The record-union., 1896-08-21
STEEL INSTEAD OF WOOD.
American River Bridge Floor Beams Are
ali DeCayed.
Four Steel Ones Will Replace Them
at a Cost of Thirty-Five
Dollars Each.

Yesterdays special session of the
Board of Supervisors did not last more
than an hour and a half, but there was
more oratory indulged in during that
brief spell than had been heard in the
boardroom since DOC" Tebbets ceased
to be a member, two or three years
ago.
AS soon as the board disposed of the
bids for printing the Great Register
David Falconer engaged the attention
of the members. He said the floor
beams in the American River bridge,
which is now undergoing repairs, were
completely rotted where they rest on
the concrete piers, and that it would
be bad policy to replace them with
other wooden timbers.
These beams. said Mr. Falconer, had
been in the bridge but eight years, and
If others of the same material are put
In it will be but a few years more until
they will have to be replaced, causing
the county heavy expense. He recon-
mended that the four floor beams be re-
placed with steel ones that will last for
all time. The repairs now being made
to the bridge would not have been ne
cessary if steel beams had been put in
NIcli Tie DIluSc WIS Duiil
Mr.. FalcoTer called the attention of
the members to one of the old beams
which had been brought in and now lies
on exhibition in front of the Court
house. Several feet on each end had
rotted away until nothing but punk is
left. These beams, he said, were thor
oughly soaked by the winter rains, and
being shaded from the sun had not
dried out-in fact, they are wet now.
He also suggested that new piles be
driven ia place of some of those sup
porting the approaches to the bridge,
as they are in bad condition. 1t would
be economy to replace them now while
the bridge is stripped. If not, the work
would have to be done in a few months.
Chairman Morrison wanted to know
il sills could not be made to answer the
purpose, but Mr.. Falconer replied that
they would not.
Supervisor Jenkins asked Mr.. Fal-
coner if he had made any estimates of
the cost of the changes he had pro-
posed, and the latter said he had not.
He merely wished to call the attention
of the members of the board TO the
matter.
Chairman Morrison said that of
course the first cost of steel beams
would be much more than wooden ones,
hut the question is, would it lot be In
the interest of economy to put them in
row and avoid the necessity of doing
the work all over again in a few years.
BY the rotting away Of the wooden
beams the chief support Of the bridge
had gone.
Supervisor Jenkins thought steel
supports would be the more economical,
but he would like to have some estimate
Of the cost.
$50 would T." said Chairman Morri
son.
There were several visitors outside
the rail while the discussion was going
on, and at this juncture one of them, a
stranger, arose and approached the
rail
Gentlemen he said, tI will take a
contract to put in these steel beams at
$50 each"
Your name, please?" asked the
Chairman.
My name is Thompson" replied the
stranger; Tom Thompson. / am a
member of the Thompson Bridge Com
pany, and we have been in the business
for twenty-five years. We have built
all the big steel bridges for the South
ern Pacific Company, one being of