, 1877-03-18

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CID, and the Tact OF my not being In position
70 enforce nv views and conclusions with any
degree of force to the men at the head OF thfs
undertaking viii be readily understood as
reasons Tor not making these facts known soon
eE. Also, was an entire stranger to some OF
these men, and consequently would not have
been listened to; nevertheless, knew there
vas Gay coming, and that in oil probability
l sno1!d live to see It, when these difficulties
YOU'D present themselves. 1t has come sooner
since 1hat heaVy body Of masonry was piled on
tne Top OF this structure, and I had not realized
That the danger was so close at hand.
inc reasons for entertaining these fearful
ffse1Vtngs and uncertainties to the safety Of the
Crib are:
First-lts outline and want OF sufficient seat
lng-oase In that depth Of water, which varies
from thirtT-t1vc to thirty-nlne feet In some sea-
sons, and being in one Of the most exposed aud
unshe]tered positions to be found on Lake
Michigan; its great height being entirely inad-
cquatc to the breadth or scating-base. which Is
ninety feet and six or seven inches at its great
est breadth; the height of the wooden base,
composed Of soft, white pine timber, with very
slender fastenings, is from thirty-four to thirty
live feet from the bottom to the water-line.
Then there is high pile Of masonry Of twenty
TWO feet on top Of this weak wooden base,
making fifty-scycn feet from the bottom Of the
crib to the top Of this masonry. Above this
flfty-seven feet is a huge, unnecessarily high
tower Of masonry sixty-nine feet five inches
high from the watcr-llne to the topof the tower.
bottom to top Of the tower is eighty-one feet
six inches,-almost equal to its breadth OF base.
A structure of this height and character, taking
into consideration the mode OF its construction.
1t having twenty-five feet Of stone masonry,
and tower Of fortv-sevcn feet above that, all
rAEfjTp n hARn.-W01G
not be considered any too safe on dry
land, much less in from thirty-dve to
thirty-nine feet OF water, and IN, as
said one OF the most exposed posi-
from my own observations that dnring the
heaviest storms and seas this weak; limp, and
spriugY structure 6Ways or is ierkcd back and
forth on the water-line fully five inches or more
by these furious seas, at the top of the stone
work, twenty-five feet above the water-line,
about seven and a half inches, aud at the top OF
the tower, which is sixty-nine feet five inches
above water, lind this swaylng or jerking mo-
tion back and forth is equal to fourteen or
fifteen inches. This calculation does not allow
in heavy seas, especially SO in the rebound Of
the crib back to its natural position. These OBJ
seryations we're taken seven years before the
stone-masonry was erected On top Of this
springy base, when the structure was new and
more stanch. Consequently this swaying mo-
from conversation held with Mr.. Kalstrom,
the keeper Of the crib, on Sunday, tue eth
day Of last September. Mr.. Kalstrom's views
On this question must not be ignored He hos
without laying himself liable to the charge of
cowardice, and possibly losing bis position. 4
braver man and woman than Mr. and AIRS. kal-
strom could not well be found. They would
give up their lives before they would haveit in
timarcd that they were towards, and this must
1,af ha 1,n;fr md min Ia If NN
or woman could do more than give up life for 4
Cause and principle. He told me that sometimes
he actually thought the tower would fall down,
which is not at all surprising, considering the
gyrations it llas to perform during one Of these
furious storms, and the seas with which it has
to contend. hope for the credit OF any en-
ginecr employed BY the United States Govern
ment, that he was not guilty Of advising or
eountenancing the erection OF any such mon
strosity as has been put up on this crib. Il he
cid, he certainly did not appreciate the situa-
tion and difficulty it had to labor under; for it
is powerful auxiliary and lever III helping to
complete its destruction.
3{y advice to the authorities Is given frankly
ana fearless1y: Take down that unnecessarily
heavy and high tower Us soon as practicable, and
substitute for it light iron frame about twcn-
ty-dve or thirty feet high, which, I am told By
one OF the most respectable. likewise one Of the
Oldest and most experienced OF men that sail
these lakes, is oil that would be required. lie
WaS aMaxeu "nEH IV4u nu1 Inc to"ef "as
nuut u pr1Ia- aG salo ne 4E'et 1ol n1otueus
lnougnt out Wnat u was ounI o. Nooo, ano say
ne vas surprised that IL hao stooc as long as IL
hao-
.Second-The outline and principles OF its
construction are seriously at fault, and will
eventually prove its final destruction, unless
provided for in O reasonable course OF time. !
lake the liberty to state here that don't care
whom the Chief Engineer consulted in regard
% these plans aud outlines for this lasting and
sacred work Il must call it SOY, declare most
that they were not we'll
considered or well chosen, and constl-
lutte one Of the worst features in its
construction. This Is an iEreparable fault
hat can never be overcome, except BY artificial
means, and this artificial remedy will ever after
-equire to be maintained. This structure might
possibly have met the requirements had 1t stood
,ould never have reached it.
Nv observations during tue two years Of my
residence and experience on this Crib established
.learly in my own mind that the seas on this
AXE during one Of our heavy storms run about
thirteen feet high, and that during the seyerest
If these storms there are two classe. Of seas,
which are as distinct and observable rs on the !!
Atlantic Ocean. The latter class are those which
:reate such havoc among the merchant vessels
md ocean steamers The proof is, that, during
me of the furious eouinoctial storms, vessels
and steamers run along hour after hour without
my apparent increase in the etorm, when all ut
ng seas, and sink, never again to appear.
Having given the breadth, or seating -base, Of
he brib and its height which We find lacks only
1ine feet Il beng equal to its breadth, or seat
ng-base, 1t will be necessary to show the hori-
<optal lines or facades Of this structure, which