The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-16
Bridge building.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
pamphlet of about fifty pages recently pub
lished by j. A. l.. WaddelI. c. E., of Kansas
City calls the attention of the public to the fact
that, owing to ignorance and dishonesty, there
are great many iron highway bridges far from
being safe, and that the number is steadily in
creasing as more bridges built, especially
In the West, where the bridges of to-day are not
rs good as those built some years ago. Mr..
Waddeli very clearly explains why the bridges
recently erected are such poor structures. When
iron bridge building in its infancy there
were but few establishments building bridges
and competition did not have the weight lie has
so-day; Their again, the majority of the builders
were honest and put up good structure or none
ut all.
Now there are innumerable small establish
ments-hardly more than blacksmith shops
which will erect almost any kind of bridge for
money. Any person familiar with good iron
work can soon convince himself that there is
dishonesty on the part of the contractors. by ex-
aiming the highway bridges in his immediate
locality. Unless. by some good fortune, the
bridges have been erected by good establish
ments. he will find rivets not properly headed,
holes not filled by the rivets. welded bars, rods
not upset, plates beginning TO bend, etc. Tho
Jack OF metal In the different members would
tion, but to tighten the sections required by the
loading is a favorite way OF cheapening (techni
eally called scampine) The ways OF scamping
drawn attention to great number of them.
One would suppose that the safety of high
way bridge would be of great interest and i'm
portance to the public, but appearances point
the other way. AS long as bridge stands it is
eonsid cred to be safe and in nine cases out of
ten. the community will call the man fool who
has the courage to say their bridge is not safe.
They will point to the structure as much as to
say 1t has stood so many years and 1t will
probably stand as many more Owing to their
ignorance they do not know how good bridge
should behave under a load. and rather than be-
lieve man of experience who says the bridge
Is unsafe, they prefer to peril their lives every
time they cross the structure.
That poor bridges exist in consequence Of ig-
norance and dishonesty is illustrated by the fol-
lowing, which the writer can vouch for. The
commissioners in n small Eastern town desired to
purchase highway bridge and, relying upon
their own knowledge of iron bridges-it may be
said one Of the commissioners was farmer
and two of them grocerS-they bought bridge
Of blacksmith shop establishment No writ
ten contract or specifications be found so
IL Is safe TO assume existed. The
bridge was erected and opened to the public
Very soon afterwards it was examined by COM
petent engineers and by the writer and pro-
nounced very unsafe and Of exceedingly poor
workmanship and design, hut. because the
bridge was standing and the builder said it was
safe, the commissioners and the public treated
the idea with scorn.
So it ia all over the country; Ignorance and
dishonesty combined is the cause of SO many
"death-t pp bridges, ignorance on the part of
the pute-- Lsers and dishonesty the part of the
build6rs
Mr. Jaddelrs suggestions for 81 stem of in
spection we'll worth reading The spscifica-
lions are excellent. and il commissioners would
demand that they be followed the highway
bridges of the future would be safe of good de-
sign and good workmanship.
The great Importance of this subject to the
general public is the writer's justification for
inviting attention, through your columns. to
Mr.. Waddsll's very excellent treatment of it in
the small volume referred to.
MALvERD A. HOWE,
Prof of Civil Engineering
Rose Poytechnio Institute.
TERRE HAUTr. Feb. Is.