Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-10
PRESERVATION OF SPLENDID
kENNEbEC BRIDGE DEPENDS
ON IMMEDIATE PAINTING

rust which during the years 1t has
been covered has been insistCntly
working and eating into the iron
frame work of the bridge. To paint
the bridge without thoroughly and
Systematically cleaning II would be
worse than wasting time. for it
would not only in q large measure
waste the time and materials of the
men working upon the bridge. but
would make II possible for the rapid
deterioration due to rust to continue
uninterrupted. The biggest and
most important part OF the job is
the cleaning and the committee in
charge of the matter are insistent
thoroughly cleaned before the paint
Is applied.
This bridge is one of the best in
the State. 1t was built In 1SS9-90
under Mayor Samuel w. Lane. With
unusual foresight the parties in
charge Of it's construction insisted
that nothing should be sacrificed
| toward making the bridge absolute
| ly safe. To this end it was designed
at the time to bear a load much
| heavier than 1t then seemed to be
| ever called upon to bear. So rapid,
however, has been the change in
| traffic conditions that this bridge is
| now bearing a load several times
that which it was originally designed
| to carry. No better commentary
can be made on the officials, con-
tractors and workmen who con-
structed this bridge than the fact
that this bridge is able to bear this
increased burden and is still regard
ed as one OF the best bridges in the
State.
, 1t is OF type OF construction that
has few counterparts anywhere in
the country. The metal work is all
of wrought iron, riveted. Steel is
the material now generally used in
bridge construction. The designing
! engineer was John +. Cheney, at that
time the bridge engineer of the city
of Boston. The consulting engineer
was George L. Vose. at one time
professor of civil engineering at
Bowdoin college and later at Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology. The
contractors for the metal work were
! Coprode & Saylor of Pennsylvania,
d. Shannahan OF Portland. The
work. of construction was start2d in
1889 and completed in May, 1890
| The middle span. which is 200 feet
long. was designed to carry an uni
formly distributed load of so pounds
to the square foot. and the east and
west end spans, 100 pounds. The
engineers figured that this bridge
would carry moving load of 16
tons-and since the advent of the
electric car line and automobile traf-
| fic, it has carried a load of 81 tons
on eight wheels. There is only a
slight vibration from electric car or
the heaviest of motor truck traffic
the greatest vibration it has been
found, results from the passing over
the bridge of a trotting horse
| While the cost of repainting is
substantial it is paltry as compared
with the cost of replacement. 1t
is to save this splendid structure and
to insure its continued service that
it is now being insisted, that the most
thorough cleaning and painting job
possible should be done The man
ner of painting and quality of paint
! used has been given most painstak-
| ing attention and the best experts
has been consulted with reference
! to these points. After the bridge is
thoroughly cleaned. two coats of
| paint will be applied, both coats
! complying with the specifications of
the State officials on their bridge
| painting jobs.