The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-04-11
Tho 1fnfn street Bridge.

been written on the bridge question, by
opponents Of steel, and many reckless
statements baye been made in advocacy
OF stone. The most foolish and reckless
OF these was made in tho h9istcr on
Wednesday on thealleged authority Of
"a competent engineer" who Is quoted
as saying that the variation in length Of
such a steel bridge as Is contemplated at
Main street on account Of the contrac-
ton and expansion caused by heat and
cold, would DO "dvo or ak inches" II
any peraon ever made such u statement,
10 was not ID competent engineer"
All cngincera and MI we'll informed
people accept Trautwine as an authority.
In his "Civil Engineers Pocketbook,"
the standard everywhere, he says the
expansion In steel amounts to one
eighth inch in l,74l feet for each degree.
Give the range OF temperature from
twenty degrees below zero to 100 above
the extreme limit-and the utmost
variation OF q steel bridge l,7ll feet long
would be fifteen inches, and for "such n
bridge rs Is contemplated at Main street,
say III feet span, would be just IN
inch and n half This Is authority
against empty wind. All the conditions
in this little calculation are exaggerated;
the real practical maximum OF expan.
sion Of steel bridge at Main street
would be leas than one inch. r.
There is no difficulty In this. Look at
the Union railroad bridge; look at Jay
Gould's big bridge over the Mississippi
at St. Louis, or the new Merchants
bridge there. Iron and steel bridges are
the bridges OF to-day. The immense
Forth bridge has just been made the sub.
jcct OF report by commission OF scien.
tiic experts and practical men, leaders
in their lines in Great Britain, who say
that this steel structure, II kept painted,
will be rs strong several hundred years
FROM now IS 1t is to-day" Roebling, the
great bridge engineer, says that iron in
a bridge structure will serve well for
over thousand years. Because abridge
is not properly cared for is no argument
against other bridges Of the kind, any
more than the fact that the Register is
recklessly edited is an argument against
newspapers in general.
Now as to stone: II ono particle Of a
stone bridge disintegrates or decays, the
bridge is ruined. Ii one member Of a
steel bridge becomes defective, it can be
taken out and replaced. The Main
street stone bridge would be standing
to-day had it been possible to replace 4
faulty piece OF stone in the arch by a
good piece. -~s -. =.
It is fact that stone is unreliable. 1t
cannot be tested before using, rs steel
is. tits conceded that there is no stone
in this vicinity fit for use in bridges.
The Union Bridge Company brought its
stone from distant pointin Ohio. The
B. 4 0. bridge at Bellaire is built OF
stone from distance. The abutments
and portals Of the Suspension bridge are
built Of stone brought from far up the
river. Everybody who knows anything
on the subject knows that the local
stones are totally unfit for bridge build
ing. Neither is there skilled bridge
builder among the people OF Wheeling,
nor the experienced laborers 10 DO Ger.
tain parts Of the work; 50 that the pet
cry OF the advocates OF stone structure
is nothing but a cry, without sound
sense 10 back it.
The unreliability Of stone is shown at
the Wheeling Custom House, where
facing stones, regarded as perfect for the
purpose, disintegrated under the inilu-
ences OF the sulphurous atmosphere and
tho variable weather, and have had TO
be replaced several times. the same
trouble is now Being experienced with
the London Parliament House, built OF
stone especially selected by scientific
and practical men. Instances arc not
wanting which establish the claim that
stone is not reliable as material for
bridges, The ultimate strength and re-
sistance Of steel, on the other hand, can
be demonstrated to nicely before the
steel is used. Steel is as much superior
to stone for bridges as it is superior to
wood for ships; its use is in tho line Of
progress. The day ofstone bridges has
gone by, and Wheeling would be un.
wise to move backward and take her
stand on an abandoned field Of the
| past. 49, ~