The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-20
Evening Chat

me Investigating committee of the
West Virgfniansh has been working on
d vital Question that concerns most
of MISREPRESENTATION This is the
mrch dfsEnssed bridge across Coal
Run! Wefhaveinoticed that the May.
q Observation-Disclosures This Is the
horse causeSEa bridge to vtbrate more
than asrpidIyGmoving automobile. TO
determine the truth OF this matter
We ENTHUSIASTICALLY end and for that
prrpoge8haVe5naa a number OF e!ab.
crate measurements and figured
StresseSf and strains until we finally
mt1edFthes seIsmograph with the spec
froscope andBhad to stop work. But
from the great mass OF data gathered
No will endeaYor to present to the
eager public as clear and concise q
statementio OF the results Of our e
CATION as is consistent with accuracy
andEtruth. The measurements, II u
be remembered. only apply to the
South Side bridge and to no other, SO
what we discovered In this case IS NOT
applicable to other bridges. with a
twelve hundred pound horse trotting
across the bridge at about 10 miles
per hour, we found the automatic vi;
bration register (Which. we invented
forfthistuse)gt point to the reading OF
10 That is for the floor Of the bridge
and the superstructuTe. The reading
mn theIseimoeraph on the middle pier
Of the bridge was only 1.2 which Is
o1Iy8two.tenths above the normal VI
fbration when there is nothing Cross
ing at all! The readings for Ford
carsBasTthey crossed ut about twenty
milesIper hour was approximately the
samesas Is for the horse. When larger
cars! suchfFias Packards aud Cadillacs.
crossed at about twenty miles per
hour, the vibration register reading
ranIallthe way up to IS and the highest
wasS92swhen a heavy loadetl Packard
twin Six was crossing. The Sc's:lo-
Rraphsregistered "a and the index nm
gef5ofithe4 instrument trc;nbled a 8 II
an earth quake was being recorded.
Othermedium weight cars would make
almost as much vibration Of the super
structure as the heavy cars hut the
shock Was not transmitted to the
a and piers so strongly. = care
Reconsideration of all the facts CLEAN.
edEingthe investigation causes us much
concern and from the stress figures
EfyenSfo the bridge We regret OK
itremely that we are compelled TO pre-
dfct8the collopse of the entire bridge
someydaySin the future If the present
traficyis Continued at the usual rate
of4speed. This collapse will probably
~occur&whene a heavy car first strikes
the bridge, the constant vibration n
wear on the rusty connections anu
~fastenings Of one of the compression
members Of the structure will cause
that member to give way. This VIII
causeSmore stress on the expansion
rodsiand{they will break, thus a whole
span will buckle and give way IN turn
weakening the other spans SO that
theystoo will fall.
THE aLittle Brown jug" has passed
awaylinaFairmont and in it's place has
comeIthe """The Little Brown Medicine
Case" OF course, 1t is not really a
medicine case but 1t looks like u
and carries stuff that will bring people
backito life when almost dead OF thirst.
ASquart bottle OF liquor will Just
ft5tnlthe case with comfort. The case
is8aShandsome leather and very pretty.
Thus liquor may be carried WIN dlg-
nftyafromS such a point to such u point.
Instead Of bringing liquor from tue
Point in the old CrumblinG pakaSe
STYLE one may take his little medicine
case5and go down to the Point. get
a. quart and come home without any
oneaknowfng the purpose Of his mis-
sion. Also in carrying dope to sick
friends, the new medicine chest comes
inShandy. For instance, you would o
want to parading up the street about
church time some Sunday morning
with asquart for a dying companion.
but with the little medicine chest you
canfget' along very nicely.
The liquor satchel iq nut out as an
advertisement by a burgh hotel,
whoseEmanager has q emily studied
theeliauor question III West Virginia.
NS1 T1,b- Hutton