OCR Text |
Show The Ashtabula llridgc. Columbus, Ohio, 22. The special legislative committee appointed to investigate the late Ashtabula disaster submitted their report to-day, accompanied ac-companied by a vast amount ot tesli-mouy, tesli-mouy, which was ordered printed. The committee, after going into the details, showing the imperfections in the bridge, report the following conclusions con-clusions : First, there were from eibly to oue hundred lives lost. Second, tho bridge wont down under an ordinary load, by reason of defects in its original construction. Third, the defect could have been discovered at any time after its erection erec-tion by a careful and analytical inspection, in-spection, such as the importance of the structure demanded, aud thus the sacrifice of life and- property been prevented. The truth is the bridge was liable to go down at any time during the last ten or eleven years, under a load that might at any time' ' be brought upon it in the course of tho company's business, and it is most remarkable that iulid not sooner occur. It would bo needless to say an engineer would be derilcct in his duty who did not provide in hie construction con-struction of a bridge against wind, snow, ice and the vibration of a rolling roll-ing load. They are as much to be anticipated and provided against as the law of gravity. This report is accompanied by a bill specifying how bridges of different differ-ent spans are to be constructed. |