The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-05-09
FORMALLY TESTED.
bridge a Triumph of En-
cheering Skill.

We some time ago referred to the cross
ing Oh the bridge OF the Texas and ST.
Louis railway across the BraZos by the
officers and directors OF the company
hich proved n most satisfactory Tip, and
yesterday evening the EXAMINERS repre-
senta'iyes had the plesule OF being present
when the formal test OF the bridge was
made under the immediate supervision of
Majer G. f. Stephens, chief engineer on
the part OF the company, and j. Scott
Jenkins, vice president and general super
lnlendent of the Clinton Bridge company.
on behalf OF that corporation. Mr.. f. ii.
Brown, resident engineer OF the company,
and Captain 6. W. Shatier. The supCrin-
tendtnt under whose eye this magnificent
structure WIS erected were also present
The iridge consists of two shore spans or
approaches of fifty five feet each, and three
middle spans of one hundred and fifty
feet each resting upon iron foundations
CONSTRUCTED of boiler iron ill, d with con-
crete There are two columns in each
pier If five feet diameter, sunk to sold
rock, eightc Ell TO twenty feet beow low
water, the height Of the bridge above the
rock being litty-iive feet. Tie br dye
seats rest on heavy cast iron caps and
sub and super structure are alike
iaultlesS IN plan and finish. The short
spans are Prutt combination with still
lover chords and wrought iron details
and the high spans, Warren girder cOmbi-
nation with Howe tluSs bracln9 in the
center us tar as the center truSSes run, the
design being original with the builders.
Three tests were made the first being
with one engine, the second with two and
tie last with three. On the short span,
NyhaIn thprn hint an
zine, no defect could be found and
III the center or long spans the de Election
under critical observation was with one
engine three-cghts inches with two en-
Zines five Cightr-lncheS; and III der three
engines iitTo en- .siXtCenlhs inches, which
considering the weight OF engincs( twenty
five tons cacl) proved that the structure
was more than requisite to perform all
the work required OF it. This magnificent
piece of engineering skill, which now
spans the BRACES and opens up the gate to
southwestern Texas and Mexico. was be-
gun on the llth OF March and stands
to-day an ornament to the city
and monument of which the
company and It's builders may be proud
Tie test was witnessed by a large mum
Der of people from either bank and after
the engines had passed over each span
and then coupled together flew across at
"A rate Of fifteen or twenty miles an hour
there were well marked expressions of
pleasure on the faces OF the people and
satisfactorily rest on the cOuntenance of
the representatives of the Clinton
bridge company and the chief engineer
of the road, while speaking OF bridges
We might remark that L. T. Reeve OF
Oh veland, ONO, president, }. Scott
Jenkins, wee president; john A. Patter
son, chief engineer and secretary; L. j.
partenhemcr and Col. G.. A EbeThart,
assis ant engineers, the latter being
residents Of Clinton, Iowa, where the
works are located are all men known
throughout the union Hs bridge build
ers. MIR. Patterson, az all know who
claim to know anything about bride =
construction, has FOR the past fifteen OF
eighteen years been identified with this
very important class OF building and
ranks second to none. tie is now
giving his personal attention to the
construction Of bridge some two
thousand feet long across the
Maumee river at Toledo, Ohio, the draw
alone being three hundred and forty
| feet This bridge Is being built for the
Wheeling and Lake Erie road The
company has also IN the course Of con
struction several bridges for roads out
of Milwaukee through Wisconsin aud
Minnesota, and Iowa, besides work they
| have on hand for the Texas and st
| LouIs road between here and gainesville
| From all We saw and learned We must
! conclude that Waco has III the bridge
| tested yesterday, one Of the fin st struc
lures IN the country and the balance Of
the work done by the Texas aud St
! Loui- road being III keeping with their
/ bridge places It on level with the beat
| IN the country