Bisbee daily review., 1919-08-12
FARMER GIVES
 STATEMENT IN
 BENSON BRIDGE
Benson, Aug. 2, 1919.

l have noted several articles in your paper concerning the Benson bridge that recently fell into the river. l believe I am as well in- formed on the facts concerning this bridge as any one. l am on the op- posite side politically from all par ties concerned and have no one to favor, neither have l any stones to throw at any one. This bridge was designed by MT. L. V. Lesson, who has designed several thousand. He states that this is the first that has ever gone out. The bridge was built by the Topeka Bridge company a year ago, during the time MT. J. c. Ryan was county engineer. I don't remember the name of the inspector, but will say that he was on the job early and late, and I don't believe any poor material went into the job. l did not work on the bridge but 1 have a farm that joins it and 1 was constructing a Hume just below the bridge during the time that it was being constructed and I know that MT. Frank Williams, superintendent for the bridge, was a very careful workman The bridge, when com pleted, was fine structure.
 As to protection work, something should have been done in the way of protection. Early last summer the county used lot of powder trying to blast away a point about a hundred yards above. This did not seem to do any good. Nothing more was done during the fall or winter. The floods last summer were not severe and no damage was done, nor did anyone think that one summers floods could wash it out. A short time before the rainy season MT. Sid Smith came to my place and we looked the matter over and he discussed plans for fix ing it. He went away and shortly after came back and again discussed the fixing of it with me. He de- scribed a plan that he thought would change the course of the river and protect the bridge.
 As all old timers know, the floods came two weeks earlier this season than usual. The river was Eoaring torrent for more than two weeks and it played all this time on the east approach. By the time the floods had receded the bridge was in danger of having the east approach washed around At once citizens commenced to say "I told you so." l heard moro in the next few days than I had heard in all the time before.
 As soon as the water was low enough to work, MT. s. J. Johnson, one of the best, if not the best, brush and rock men in this section, started to work protecting the east approach with rock and brush. At the same time he put a force of men and teams, all he could work, cutting a channel through the point above so as to change the channel of the river. These outfits were on the job working when the big flood came down Saturday afternoon. Mir. John son barely got his teams out of the cut before the flood engulfed them. He had several loads of rock and brush on his wagons, ready to add to the large amount already in the river. The flood, while it did not last so long as former ones, was much larger than any of the season. It soon whipped out the brush and rock and before night had worked its way around the east approach. However, the bank above did not cave in till the next day Sunday about eleven o'clock, when it fell in and the bridge immediately collapsed and fell in pile. MT. Johnson was on the job at the time, trying to keep traffic open; in fact. he and two or three others were on the bridge when it com menced to move and barely got off
 
 with it.
 These are the facts as near as know them.
 The county has force of men and teams making a crossing in the Pome- rene section so that within a day or so the Pomerene farmers can get to town. The road is already opened for auto traffic by the way of St. David bridge This road is also being worked on so as to make it more passable. Material is being gathered for a temporary bridge below the old one.
 As to the watermelon story in the morning issue, l furnished a water melon feed yesterday to a member Of the board of supervisors, the engineer and about twenty-five Benson citi- zens who were at the river side look ing over the grounds for a temporary bridge. but they were furnished from this side of the river l am sorry the statement about so many ripe melons is not so. 300 loads of melons at the present Benson prices you'd be worth 5000, and if l had that much money 1 would do like any other farmer would do, take a vacation. It is true 1 have quite an acreage of melons, seven acres on the Benson side of the river and three acres on the other side.
 I trust you may see fit to publish this article. as I think the public are entitled to the facts from an unbiased standpoint. 1 am, yours truly.