The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-25
New Fillmore Street Structure
Says in the Middle.
Plans and Specifications of City
We're Too Weak to Stand.
COST $4,000 TO BUILD.
Some City Official to Blame for
Poor Work.
Reinforcing With Trusses Will
Give BOX Car" Effect.

On account of apparent lack of judg-
ment in the Office of the city engineer
and On acceptance of plans and specifi-
cations prepared by the bidding con-
tracing company, the city of Topeka
will find it necessary to use 'boxcar
bridge" across the Shunganunga creek.
The Fillmore street bridge across this
creek just south of Twenty-first street,
which was supposed to be the strong
est and most modern bridge in Topeka
and which was heralded as the pride of
the city bridges, is sinking in the mid
die.
This sag in the bridge. just compile
ted has alarmed the city officials and
the builders and it has become neces-
sary to reinforce the bridge with truss
rods-two on each side. These rods
have not been put in place put berore
any heavy traffic is allowed over the
bridge it will be necessary to make the
changes.
A modern bridge which was suppos-
ed to have been a strong and durable
structure as well as thing of beauty
will be ruined from an architectural
standpoint by these trusses and when
the repairs and trusses are set the
bridge as q whole will resemble in
many ways the appearance of rail-
road boxcar
TIE bond issue for this bridge paid
by the taxpayers in the city amounted
to $4,101. The contract price was 3d.
es4.24. The contract was let to the
Capital Iron works For many weeks
before the bridge was completed the
city officials patted themselves on the
back with the invitation to the general
public TO visit the new structure.
TT will be the prettiest as we'll as
the best bridge in Topeka" they said
when we have it finished we will want
everyone to see it-walk across it-ride
across it-why, we will be willing that
RinglingS take every elephant in their
show and stack them on the bridge"
But talk circus elephant and Fill
more street bridge to a city official now
and he will snarl.
The trouble with the bridge seems to
be the guSSett plateS--WhateVer they are.
According to one of the assistants in
the city engineers Office a gussett plate
is a plate (steel fiat with holes in it)
that connects with the supporting rods
at the floor of the bridge.
1t is claimed that these plates are
not large enough, that there are not
enough rivets or bolts in them and that
when the weight of the concrete, brick
and traffic is placed on the bridge the
plates will give out.
1t is said at the city hall that when
the contracting company presented
their bridge plans with this size plates
The assistant city engineer and the
drar ghtsman objected saying they were
too small But w. S. Fulton city en-
gineer, overruled their objections and
the original plans went through. But
frems the reports around an engineers
office it is pretty hard to tell who is to
blame.
The condition of the bridge is a joke
among the engineers and bridge men in
the city. Some of them are preparing
to take photograph of the structure
after the trusses are in place and send
it to an engineering publication for re-
production.
The Fillmore street bridge across the
Shunganunga was built for the pur-
pose of handling all the heavy traffic
south of the city into town. The inn
nense traffic from over the lBurlingame
road. the heavier work over the Tope-
ka avenue, Kansas avenue and Van
Buren, street bridges was scheduled for
this new bridge.
But the bridge is sinking in the mid
die and it is feared that heavy weights
will send it crashing to the creek bed
far below.
With dry land bridge and box
car bridge Topeka is becoming fam
Gus for her bridges.