The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-08
PAINE'S IRON BRIDGES.
The Great Free Thinker Was Also a
Master OF Mechanical Detail.

Inc Vreat free thinker was Also a
Master of Mechanical Detail.
New York Press.
Bridges are nearly old as the world, but not
until we'll along in the nineteenth century did
we adopt iron as the constructive material and
do away with frequent piers. AS Fourier the
French chauffeur, said the other day. Americans
may be slow to start. but when they do start
they overtake and beat the world. Which is as
trite as it is true
That universal genius, Thomas Paine, whose
books made him famous as a statesman, patriot
anu uhDeltever, was also. a master of economies
building or war ships, bridges, the treatment OF
yellow fever Great Britains financial system.
ment exhibited an astounding familiarity with
the most vital questions of the age.
On the subject OF iron bridges he was many
was making models in Philadelphia and at his
the web of pet spider. Il naturally supposed"
ne said, that when Nature enabled that insect
OF putting 1t together One model was in WOOD
enc In cast ron and one in wrought iron con-
neeted with blocks OF wood but ali on the same
principle-that of the small segment OF a large
The last mentioned model he took to Paris in
ltSf and presented TO the Academy OF Sciences
for an opinion = COMMITTEES of three was APP
Polnteo-M. Leroy, the Able Bossou and NJ.
| Borda, all celebrated as mathematician.
bridge or Single arch or 400 feea 5 moae over rer
the SchuylkiH river at Phmiladelphia The
committee reported that an arch on the prin-
EXTENDED 900 feet, as proposed.
During Paine's residence in France. 1892 to
ISO2. an iron bridge Of 236 feet span was built
ever the River Wear, the town of Sunder-
proved that the plans were stolen from Paine $
model which he had sent to Paddington in 1851
for exhibition before the Royal Society
Before Paine left France the government con-
ten the building Of an iron bridge over
! under the cognizance OF the minister of the in
/ terror, and as the plan was to build bridge
OF five iron arches of 100 feet span EACH instead
/ OF passing the river with single arch (Which
/ was going backward in practice instead Of for
ward as there was already an iron arch of 2S6
feet span in existence). Paine wrote the minister
/ a memoir on the construction OF iron bridges
and was neatly turned down by Chaptal, who
| said that foreigners could not make any legal
claim on the French government that Paine's
when his kind of construction was going to be
| executed for the first time, etc.
most intimate friend '''''''' 'e'-ei SUM- ms
| Il have now made two other models OF bridges
One is pasteboard, five feet span and five inches
of height from the cords 1t is. in the opinion
| of every person who has seen il, one OF the most
| cast a model in metal. following the construc-
ton Of that TIN in DASHBOARD and Of the same d.
| chamber In Paris. 1T is far superior in strength
IN and ou 70 the
| These models, says Yorke. in his letters
not only of Skill but of taste, and are wrought
with extreme delicaey entirely by his own hands
iron works the chains and every other article
| belonging to 1t were forged and manufactured
| by himself. 1t is intended a model of a
bridge which is to be constructed across the
/ Delaware exceeding $50 feet, with only one arch
| The other is to be erected a lesser river
whose name forget and is likewise a single
arch, and OF his own workmanship excepting
/ the chains. which, instead OF iron, are cut out
| OF pasteboaTd by the fair hand OF hts CORE
spondent the Little Corner OF the World U.ady
Smyth), whose interchangeable perseverance, is ex
| traordinary. He was offered $1,000 for these
| models and refused it,"
| The models excited great admiration in Wash
ington and Philadelphia. They remained Ions
| time in Peales Museum, in Philadelphia, bu
no trace is left OF them.
| Here were, then perfected plans for sngl,
| iron span of $50 feet in 1900. Nothing like 4
| was ever attempted until 1874, when Eads bull
the st. Louis bridge, with a center span OF 81
i feet. The Duoro bridge in Portugal followed In
| 1877, with span of go feet 1t in 1884 tina
| NJ Eiffel, of tower fame. built the Garabit via
| duct the Truyere. which has span of 81
feet Four years later. exactly eighty-eigh
| years after Paine's plans were presented her
and more than 100 years after the date Of hi
| invention. built the Harlem river tn
| Washington bridge of two steel arches. each o
| SO feet span.
Singularly enough the idea OF suspension
bridge never entered Paines head-so far 4
known. The pet spiders web suggested nothin,
of that kind, though the web is a suspension.