The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-01-25

masonry, well filled in with headers
and stretchers and laid in the best n.y.
draulic cement. On account of crew.
ces in rock bottom of the river, Golfer
dams could not be used, and the piers
were sunk upon platforms Of l2xl2
timbers laid close two ways and bolted
together. The engineer, Mr.. Lyman,
has also covered the nose of each pier
with q boiler-iron shield twelve feet
long bolted to heavy irons bull, into
the masonry. The contract for this
part of the work was let TO O'Hanlon
& O'Hara, a firm which has done
many similar jobs on the river and
always, "a i'm this instance, in the
most satisfactory and substantial
manner. The Engineer, owing TO the
contraction of the river and increased
force of the current at this point, added
considerable to the estimated size of
the piers-the total amount of ma
sonry being l0l4 cubic yards, costing
at the contract price of So, with a few
extras, the aggregate sum of $3.50.
The citizens of the locality pay, as per
agreement, 81 200 of this sum for the
west abutmcnt, beside making the
necessary approach.
The superstructure consists of four
spans of douhle-intersection Pratt
truss-which differs materially from
the Howe truss in that the manner of
bearing the strain is just reversed, the
comprcssive members in the Howe
being tensile in the Pratt. Each span
is l35 feet, making $40 feet of
road way, Is feet wide in the clear
These spans are all of wrought iron
except merely the floor joists and
plank. They are so constructed that
no bolt, brace, bar or chord is required
to bear a strain of over one-fcurth its
actual strength, and at the same time
to insure the bridge against load of
SO lbs. per square, or 1850 lbs. per
lineal foot. That is, is the factor of
safety; and in loading the bridge, ex-
elusive of its weight, with 1850 lbs. to
the lineal foot, chord or brace with
an ultimate capacity for resisting a
strain of 36, 900 lbs. per square inch,
would only be carrying 1900 lbs. Mr.
Lyman, the engineer in charge, fur
nished lis with technical description
of each chord. brace and bar, but il is
not probably necessary to specify them
here. The trusses are p feet high, and
are held to their place by heavy grid
ers overhead consisting of r bars 81
| feet apart and joined by iron lattice
work. The floor rests upon heavy
iron | beams suspended directly from
the connecting pin at the foot of each
post; and these, with the great top
and bottom chords and end braces
and the perfect adjustment of every
member, make the whole as stiff and
staunch as could be desired.
The structure stands % #. above low
water mark, and If skill and care can
be depended upon it will continue to
stand there whether the water be high
or low. 1t is painted with three coats
of metallic paint-dark brown below
and white above-and surely redeem
ed every pledge to furnish first class
bridge. The superstructure was erec-
ted by the old and substantial u. King
Bridge Co., of Cleveland, O., for
which King 4 Wheeloek, of Des
Moines, are Genl Agts. The price
agreed upon per foot brings the total
cost of the bridge, including the iron
nose coverings and other extras, up to
S2l 900.
The county placed the supervision
Of the entire work in the hands of Mr..
J. +. Lyman, City Engineer of Cedar
Rapids. This gentleman has already
superintendent the erection of several
bridges over the Cedar, Wapsie and
other streams, and has now in charge
the one Linn Go. is placing at Ivan.
hoe Ferry. He has his reputation es-
tablished as skillful engineer, and
we can also testify that he is most
courteous and ohliging gentleman
We have to thank him for numerous
| favors, AS also Mr. Scwall Cover, up
on whom seems to have fallen the
mantle of his father In the matter OF
bridge agitation, as it is very greatly
owing to his efforts, aided by Messrs.
Gunsolus and Seitsinger, that what has
been is. One more effort, in due
time, and one more bridge over the
Cedar will fix our county just as VIC
have always thought her thirty miles
of river line demanded; and this we
hope, will be all the more easily done
from the fact that she has built hel
second bridge first,
With the above we had considered
this article concluded, but as yester
day was the day appointed for the fina
examination and test of the bridge b,
the Board OF Supervisors, preparator,
to its acceptance, we concluded to ado
this paragraph by way of postscript
The work of the Board was ac
collpllSneu IN the presence
Of Mr.. King, General Agent, the
Engineer, and large company of citi
zcns from far and near Sixteen wa
CONS were coupled two abreast, eacl
loaded with near two ton of rock, and
were pulled across the bridge, accom-
panied by about 80 men. This put
weight upon each span Of about fit,
tons-not nearly up to its capacity
but several times rs much rs is likely
ever to have again. The effect wa
not perceptible; and after the mos
careful examination the bridge wa
declared no less credit than a conve
nience TO the county by all present.
The Board returned to Upton a
about four o'clock, and at once me
and formally accepted the work from
the hands of the contractors.
The following preamble and resolu
ticns were unanimously adopted b,
the Board OF Supervisors this, Thurs
! day, morning:
WHEREAS, Cedar county, at the Jun
! meeting of the Board of supervisors
made Il contract with Il. KING I