The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-09
MEN
ON BRIDGE JOB
FalsewOrk Practically Fin
ished-Bridge Done
by Fair Time e~,.-.>,. -
PILE DRIVER GOES
TO RIVER BOTTOM
Gable Detached, but No Damage Is Done
Divers Work Here About Done -
Engineer StOrrs Finds Replacement
Steel Aggregates 172 Tons.

Today win see practically the compile
ton of the falsework crossing the Con-
necticut river between Island Park and
the railroad yard, on which will be
erected steel bridge of 330-foot span by
the American Bridge Co., under the di-
rection of Supt. Dan Burns
1t was on June 16 that the old false
work gave way under the weight of
structural steel, allowing the partly fin
ished bridge to plunge into the river,
some of it into more than 40 feet of wa
ter, and by the middle of next week, if
all goes well. the erection work will have
reached the stage which it had attained
when the accident happened Thus the
delay caused by the accident was Just
two months
Thirty-tive men are now on the Brat
tleboro job, including all the % men who
were on the structure which collapsed
and fell into the river without causing
serious injury or loss of life. Three of
these. whose names were unintentionally
omitted in setting up the story of the ac-
cident published in The Reformer that
afternoon, are Wade II. Blevins of
Wythyille, Va, Richard Kienitz of
Brooklyn and William II. Haislop of
Brooklyn. q
While it is impossible to tell just when
the construction work will be completed
present indications are that the Ameri-
can Bridge Co. s men will be ready to
leave Brattleboro about Sept Is The
towns of BrattlebOro and Hinsdale are
to put on a tarvia floor. but that will not
be done until next season. As soon as
the bridge men are through the towns
will lay a plank floor, which will re-
nj ah II Sc he
of the selectmen, if the bridge is COM
pleted by Sept. 15 with the exception of
the floor, to have the bridge open for
travel before the Valley fair opens.
Engineer Edward d. Storrs of Con-
| cord, n. H., son of Engineer John w
Storrs of that city, who comprise the en-
gineering firm employed by Brattleboro
and HinsdaIe, soon after the old bridge
was taken out by ice and high water
March 2S. 1920. was in town yesterday
checking up the work and noting the
progress made. He found that 343, $50
pounds. approximately 172 tons. of new
steel had been sent here to. replace that
which fell into the water. As none of
the old steel WAS to be used again and
as the bridge is to weigh about 80 tons
this shows that about 55 per cent of the
steel first shipped here had been put in
place previous to the accident.
While the men driving piles were pre-
pairing to drive a pile this morning the
cable attached to the driver became de-
tached and the driver, which weighs
about a ton and three-quarters. shot
| down into the river with a tremendous
| splash. 1T was 40 feet above the water
when it started and the river was 40
feet deep, making its dive so feet. 1t
caused no damage.
Diver Z. II. Smith went down to hook
on to the big hammer, but it was so
| dark that he was unable to locate it in
| the mud until he had made a second de-
scent. Mr.. Smith expects to leave here
soon, as there is little more for him TO
do here. All the old steel has been re-
moved from the river bed except a few
pieces which either are fiat on the river
bottom or are buried in mud and cannot
be found. Mr.. Smith was employed on
| the construction of the Connecticut river
dam at Vernon II years ago, also on the
addition to the power plant the past
year. His home is in Buxton, Me-, and
he may go on to a job in Portland, Me-,
few miles from his home He married
Mrs. Julia AIartell of Brattleboro, who
has been here with him the past few
weeks