The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-24
A Novel Electrical Feat,

When the old wooden bridge over the
Wabash river at Clinton, Ind, fell with
crash last week a new use was DEM
onstrated for electricity. A novel expert
ment had been tried and proved remark
ably successful II was wrecKing a bridge
by electric current
The old bridge at Clinton was built In
1888, and was frame structure support
ed on stone piers. II consisted Of three
spans, with a total length OF 7S5 feet
Originally the bridge belonged to a stock
company, and enjoyed the distinction OF
being the only toll bridge in the state OF
Indiana But lately it had passed into
the control Of one man, and became rath-
er unsafe for use.
When. with the progress OF time. the old
bridge became Anticipated il was decided
to replace II with one of more modern
design and OF durable construction. The
county authorities purchased the ap-
proaches, piers and abutments and en-
tered into contract for a new steel SUI
perstructure TO be erected on the exist
! ing piers and abutments, which were o.
ample strength and in good condition.
The owner OF the old bridge agreed 20
move the frame structure within thirty
! days. He found, however, that this was
/ no easy accomplishment. He travelled
/ about consulting bridge and house wreck
| ers, wrote letters and sent kilograms.
/ but all TO no purpose. No company OF
Individual was found that YOU'D agree
| 10 take down the timbers, leaving the
masonry intact. in the time available The
/ thirty days passed, and the old bridge
! still stood.
The owner succeeded in getting an ex-
| tension OF a week, but he was at his wits
end. The structure could be blown Iup
! with dynamite. but the explosion would
! destroy the piers also. II could be set
on fire, but that would crack or injure
the masonry. Several otner plans were
| suggested, but the only sure way seemed
to be the erection of false work. and that
method was out of the question, owing
| to the shortness OF time allotted for the
| work.
At this juncture H " Mills. an cleo
| trician living in Clinton. suggested the use
| of electricity. He agreed to wreck the
wooden bridge structure without injurins
| the piers. Although the undertaking was
a novel one, Mr., Mills was successful. and
| he was right. His orfer was gladly ac-
| cepted. The method adopted was per
| fectly simple. and this is the way IL
was put into execution:
Each span Of the bridge was composed
/ of nine chords, each consisting OF three
| timbers Therefore, If these q sills were
| cut simultaneously the span would drop
! between the piers TO she river beneath
/ This was what was actually done. the
| cutting being accomplished by burning
| through the wod by loops OF iron re-
| sistance wire made red-hot by the pas
sage OF an electric current and weight
cd down by sash weights. The tlmbers
were Of yellow poplar and nine inches
/ square Each one was burned stimuli
/ taneously in two places. Thus the mass
/ of timbers dropped we'll inside the pie1 ;
without injuring them. II took one hour
/ and 40 minutes to wreck each span.
Examination after the fau OF the
bridge showed that all the sills were
burned by the wire loops IN exactly the
| same maner-five inches deep from the
| top and three inches deep on the sides,
/ When the depth was reached .the weight
/ Of the span fractured the remaining wood
The cut made by the hot wire was not
charred more than an inch from the
place Of fracture.
The plan was successful in every par
tfcular. and Mr. Mills was the recipient
Of many congratulations. The current
was first turned on about 5 O'Clock In the
morning on the day Of the wrecking. and
at . o'clock in the afternoon the last span
! crashed into the river bed and great
! shout of admiration went up from the
threats of about 1000 spectators who VT
messed the feat This Is the latest and
most novel Of the many uses OF electric
! ify