Bisbee daily review., 1919-08-06
WASH OUT IF S30,000 BRIDGE
 CAUSE IF ROW
Who's To Blame For Benson MiShap? Some Officials Are Asking; No One, It Was Act
 Of the Almighty, Says Adams

Charges and counter-charges flew
 thick and fast yesterday as a result of
 the flood of Sunday washing out the
 new S30,00O concrete bridge across
 the San Pedro river near Benson.
 That the bridge could have been
 saved had the proper precautions been
 taken was the view of many, while
 others declared that everything DOS ] slble was done to safeguard the struc-
 ture, but that nothing could have
 wlthstood the force of the stream
 that poured down the San Pedro for many hours before the bridge finally
 collapsed.
 It is probable that only an official investigation will determine whether anyone was to blame. Meantime temporary structure is being built across the river and the work of con structing another adequate bridge to cost fully as much as the one wrecked will be started as soon as possible
 A local effect of the bridges col lapse was shortage of vegetables in the Warren district yesterday. Most Of the produce consumed in this sec ton comes from farms the other side or the San Pedro crossing and since the bridge went out farmers have been unable to cross the stream with their produce. A Chinaman with big load of garden truck was report ed on his way in from Tombstone yes terday afternoon and this should help to reduce the shortage. It is ex- pected that the temporary bridge will soon be up so that vehicles may again cross the stream, which is still high
 The Benson bridge was one of the finest structures of it's kind in the county and was built under the direc- tion of County Highway Engineer J. c. Ryan when the latter was county engineer. Mir. Ryan for a month past had been urging that a few hundred dollars be spent in hauling gravel to divert the stream, or that the bridge would go out
 The business men of Benson also had asked that steps be taken to safe guard the bridge. Considerable brush had been hauled in the past few days and placed as buttress against the stream, but they proved inadequate to avert the wreck when the flood reach ed its height
 When asked yesterday over the long distance telephone at Tombstone whether anyone was responsible for the bridge going out, l. C. E. Adams, chairman of the board of supervisors; said that nothing could have saved it.
 Everyone knows that we have had unprecedented rains and high water in the past few weeks" MT. Adams said. "The bridge was built under the direction of MT, Ryan, then our coun- ty engineer, and was a splendid struC- ture. 1t was a credit to MT. Ryan and would have been a credit to any engineer. But nothing could nave stood against the flood in the San Pedro river that washed it out. Ev- cry reasonable precaution was taken to safeguard it. No one was re- sponsible for it's collapse but the Al who sent the rains and the floods against it.' MT. Ryan was in Douglas yesterday, experimenting the work on the Doug highway. About four miles of it have been paved. A large force of Indians has been obtained to re- lieve the labor shortage. and rush | the work to completion. Work on the | Lowell end of the road also will be | nuShad