New-York tribune., 1901-08-10
Professional cRITIcISu.

The incompetcnt management of the Brook
lvn Bridge has attracted n great deal OF pro
fcsslonal comment. Some days ago We called
attention 70 the discussion Of the recent breaks
10y The Engineering News" and lis statement
that the trUnnions Of the bridge. which were
designed 20 lie easily movable and lessen the
strain on the suspendcrs, have been so neglected
that they are ruSted and immovable and the
cause Of a lateral strain on the suspender rods
which they were never expected TO endure. and
which would be avoided by proper fabrication.
The Scientific American" now passes equally
sharp criticism upon the officials responsible for
the abuse of the structure.
It points ont that there are some structures
whose safety is directly proportional TO the
intelligence and care Of the men appointed 10
supervise and keep them in repair. and that
steel bridge. particularly suspension bridge. is
emphatloany ono of them. Yet II fnds evidence
Of the most gross carelessneSs. II says:
That actual breakaEe should have occurred Is
70 be attributed 10 lack OF knowledge or lack Of
care, both. We are free 10 confess thSt recent
utteTanCes OF the engineers In charge seem to
indicate that they are not as familiar with the
theoretical and practical aspects Of the problem
which is presented by the care and upkeep Of
this costly and overworhed bridge as the impor-
tance OF the structure demands For proof OF
this IL IS not necessary 70 go beyond the chief
engineers own report. in which he makes the
astounding admission that the break in the sus-
pender rods could not be detected until the
broken ends We're pulled up To view by the ris-
ing Of the cable. while his assistant has asserted
that the broken rods were shelred on by coming
in contact with the upper edges Of the floor
beam cords What makes the chief engineers
statement the more disquieting is his admission
that there had been previous breakages at this
point Of the bridge: for IL is evident that even
with practical evidence 10 back up theoretical
indications Of wea akness the bridge authorities
either did not know how or did not care 20 use
that simple method Of inspection BY a tap OF the
hammer. which Is practised to-day on the tie rods
OF every Howe truss Western railroads
AS a matter OF fact, the whole atmosphere in
and around the engineers Office of the Brooklyn
bridge Is particularly disquetinE in view OF the
recent critical condition OF the structure. There
seems 10 have been too much Of the happy 60
lucky" about the management
This condemnation and that of THE Engi-
neernE News are not possibly chargeable to
| any partisan prejudice such as Tammany Off
| cials seek 10 represent as influential with gen
! pral newspapers. These Journals give the opln-
/ ion Of professional engineers who know what n
! bridge is and how II should he cared for, and
| they Judge the bridge administration solely on
| It's record for engineering ability. The Scien-
tifc American proceeds 70 ask some questions
which II would he Interesting to have answered
II wants to know if the officials have made any
strain sheet showing the stresses upon every
| member under the most unfavorabe conditions
of temperature and loading. and If they have
made expert calculations of other kinds, such
rs the engineers of any private corporation hav-
ing charge of 2 structure Of this kind requiring
intelligent care would certainly make Have
the bridge authorities any Of rhese things. or
have they simply looked afrnr tho structure in
happy -go-lucky'' fashion,