The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-04-15
would be fifteen inches, and for "such a

would DO fifteen inches, and for ''such a
"a Is contemplated at Main street.
Say ia feet span, would 10 Just an
inch and n half! This Is authority
empty wind. All the conditions
In this little calculation are exaggerated;
the real practical maximum Of expan.
sion OF a steel bridge Mt Main street
would be less than ono inch.
We again call attention to thia point
because the disputed assertion is still
being made by tho stone bridge people
In tho face OF every authority against 1t.
Another favoritc argument IL TINT n
steel bridge will not DO as lasting rs n
stone arch, and in their extremity the
opponents Of the former 90 80 far rs to
claim that steel Is unreliable. On this
point, and in speaking Of tho compare.
tive merits OF stone and steel for bridge
purposes, the INrELLlGEHcEG had the
following 10 say, which 1t reproduces,
hoping that every voter who reads
these columns will carefully consider II:
II ono particle OF n stone bridge disin.
tcgrates or decays, the bridge Is ruined.
II ono member OF a steel bridge becomes
defective 1t can DO taken out and 70.
placed. The Main street stone bridge
would be standing to-day had II been
possible to Replace 4 faulty piece OF
stone in the arch by 4 good piece.
1t isa fact that stone Ia unreliable. II
cannot he tested before using, Ms steel
is. 1t Is conceded that therei Is no stone
in this vicinity fit for use in bridges.
Tho Union Bridge Company brought It's
stone from n distant point In Ohio. The
baltimore & Ohio bridge at Beiiaire Is
built OF stone from n distance. The
abutlnonts and portals ofthe 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
building. Neither Is there a skilllul
bridge builder among the people OF
Wheeling, nor the experienced laborers
to DO certain parts OF the work; 80 that
the pet cry OF, the advocates OF a stone
structure Is nothing but u cry, without
sound sense to back 1t.
The unrcliability Of stone Is shown 4,
the Wheeling Custom House, where
facing stonca,~ regarded rs perfect for the
purpose, disintegrated under the inilu.
ences Of the sulphurous atmosphere and
the variable weather, and have had tc
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 are moi
wanting which establish the claim that
stone is not reliable as a material FOL
bridges. The ultimate strength and re
%sis,ance Of steel, on the other hand, car
be demonstrated to a nicely before thu
steel is used. Steel is as much superior
to stone for bridges rs it is superior Il
wood for ships; its use ia in the line 0
progress. The day OF stone bridges ha
gone by, and Wheeling would be I'm
wise to move backward and take he
stand on an abandoned field Of thu
past.
We are satisfied that the intelligen
people will appreciate tho above poinL
and will not permit weak appeals to pre-
judice and sentiment to govern their &C
tons at the polls.
The Registers attempt to show that TIL
building OF a steel bridge would discrim
mate against Wheeling labor is %scarcel!
worth noticing. Our steel works MAXI
steel bille.s, giving employment II
hundreds Of Wheeling workingmen
their product entering into bridge ma
%terial. Every steel bridge that is bull
in this country makes so much more de-
mand for the product Of Wheeling labor