works built by towns committees.
An Introduction 70 prominent lawyer counsel to
the COMMITTEES given by the obging Clerk and II
then appeared that the committee 'had made their
contracs hastily, and probably mover ned anything"
that they employed to examine the specaca-
tonS and that they had neglected submit the
contract to their counsel but had closed II without
consultation with advice from skilled either in
law or mechanics
Az the fntsnton Of this article is by means TO
attack individuals is hoped thai If any records
ever discovered relating the Catsk Bridge they will
show good for what upon the surface ap
pears to be piece OF careessness-the fact that
important public work should have been built and
it is supposed accepted and paid for without any
ords having been fled show its strength cost or t-
ness for the purposes for which IL designed, no
contract specifications or record of and accept
ance
favorable impression that the absence Of records
might have given 1t consists Of three spans-one long,
across the main channel of the creek shorter
ones over some low land, obviously occasionally
| flowed, and minor waterways
l. The long span Is said by the villagers TO be the
longest 'oi its kind" in the world The writer most
| devoutly hopes the statement may prove correct,
for t much longer than one OF its kind ought to be-
The length OF the iron work OF this span 225 be
tween the points Of connection OF the top and bottom
| chords
The design that of sbowstring bridge and ofwhat
known as the ''Whpple variety, which was invented
In 1912 and for many years favorite style of
construction for moderate spans Tho details how
ever-for which viii be given-are suitable
for very large spans, and the worst defects OF the
system painfully visible in this work. the result being
N lha Of hqaVv
would enormously increase the strains upon the
various members and tend 70 break down the bridge
In the case OF the bridge at Cask IL did appear
that even the most common precautions for
ing the best known defects Of the invention had
used The work Is therefore, very "shaky," and,
under the action of rotting horse vi
brate from end 70 end in manner which is alarm
ing to any possessing sufficient knowledge ap-
precate the magnitude OF the strains which are gen.
Grated by the jumping and hammcring OF the parts
This ''shakiness" Is caused partly by the weakness
OF the lower chord and the bad joints in IL bat prnci
pally by the insufficient and defective method
ployed in bracng the work against local loads and
braiions There compression members what
between the upper and lower chords These main
members are held in place by small rods only, which
are themselves so long and connected in such faulty
manner that they inevitably allow considerable
ton The structure is OF sucha nature that motion
these parts means the nal destruction of the bridge
Nothing is known about the quality Of the iron
of which this structure is built and consequently
real strength be ascertaned Iron Of different
qualities varies very much in strength. Nor is known
that the individual parts were Tested Tor laws before the
erection OF the bridges Probably they were not
1t may not be fair inference (and in calculations It
has not been taken advantage of but t is certainly
very natural to suppose that when little pains have
been shown to develop sound plan or to do good
work the builders would be fastiious about
the material employed, and that recklessness
to the proper size and arrangement OF the
parts would that chcapness had been the main
idea and that expensive iron would have been
fully avoided as any other large item OF cost The
bridge may therefore, be very much weaker than
the results OF the calculations which have been made
would Indicate because in the absence Of direct proof
to the contrary was assumed that the IRON Of the
very best quality that every weld was perfectly made
be strong any other part OF the bar in which
it occurs, that the castings perfectly made and
free from any flaws any Of the strains which often
from unequal contraction In cooling, and thai
all parts of the structure would always remain in ad
justment and good order.
From these facts h Is very evident that the struc-
ture discussion ID not ht for q public
highway bridge, and that such a crowd may come
upon any time would be almost certain to break 1t
down.
AT present Il remains open to the public and the
only hint Of danger a sign that any riding or
driving at gait faster than walk will be fined
$2A