The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-25
STORY OF The
GOKTEIK BRIDGE.
A MARVEL OF AMERICAN ENGI-
NEERING SKILL IN INDIA.
How Little Band Of Thirty-fve Yam
KEGS Slapped It Together in About
Eight Months Some Complex Prob
lens in Engineering That Had to Be
Worked Out on the spot-A Report
That It May Have to Be Rebuilt.
Pittsburg Dispatch.

TlCJSDurg Dispatch. !
:, During the last two or three years
European Jealousy of American achieve
ments has manifested itself in various
ways. It has been claimed that our To-
comotives were not as good as those
constructed in Great Britain. The fact
that American contractors undertook to
perform work at much lower price
than their English and other competi-
tors has been another source Of bitter
which was manifested when the great
Westinghouse works were constructed
at Manchester. When the Atbara
bridge, in the wilds of Africa, was built
it was contended that this would prove
a failure, but time has shown that the
critics We're wrong @@',
The latest attack has been directed
toward that wonderful piece of engi-
neering work, the Gokteik. bridge. A
report comes from London to the effect
that it will have to be extensively re-
paired and possibly rebuilt, the claim
being made that it was erected too rap
idly and Of inferior metal. This span
OF steel forms a connection on the Bur
NAH railway over one. Of! the biggest
holes in the ground which was ever
crossed by the skill Of the engineer.
In fact, the Gokteik has been consid7
cred the most remarkable engineering
feat yet attempted by Americans, eth
! er in this or any other country, for OBJ
stacIes had to be overcome and hard
ships endured which would have dis
couraged any but the men who went to
the other side of the world to carry
out the project. 1T was a case Of hur-
| ry from start to finish, for the work
had to be done within year from the
time the contract was let. The steel for
the towers, girders and other work had
to be turned out at the works,
shipped to New York, loaded on
vessels, carried to Rangoon, loaded on
cars and then transported $50 miles to
this hole in the ground. Special ma
bridge together and to raise the differ
ent pieces and hold them in position.
In all, about 5000 tons Of metal were
required for the work, the bridge it.
self taking 1852 tons.
From one side of the valley to the
other measured nearlv half mile. For
two thirds Of this distance the. railroad
from 100 to $50 Feet above the ground.
Then came a drop of 800 feet to the
top of bridge nature had thrown
across one Of the mountain rivers of
southern Asia. Upon this natural
bridge, just wide enough to form a safe
support, heavy steel towers were riv-
eted together to such a height that the
looked like insects to the observers be-
low. : - III &" .5'.E =
When the construction gang reached
this spot the first thing they had to
encounter was the rainy season. The
locality is in the mountains, 1000 feet
above sea level, where it is SO cold at
might that a man shivers under heavy
. man with white skin can live IN the
sun glare. During. the rainy season the
clouds seem to literally open in this
part Of the country, and the water
, comes down in torrents from sunrise
, until afternoon, drenching and soak
. ing everything, so that it is impossible
to do anything but remain indoors and
wait until the rain stops. g.. go: :,
, stages, was performed amid various
$ perils. In the depths Of the gorge, mat
3 ted with underbrush and scattered with
: huge rocks, lurked the deadly snakes
+ of India. Some of the coolies were bit
9 ten and died. Poisonous vegetation
e also affected the men, .and@vapers arts
!, bred low fever in American bones
Y There were beasts Of prey, too, but al
v tho they were seen and heard prowl
s ing about the camp at night, the bridge
S builders suffered nothing from their
depredations except the loss of some
. . live stock. The incessant rains turned
5 the ground into liquid mud, and the ma
. ers were held back ten weeks.
, At last these were completed anc
:, q then the "traveler" was put in posi-
y ton. This was a mechanical giant
e the largest by far ever used in bridge
" construction. It lifted and lowered tn
8 tons Of steel and held it in its grill
>, while the men fastened it into place
1I1 hot0 he rf ~
d work the traveller looks to be only 2
It or 80 feet in length and to weigh pei
l. haps four or five tons, it extended iron
10 its support on. the end of the RAILROAD
n track q distance of 165 feet over tn
Is gorge and contained 80 tons of meta
1t alone The beams or trusses whic
\. formed it's lower portion were 2l9 fee
II in length. and from its top to the RAJ RAJ!
In immense weight from topping over
in counterweight of IS tons was loade
W upon the rear portion, which was mount
l. ed on wheeled trucks, so that. it coul
Is be rolled along as the bridge wa
erected.
D. The little band Of IS Americans. pu
IN side to side Of the gorge in littl
s w was commenced snnm gnei N The bridge is
ae strongly built that it will support
- - train Of loaded freight cars reachin
ID the entire length in addition to fou
va, locomotives weighing 81 tons each: w
RS ing to it's great height it must
he strongly braced to withstand the gale
ly which sweep down the valley at v y
"a, locity Of 60 or 70 miles an hour. LII
NJ engineers had to calculate upon tines
and other delicate points, but test
made after completion showed that the
calculated to nicely. -. =
IL It was expected in building tn
At bridge to have the aid of compresse
IN air in boring the holes through tt
81 steel and fastening the rivets, but whe
nd the 500 natives who were employed
I'd laborers heard the Kissing and note
ue The effect Of the unseen force they b
lieyed it to be something supernatur
and not one Of them could be induce
D. to touch the compressed air tools; z
er > result nearly all Of the bolts and IL
re cts. nearly 200 1000, were fastened IN II
ch old-fashioned way by hand hammers
~ This delayed the work about OF
month.
II is the highest railroad bridge.
= the. world with two exceptions
I Pecos yiaduct in Texas and the Lo
bridge in South America.
Roosevelt Day at Worlds Fair.
President Roosevelt will be at the s
I,o,1is. worlds Fair Nov. 26. The Mi
i-Nn-Sl:s5 q CT r ,oI1is road will cOntinC