The sun., 1902-11-15
THE EAST RIVER BRIDGE FIRE.
Mr. Alfred y. Na,0r Cont rasts This Brids e
Win the Forth BritIxe.


Win the Forth Bridge.
To IHE EpiToR of THY SrS Sir. An EN-
ginrer on the stan OF the Forth Bird We during
the erection oi the superstructure, "A visitor
just now TO New York a,d witness OF the
remarkable disaster to the East River Bridge
on Monday evening. ! beg leave TO make
the following observations:
Called at sundown TO tackle II fire OF the
first dimen sons on IA half-nnished iron struct-
ure and AZ n great elevation abov. the river
bed and the water with rapidly disappear
Ing staging and supports the conduct OF the
firemcn was beyond all praise, and the city
has indeed reason 10 be proud of the courage
ths cooness and intrepidity Of these mag
nincent men
To the engineers who were obliged TO -ur-
vey the rapid destruction Of 30 much hundi-
craft and the outcome OF 20 much arduous
labor too much sympathy cannot be en-
tended. and their feelings must have been all
the more unen vabs in so far as this was no
act OF God" no unavoidable calamity, but
only the result of the carelessness OF some
man and the want OF foresight Of his master
In spanning at such an altitude wide and
swift stream, the ordinary everyday rlsks
are great enough and 1t IL incqmprehensihle
that the possibility Of such an accident "as
apparently not foreseen, nor any measures
taken to prevent it
nv wy III ulr TeDOitt -tu'0 N""N
such an accident has probably no precedent
in the construction OF metal bridges II
would have had abundant precedent in the
construction of the Forth Bridge but for the
elaborate precautions taken to prevent su'h
an accident, or In the event Of its occurrence
to isolate its effect IF such precaution
We're necessary at the Forth Bridge, where
during the greater period of its construction
such a FIRE would have burned itself out IKE
t,k kgrt IN a.
damage. how much more necessary w the
case ~ this structure. depending Absolutely
on the efficiency Of its great stranded cables
Gables 10 quote the report being covered
with six alternate layers of paint and painted
canvas duck above all and around all was
to have been placed to-day sheet casing
which would have prevented the possiolIl'y
OF injury by FIRE or water Nhhe awaiting
this sheet casing the cables were exposed to
the risk of Are from a mass Of highly nhain-
mahle paints and an abundance o. ufy llmnti
Why wa not constant watch KEPT ana WY
Forth Bridge with far less risk ot serious
dana ge although no, less risk OF nre, a iaree
s'sr of wntchmen we're con.tan,lr On VIZ,
vators to the towers were kept under steam
and an abundant supply OF water undef pre-
yided 10 all the shelters and important pont-
In viewing the new bridge a. II stand 70
day. cannot help recalling an sr'iG'r e,s, wg,cn
appeared in the Scientific Awfricdn N hugn-t'
1897 This article state the cost OF tnr brlree
at 81 500 600 and the time required ior CON
pletion as Ave years from NAV % ua.e m. en-
probably far too soon now Tor even th' 'll-
ginacrs TO estimate the approximate daIhhSr
TO the structure or VI" time uhcrI VI" ~ ~
-et of condition and CIRCUMSTANCES, Win
will be required for it, completion lbc atl NJ
proceeds after describing the iouhoat or
then in progress 10 give, an o9t,'nr o' on- on
trasts it with The Forth Brdse TO fa1 hva a,,par No
asement OF the latter iie wonlu nav ~"
hard task who would show thS " nv w. rns,
Bridge falls far short OF IT, great preotc,NIool oI
on the River Forth The article states wa, "
East River BrIdge, with ~ nnmeroIs ,IatSe
and it, 900 feet span far ou, weighs We
Forth River Bridge WITH it, double sta"s p cnIl III
two span. Of i5iO i"tt rnr BIi 'hSid RIidnc n " The
whole populs tion at either termlnu. o. .n"
bridge could be accommodated on ne Iats
on The other hand the weight OF steel IN the
spans of the Forth Bridge l. four times thbt
OF the East River Bridge an1 It Is no enns NE,
geraticn 10 say that: given The nscesssry ns,i nlW,i
forms and doors. the Forth Bridge couln
carry. in addition TO ~ present NonK. Ins
whole tr9c 81 The bro9Syn .fas E,GEe irRe nrrRer
calculate, the life OF the fridge az 600 years
Surely the writer and those who 9ei,eN" MN
plainly taush. to them by the rIsseG, conoi-
tlon OF the Brooklyn Bridge surely, also;
the people who agree WIN ,h'S ays d"tmcd
a small estimate of the intell,g.ncr oil w"
present and future population oil Ne" i''k
city -.-... ....,.,,i,.,,
puhli,n. ut tre opening of the Form ~ iHe
IN 1880 used thsse words lirtsPt'llN' 90 Tx
emnlovment of the cant tlleNer piincipN' men
will he a feature 10 iuhurnc" iutur" blllA'
d.sicninc. the Forth hl tce should lndngr
engir,crs 10 still further throw on Tie boid
OF traditional construct ion ana make ihttitT
progress in tie knowledge oi the true rfN-
Ciples 10 be observed IN the use OF st"'I ana
iron for the purposes OF constructloi'
4. "A ku bic fact tnht mn we III
adnrI,,a service Of ~. Brooklyn Erifg" ls
"A daily eNperisnce of New York citizens, ana
with tho growing difficulties oil raPl1 rRhslt
in this city. u new bridge : ould have been
des ~ ed and partly erected oh an'luuHtrd
and disc,rded engineering practice, ana u Is
espe Ci tllv remarka BILE when II /, T. member,
that American engineers haN" given 10 ="
world, not only in their own country, tli
elsewhere some Of the most r'markahl" and
pertsc, examples OF modern steel con-
Long before I had the privilege OF acting
as an engineer on the Forth Bridge. accom-
panied some American "nsincets on an N
road br yes erected to cross certain valleys
in the Andes OF Peru, over Corc,s and run
ming water, loo feet higher i'n tlthtr the
BROOKLYN East River or Forth 'ldges
II il not too much TO say tuat when the
rroblem of really consolidating t"e city oi
New York with its great n, ,lghtortng cities,
10 the cast and west l. really g. X IN IN hand,
it viii not be solved by Suspension irifscs,
OF the last century, but rdtNer by tunnels
or hv great steel tubulnr and sirder stru, lures,
which viii l'k the railroad sNstoms, as we'll
az the thoroughidr"S Of tie dtirs
could be erected in This country NOR" en-
in IN" world ALFEEp T. NAV %
NEW NoRk, Nov. IA