, 1877-01-12
CASUALTIES.
Testimony Of the Man Who Drew the
Plans for the Ashtabu1a Bridge.


kworu, Resides in OTTAWA, Ont. Is Neneral
Superintendent Of Lighthouses In tho employ
OF toe Canadian Government. Was engaged In
bridge-hiildinK from 1S40 10 1ss0, lie maf!c
tho drawings for the iron Howe truss bridge
over Ashtsbuta Crcek--the one which had late~
ly fallen. lie did this under Instructions from
Mr.. Stone. lie never approved of q wrought
iron Howe truss over large span. 1t tnakct
All unnecessarily heavy bridge. aud al, tho strain
accumulates 1t the end braces. Notwithstanding
It's weight, It would have bccn strong. durable
briige Lah the main braces been sufficiently
strong. They were not nla1c as large % de.
signed, and It WIS bis intention that they should
be strengthened, hut his connection with the
Company wns severed or account Of a difference
that arose between himself and Mr. Stone cor-
ccrning this bridge. lie thought that the main
braces wrse the only defective part Of the
bridge. THIS was the unly defect that lie was
aware Of except It's unnecessary weight. Ifc
thinks IT. would have been uu exceedingly
strong strurturc lad 1t not been for these de-
fecte. Mr.. Collins had nothing to do In auy
way with the bridge to his knowledge. the
bridge was calculated 10 raEry moving load
OF from two to three tons to the lnccl fvos. He
was dictated to in making hi. rlan4 for this
bridge By Mr.. etone. II the iron had all been
good and wrought according 10 The patterns,
and placed In their proper positions, he thinks
the bridge would have l'oen perfectly safe. in
lie original plan, nIac bv Mr., Tunsfnson, the
'a !" 'fs as :'sssa s s" s
formed what alterations had been made In
remMlclnE tile bridge. Ifc thinks TINT prcka.
ure q tour '""s to the sH1asc inct
lateral dc:eriuu. lie proposed i method
Of strengthening tic defective braces 10 Stuue
wllicll h. tstone, wsud mt lsscn to. aud be-
came angry. II waa In consequence Of this ,lif-
Ntr: Tou,linson never iAtl any anxiety cxcep.
about thc brlccs. 1fc don't think Il better bet
Of rods or coris were ever put into bridge.
,... r" the i:.!ftvr " ~ Tt'aunt.
Cu1cIGo. Jan. l1.-Amu,g the .nany theories
that have .appcarcd accounting inr thc Asltnbnia
disaster. Lave failed to 'l'"t What CONCEIVE tn
| bc The true one. With yotss ncr'nissson ! Will
| give tnv thcbryt hoping ti!at II may lIrlp to
etucaase the subject, and terliap* leuA to The
| Adoption ot measures That Will tend to secure
more suicty to the travelling pu',}lc:
| Tic Ashfntltlu f,En:ge was built TN What Is
called TUG truss p!an, Z, !I!stf1eti"n lrutn The
arcll or suspcnelon tnclholS. III sucll brtdEc
there arc ilre d!ttlslet aud Separate parte. aly
one III whtrh En!tin., the bridge will ~ luWn.
First, there arc the lower r,sng-p -picces, IN which
the htrasn IL always by tc.isiun. Hence these
pieces n!e always straig1lt.-keps so by tho
weight os the bridge ttscli,-ard can only give
way BY being draw, asatlt!er. sccond, til:
upper ttrng-p!ccts. which nse always subjected
to crushing strain, which tends to thruw thur.
~; Of line by What Il called ''buckllng,", aud
which can yltsa in 'lo other WY. Third,
| the, poss*, which y! an Iron
bridge arc usually subjected to Il
| crushing stran; while fos!rtlI) the sustatuIng-
suds tths Fevsrts of tie hrarct rii,, ~ wv.!r',
bridge, ase strained " tens tsnsE1n: Fifth thcrc i
the system u erslsA-brAein: f.y means III rods
| and sross-titt, wh!rh urc usua1lr xuh1cct to 10
strain at I'LL. EXCEPT that which Is voluntarily
put UPON them BY tho builder lur The purpose
| ut kcct,.ng othrr parts III their places. Tins
| tystcs1 IL divided irto tw" paris namely, the
hurt-nntal crose.bTacl1lg, %htet, Is Intended to
keep thu uupcs string pieces frnm l'uc!sng. ANIL
the vertical es"ss-brag!n.:, Which prevents
This cEoss-hrnt!nc. IL the most delicate
ani dif1Iru1t part af the work ~ 10 on I'LL Iron
bridge: foF the rols must b. made IL ut against
cnch otlIrs. SO that, wllilc they h"ld the upper
tt strained exactly nllkc, ntllcFwise they thcsn-
sc;ves ~'nlhl draw tr Strings out os line. Now
1t Is eu:y t. rec that there Ii no 1i'nii to tiic
ar,ual tension thst may be- put a1on them By
iS."Faut nr nJu'!iro,s worlitiIvh; they nlHv, In
| iHrt, hr drawn FL light as IN ht Just rrnuY tu
part, while It wultl'l bc impossible IL aaeOvcr
shr tart liz the clusrss Inspection. ~.
Now, Mhen thc ra!s 1rc !ai1 along tho lower
part Of bridge Vi this kna the trntE, being at~
tathc,t to thu cross'ilcs with the lower string
pieces, must 'e kept straight, and tile
ts2!n VIII pais over It with the hast lMssible
!ar Or inpFopes stF7lil on any tn5t y! the bri.e
there Is suetI certainty that the trark will hc
kept strasgft. Tn the contrary every strafb,
tsn whatever suslrsc, tends to throw the Upper
| ktrIika. nuu the trlrE Will ttlcil out IL iInc,
braclpy, thts viii certainly i.a,,,cn. Suw, SUP
rose that, by SONG unusual lar. ouc
II The rods ii thr csuas.Grarine. already
s,raincd hy the workman 10 tts uf,nust
Icustun should the nppnslf,. rod, having
no resistance liuws the string -.!cgrs, a,l with
them The track, uut Of line. 'rilrp heavy train
viii two engines yt,,urs thuml,rlur aio,lg. Tl,c
truck Lein: so,rs lat ,,is,rs, tic wlluly trau i.
thrown lard uga1net os,e ride; nurc hrarcs
hrrnh; the tr,lAars yield slIcwse: Tie weigh, II
tic train, more INV that. anything elsr, uLs tu
th* ri1e.s,r.tu, until iii resistance Yields. tie
trls.,s I'll, tu III" ni,te, and tn. tra f. tlrawn
intt tic nl,yss. thirty Or {osty fcrt out uf the
inc oI lie briEr. ii Is ei.y to scs tIms, il tle
track haJ becn iatl vi tho buttunl VI t'lis bridge,
thc breaking OF rml OF tw,, fl ti,r rr.ss.
brarEng would hive ha'l comparatively little
sa!c,v '
There arc other considerations why A soa,l-
roy should not lie made IN tic to,, nf bridge,