Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-15
CONDEMNED BRIDGE
BLAMED IN DEATH
C. P. Coleman, Noted Engi-
neer, Died Here Saturday
of Pneumonia.

| Smitten in pride and shattered in
health by the collapse of what he had
hoped would be his browning feat of
engineering, G. Philip Coleman, inter-
nationally known engineer and indus
! trialist. of New York, died in seclusion
here Saturday of pneumonia, it was
learned today.
Yielding of cables supporting the
gigantic Mount Hope Suspension Bridge
being blilt over Narragansett Bay, ne
cessitating condemnation and dis
mantling of the structure, is assigned as
the indirect cause of Mr. Coleman's
death in q copyrighted dispatch of the
Consolidated Press Association received
here today.
Mr.. Coleman, who was president of
the Mount Hope Bridge Co. and the
Sandusky Bridge Co., died early Satur-
day morning at the Mayflower Hotel.
He left New York about 10 days ago,
broken in body and spirit. and had in
tended. to regain his health at Hot
Springs, Va. He was too i'll to continue
the trip after reaching this city.
Project Failure Blamed.
According to the Consolidated Press,
A. e. MacKinnon. assistant to the pres
ident of the Mount Hope company. at
tributed Mr.. Colenan's breakdown to
failure of the bridge project and the
necessity Of starting it all over again.
Mr.. Coleman was shattered and
broken by the discovery that the cables
were given way" Mr.. MacKinnin said.
1T was the first instance in the history
Of bridge building In which 1t had been
necessary to dismantle large bridge.
This was q splendid structure, about IS
per cent completed, and we had put
into it the best work and materials
which engineering science could supply.
1T was the choice Of cables made
by new heat process, instead of the
old cold drawn cables. which caused the
disaster. In preliminary tests they had
shown greater tensile strength than Or
binary cables and they were passed
upon by the best engineering experts
obtainable.
only few weeks remained before
the opening of the bridge. Before it
had assumed anywhere near its full
load, on February 20 breaks in about
800 cables were discovered. Mr. Cole
man instantly took the stand that there
should be no hesitation in dismantling
the bridge and he persuaded directors
be condemned. This meant delay of
at least six months and innumerable
problems arose in distributing the cost
and In other details.
mr. Coleman. although overcome
and rapidly failing in strength. with the
first great disaster of his career,
plunged into this situation bravely. At
"a years of age. with lifetime of driv-
ing achievement behind him, the load
was more than he could carry"
Built Singer Tower.
Mr.. Coleman was secretary and
treasurer Of the Singer Sewing Ma
chine Co. and was one of the leading
engineers of his day He built the
Singer Tower on Broadway, then the
tallest Office building in the world. He
had been assistant to the president Of
the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, presi-
dent of the Worthington Pump & Ma
chinery Co., president and general
organizer of International Motors, a
director of the Foundation Co. OF
America and assistant passenger agent
of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. He was
graduated from Lehigh University and
Virginia Military Institute.
He is survived by his wife and two
sons, Douglas r. and Layton H. Cole
man, both of New York. Funeral SER
vices were held there today at the
Church of the Incarnation.
Soon after the discovery of the de-
fective cables on the Mount Hope
Bridge it was discovered that the cables
also were breaking on the partially
completed Ambassador Bridge, connect
ing Detroit and Windsor, and the long
est suspension bridge in the world and
work on this bridge also was stopped.
The cables for both bridges were sup
piled by the same firm, the new wire
process being tried for the first time in
this country It's failure and its later
tragic outcome have been sensation In
the engineering world