, 1877-01-15

being set over deep rnvine, tho trark was laid
oyer tho top cloldt Of tho etlxc as matter
It would loaacn tho expense In tho construction
Of The nbutments.
There nrc two considerations Involved IN thc
further 70 lsproyc Mr. Co1lsns' assertion #, r..
gartl to having double trnrk originally. nc
alrst Is, that ~ VIVA On1y = hpge-trnss bridge,
oscr lie top Of thc bridge, there doesn't ap-
pcnr to be any apparcnt rens?n why the t!fllge
was not built wider anil anotI,er truss nsl1cd In
thc centre u thy bridge, 4 It was intcnlGd ios
tsys II was constructed stxtccn feet wide, whI'h
would MT permit the pasecurar coaches to pas.
eAc other wit1itlt llsl{nV enc OF two things
which might be considered little dangerous
Passenger coaches ars. from ten feet to ten feet
fur inelles in width, nn1 they could mt pas.
without running within twelve INCHES Of each
other, wt'ir!i would bc extremely close, owing 70
tho sxny Of The cars, Or else the hearing for tl
outside rai1 wnutl have tn rest til tho ties
tofnc considerable distance outside tho truss or
hrt'i9c, witiinntanv support except tho strength
Nuw, by placing Tie inside rails six feet from
could pass cash other ani have orc
foot Of anaec between them. Tho inside
outside rae just even viii tho outside of Tho
truss Ds bridge, md the distance between the
two Inside rails being six feet. and THO Width
uf tile two trucks five feet each, would make
NJ the sixteen feet, according to Mr. Collins
6tatcneHt.
Allowing TINT tic ra's were placed as statcsl,
wet, ~ oil probability was fact, md, further
fnurc, that u was never Intended that pas:eH-
ger trims shou1d pass each other IN the bridge,
s.itl, at the same time, there would b. plenty of
room for freight trains to pass, without my
danger Or inconvcncncc as to the width ot tho
rgs' gr bnt to fact St II IT, ISn!ts rIt .as s fe
bo ia(l that tho centre OF the trafn " weight
to lc supported, was placed or carried from tve
and liaf to e!x feet one B[tlc Of tho centre OF
the lrulge. which WIS ut Gust nr loss of nearly
tne-!,alf tic streugttl II tho bridge In Other
woss!a, at tile time nf tho passing Ut heavy
tra!n ovcr, the bridge, only little over one.
flatf tho wiote of t!ic combined strength 81
tic brI,lgo was available. Whenever d tra!n
pnssci oycs, going c!thcr. tast Or vest. ons
or thu other IT tho trustes lla all or nearly all
Of the weight to carry. [la'l there been mid
die tr,tss I, would havc n,yiatel all tho dctl.
ty, and Ia all human probability tho bFidgcwould
" il viii nSt bo forgotten that similar caan,-
tty occurred three ycars ago last Aay at D!xoh
ILL.,, wilero tlc anne principles wero inyolyed' ot
ons sidv Of tho bridge, sacrificing the lives VI
7fty Or sixty men, women, aud children Il TUG
people l,ad stood In thy centre ot the bridge, i
wo s extent aS' sat t nfy % possiSie sS
ih tiat Tho The acciient " could have have Occurred,
tho strait, OH tic Dixon brlgc being tic same
a. tsnt 10 which tile Ashtal'ula bridge was sub
lErlEus IL lA4tiAAlAtV tultHVl4 0l4A tu1 u
lustrat[on Will hc applicable III bath cases: 1t
will bc remembered that the Dixon bridge
brukn down unler tho weight Ot Atotlt :hN
people stal,lIn. oil ,.Itlc etdc of The bridge.
SuW, Eh(le the },copib stood on this side Ut the
hrl,!Hc, the opposite side OF the bridge or TRUSS
Ind uo weight to carry, an1 might asnost have
b.cn dtsprnsel with So fur ns render
Ing assistance Ia tho overloaded part
went, beealtssp 1t was not avaslahlr.
md It WIS fnlpassfhlc to cotnmaud 0r ae"tire the
wlIple c.,1tb.ned strength ol tile bridge, owing
ll tho position Of the weight. as the bridge
vent tic opposite truss that st,ulllhayG helped
to ntl.taiu the wrIght only helped 10 c,,mrlete
the distraction By falling Oh tie people Us they
til o!f tho broken side IT the bridge. This IT.
| elcnt proved beyond oil questlsHi tho Impair
| tanrc OF authorities uni corporations enforcing
stringent rules aud regulations III regard to the
l*e q bridges.
This brtlgc, which has a'ccnreferEcl TT several
times sinue the disaster ~ AsttabllIa, In Ttsof.
NJ It ts claimed, Of thu cinpractithllity or intccur
Ety If Irnn Il, the construction Ut bridges, proves
! nothng. 1t is true 1t WAS uh Iron bridge, thu
| ,,la1l being similar To w0oton lnttlec.hri.lgc
nlL was constructed ol wrought antl east fsun
tho cast.rnn being used indsrrlnlnatcly uni
very !nJ,nlivinu*ly, is tho result ha> proved.
| Ms. Tomlnsun, III Eytng ha cyitsGnrc ut tho
Inquest Mt AslIthulu jan. It, snys tlt: lF!Agr villa
constructed to carry Innying land of frnlm two
/ IL three tons 10 the lheul foot. Uurs Mr.
Tunfnsotl mean the wllolc ebn,t't1icA htrrnyth