The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-20
FALL IN 5 YEARS. |ITSAN EDUCATION
Fillmore Street Bridge Cannot O. H. Werncke Talks
Hold Weight. the Automobile
Says Breset Inspector President Company
of "BOx Carr Structure Says 1t S Limitless.
FULTON COMES BACK BENEFIT TO HEALTH.
Engineer Bridge That Alone Justffies the
Inspector or Poor Work. pense He Says.
City Fifteen Millions Spent Kansas
Creek This Morning. in Other States for Cars.
Fillmore Street Bridge Cannot
Hold Its Own Weight.
So Says j. E. Bresett, Inspector
of "BOx Car" Structure.
FULTON COMES BACK.
City Engineer Blames Bridge
Inspector for Poor Work.
City Commissioners Walked Over
Greek This Morning.

1t is the general opinion of the citi-
gems living near Quinton Heights that
the city commissioners and the city of
ficials are brave men. In fact it has
been proved that they are brave men
because every one of them without the
least sign of backwardness approached
the "box-car'' bridge across the Shun-
ganunga creek on Fillmore street this
morning and held an impromptu meet
ing.
After this bridge had been condemned
10y the city bridge inspector, after It
had been declared weak in a hundred
places. after the general public had
been warned to keep away from it and
after it was decided that the bridge
contractors should make extensive re-
pairs-these brave commissioners and
the city officials walked right on its
floor many feet above the raging tor
rents of the "Shungie" and stood there
while they discussed the bridge situa-
ton.
Brave men, those commissioners.
But about the meeting.
From the discussion by the city Of
ficials and the bridgemen this morning,
it is hard to tell whether the ''box-car"
bridge is safe or whether 1T is unsafe-
But it is conceded by all that the
bridge contractors must make num-
Der of improvements and changes be-
fore the Fillmore street structure will
be accepted by the city.
7. is fact that there are not enough
rivets in the plates connecting the
strong points of the bridge. This
seems to be the secret of the weakness,
To overcome this weak point the con-
tractors have inserted two rods run
ming the whole length of the bridge
under the structure. These rods have
not made much of an impression with
the city officials. Welded in pieces as
they are and as straight as they are it
is thought that they are useless to add
strength.
A startling statement was made by
Bridge Inspector Bresett this morning
when he said that in five years or be-
fore the Fillmore street bridge would
fall by it's own weight. He said that
he would be afraid to trust any extra
weight on it. He also stated that the
only way to repair the weakness
would be to run four truss rods under
the structure
ITO run truss rods under bridge
of this kind would be a disgrace TO
civil engineering" he said. But this
is all that can be done to make the
bridge safe for public traffic"
The public discussion between J. E.
Bresett and w. G. Tandy was renewed
on the bridge this morning. Mr..
Bresett insists that he had warned
t. city of the weakness of the bridge
and Mr.. Tandy declares that not a
word was spoken until after Assistant
City Engineer Gibson had Condemned
the bridge.
1.-The inspection work on this bridge
has been at fault said Mr.. Tandy,
while speaking of the work of Mr..
Bresett. you will notice that wha3
rivets have been put in are in poor
II. 1a4a aak 6Aa
drawn together and the rivets are not
drawn up. They are in bad shape and
in a short time will cut in two. IF
Bresett was on the job as he should
have been when this work was done he
would have seen that this was rem
edied. He has said always that the
bridge would be the best in the city
but now he comes out and knocks. IN
fact he didn't know of the weakness
in the bridge until Gibson found it"
City Engineer Fulton said:
Everything was running along
smoothly until came out here one day
and found Bresett lying in the shade un-
der a tree. 1 sent him back to town-and
he has been sore ever since. The rivet
work on the bridge is poor-but Bresett
didn't take any notice of it then and
that is what he was out here for. The
bridge needs improving and strength
ening-I will admit. In regard to the
number of rivets used-the Santa Fe
cneckS up all It's Drldge work with
contractors but never a word is said
about rivets. This is always left with
the bridge companies"
City Attorney Ralston stated thai
the public would never be allowed on
the bridge and the city would not ac-
cept it until it was placed in good con-
dition.
Meanwhile the bridge contractors will
put more work on the structure-and
the city officials will wait to see the
result.