SCIENTIFIC.
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SCIENTIFIC.
THE NEW RAILROAD BRIDGE OVER THE KANSAS RIVER AT LAWRENCE. The replacement of the old long-condemned railroad bridge by entirely new spans, has served the twofold purpose of improving the appearance of Lawrence and of reinstating the railroad by which it was built, in the confidence of the people. The new bridge is of the same dimensions as the old, and consists of 460 feet of trustle approach—400 on the south over an extensive sand bar (in low water) and 60 feet on the north over bank slope. The truss section consists of four spans of the ordinary Howe truss, 150 feet each, making a total of 600 feet.
The streets stiffening braces and counter braces are of heavy pine timber, and the ties of iron (round.) The upper and lower chords are decidedly old rashioned, being of wood and of the same dimensions throughout. Upper chord consists of four pieces two 6x12 inches and two 7x12 inches. Lower chords four pieces, two 6x16 inches and two, 7x16 inches. Angle blocks, 360 lbs. in weight each. Lateral bracing, top and bottom ties, 1 inch rods; magechals,6x7 inches. No expansion rollers are used. Floor beams rest directly on chords, and fastened by belts. Spans are built to withstand a rolling load of 20,000 lbs. to the foot with a locomotive excess resulting from two ordinary heavy freight locomotives. The trestle piers are the same, with the exception of the addition of more substantial drift and ice breakers, as were used before. They rest on heavy piles driven to a solid bed, and consisting of 12, 12x12 inch supports in groups of three, with slight inclination. Trustle work for piers is enclosed by 2x12 inch planks several feet above high water mark. Drift and ice break tipped with bolted boiler iron.; total length of bridge 1092 feet.
—Prof. Chas. A. Smith, late of Washington University, St. Louis, died at Newburyport, Massachusetts, on February 2 Mr. Smith was born in St. Louis, April 8, 1846, but spent his early life in Massachusetts and graduated at the Institute of Zoology, in Boston, about 1867. Selecting engineering as a profession, he was for a time connected with Mr. Francis at Lowell and Prof. Henck at Boston. He was also engaged in railroad work in North Carolina and upon the Union Pacific in Utah. The St. Charles and the Hanmbal waterworks, and the machinery for the Richmond, Va., works were designed by him.
Prof. Smith was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and for twelve years secretary of the Engineering Club at St. Louis. He was also a member of the Association for the advancement of Science and of the American Association of Master Mechanics. -Engineering News.
Twenty billion dollars are invested in railroads in the Old and New world.
Over half the most responsible positions on the Canadian Pacific Railroad are filled by American railroad men.
Last week when the ice in the Kansas River broke up, it took out the false work preparatory for putting in the last iron span of the wagon bridge. The floor beams were on the false work and dropped into the river just below where they were placed. These can be taken out at a slight cost, but the work will be delayed and the real losers