Bisbee daily review., 1919-08-08
WORK |S' BEGUN
 FOR REPLACING
 BENSON BRIDGE
Farmer Who Suffered When
 Bridge Washed Out, Says It
 Was Unavoidable; Designer Gays Could Have Been Saved

OGJO OOCiO iIdbO OOCli SQVCQ
 While R. V. Lesson, bridge design CT and consulting engineer of the state highway commission, was con- ducting an investigation at Benson yesterday into the washing out of the new $3O.00O concrete bridge across the San Pedro river, near that place, work was started on the con- struction of a temporary bridge across the river.
 County Engineer Sid Smyth and Supervisor C. M. Roberts both visited the scene of the disaster and return ed to Tombstone last evening. Smyth stated that a gang of workmea have heen placed at work cutting down the banks for temporary crossing of the river near Pomerine. while two other gangs have been started at both ends of the road on this side of the river connecting up with the St. David bridge, giving a crossing, which is now open for traffic.
 Another gang is also at work build ing a temporary bridge. near the site of the old one, which will Serve until plans for the new bridge can he com pleted Mir Smyth stated that the residents of the vicinity are satisfied that everything possible is being done to alleviate the situation. and no great inconvenience is being expert enced by anyone.
 Lesson is quoted in a Phoenix dis, patch to the Tucson Citizen as say ing that he personally had informed Supervisor Roberts of the great dan ger that the bridge would be washed out and advised him to take precau- tionary measures. The dispatch says: "Leeson was the designer of this bridge and hence interested in seeing that it's approaches were properly protected against flood. That this precaution was not taken by the su, pervisors of Cochise county despite repeated warnings is the claim made by Lesson to the state authorities, who asked if he knew any reason why the bridge should have col lapsed."
 While criminations and recrimina- tions continued to be banded about yesterday as a result of the bridges collapse, M P Cosby, a farmer near Benson, and one of those most di- rectly affected by the washing out of the bridge. telephoned to the Review a statement that he believed the county authorities had taken all req sonable precautions to protect the structure.
 "The floods this year came two weeks earlier than usual and were unusually heavy" Mr. Cosby said "It is true that the merchants of Benson had asked the supervisors to take precautionary steps to avert a flood, but I believe that when the emergency arose, had these same business men done their duty, the bridge would not have been washed out.
 "The high water came up unusually fast and the day before the bridge floated away County Engineer Smyth had the S. J. Johnson outfit at work, hauling gravel and brush. and doing everything possible to protect the bridge. l believe it's collapse could not have been avoided, and that the county authorities did their full duty as far as they could do so."
 J. c. Ryan, who was county engl neer when the bridge was constructed received a letter yesterday morning from Mir. Lesson, who says he nou fled the board of supervisors several weeks ago that the changing of the river course was threatening the eastern pier of the bridge and thai he offered at that time to supply the four or five hundred dollars neces earxy tO DrOfacf if sO that the WOrE could be done in time, providing tht supervisors would reimburse him al a latter date. His offer was not ac cepted and the bridge was permitted to go to destruction when a little timely work would have saved the county a loss of a $2S,000 structure says Lesson. In his letter MT. Lee son does not say whether he made this offer to the entire board or t' members of it.
 MT. Ryan stated that the reports that the bridge had fallen on accoun of the center pier having collapsed were untrue and that the cause the destruction of the bridge was thu washing away of the bank around the eastern pier, which unbalance' tbe bridge and caused its destruc tion. MT. Ryan said that the brldg was first threatened by the heaV. rains on July 5, when the river com menced washing the bank on tn eastern side of the bridge, and tha had the proper steps been taken an time during the past month, the dt struction of the bridge could hay been prevented at very little cost.