27 Jul 1893 - OPENING THE BRIDGE.

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Thu 27 Jul 1893 - Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954)
Page 5 - OPENING THE BRIDGE.

Line 1.0.0present, the people having gathered for miles
Line 1.0.1around. The ceremony of opening the bridge
Line 1.0.2was conducted by
Line 1.0.3Mr. R. D. G. FITZGERALD, M.P., to whose
Line 1.0.4efforts the erection of the bridge is due. He
Line 1.0.5briefly addressed those present, and gave the
Line 1.0.6history of the trials and troubles which had
Line 1.0.7to be overcome before the Government could
Line 1.0.8be persuaded to take up the work. He con
Line 1.0.9gratulated the people on having what was
Line 1.0.10undoubtedly one of the finest bridges in the
Line 1.0.11colony, and hoped that it would long serve
Line 1.0.12them as a connecting link with tihe north.
Line 1.0.13Sir George Dibbs, in response to a general
Line 1.0.14request, also delivered a few remarks, and
Line 1.0.15explained that as he intended to speak at
Line 1.0.16length at the banquet he would be very brief.
Line 1.0.17After referring to the good work done for
Line 1.0.18the constituency of the Upper Hunter by
Line 1.0.19Mr. Fitzgerald, he said that during his
Line 1.0.20public career he had had some experience in
Line 1.0.21bridge building. He was connected with the
Line 1.0.22Ministry which constructed the great Hawkes
Line 1.0.23bury Bridge-one of the finest in the world
Line 1.0.24-and he was proud of the fact, because he
Line 1.0.25had been instrumental in saving the country
Line 1.0.26an expenditure of something like £450,000.
Line 1.0.27(Applause.) That was done by throwing
Line 1.0.28open the work to the whole civilised world,
Line 1.0.29and calling for tenders for the best possible
Line 1.0.30bridge. As a result, the structure was
Line 1.0.31erected at a cost of £315,000 in place of the
Line 1.0.32original estimate of £750,000. (Applause.)
Line 1.0.33After referring to the bridge further, he said
Line 1.0.34that in future such workls would have to be car
Line 1.0.35ried out by the people of the district concerned,
Line 1.0.36with the liberal support of tlhe Government.
Line 1.0.37In such a splendid district as that he would
Line 1.0.38like to see more cultivation going on, and he
Line 1.0.39truLsted that the splendid fields he could see
Line 1.0.40would very quickly be made to produce crops,
Line 1.0.41without which no such district could be
Line 1.0.42prosperous.
Line 1.0.43This concluded the ceremony, clheers being
Line 1.0.44given for Mr. Fitzgerald, Sir George Dibbs,
Line 1.0.45and the contractor, Mr. O. MI'Master. The
Line 1.0.46brief nature of the proceedings surprised
Line 1.0.47many, who had come for miles to attend the
Line 1.0.48important event.
Line 1.0.49The people of the Aberdeen district lad
Line 1.0.50long been agitating for a new bridge across
Line 1.0.51the Hunter near their town, and after great
Line 1.0.52delay they have at last obtained a structuro,
Line 1.0.53which ranks among the finest in the colony.
Line 1.0.54An old wooden bridge spanned the river in
Line 1.0.55the same spot for many years, but in the
Line 1.0.56floods of 1810 it was washed away, and since
Line 1.0.57that time the people had had to use thie ford.
Line 1.0.58The history of the structure shows that a
Line 1.0.59sum of £16,500 was provided on the loan
Line 1.0.60estimates of the year 1889 for its construc
Line 1.0.61tion, and an additional sum of £1100 was
Line 1.0.62placed on the 1893 loan estimates, making
Line 1.0.63the total cost of the work £17.600. The
Line 1.0.64actual cost to the country, however, cannot
Line 1.0.65be taken to be so mnuch, as over £1000 was
Line 1.0.66paid to the Railway Commissioners for carriage
Line 1.0.67of ironwork from Sydney to Aberdeen. The
Line 1.0.68bridge was designed under the direction of the
Line 1.0.69Commissioner and Enghieer-in-Chicf for
Line 1.0.70Roads and Bridges. It is of the type knolwn
Line 1.0.71as continuous lattice girder, and is on three
Line 1.0.72spans resting on three pairs of cylinders. The
Line 1.0.73side spans are 140ft 3in each, the length of
Line 1.0.74centre span being 182ft. The approach spans
Line 1.0.75are 34ft each, making the total length be
Line 1.0.76tween abutments 533ft. The width of the
Line 1.0.77deck between the kerbs is 18ft, and the height
Line 1.0.78above summer water level 30ft. The total
Line 1.0.79weight of iron used in the construction of the
Line 1.0.80bridge was 440 tons. The contract for the
Line 1.0.81supply of ironwork was let to Messrs. R.
Line 1.0.82Morrison Stewart, importers, of Sydney, in
Line 1.0.83October, 1890, for the sum of £7368 10s 7d;
Line 1.0.8414 months being allowed for the completion
Line 1.0.85of the work. The whole of the ironwork was
Line 1.0.86obtained from the firm of Messrs. Le Cog, of
Line 1.0.87Hal, Belgium. The contract forerection was
Line 1.0.88let to Mr. Oswald M'Master, in the same
Line 1.0.89month, for £6949 19s 5d: 20 moniths being
Line 1.0.90allowed for completion. From these dates it
Line 1.0.91will be seen that considerable delay has
Line 1.0.92occurred in the completion of the work,
Line 1.0.93which has been due to two causes.
Line 1.0.94The first was that when the ironwork arrived
Line 1.0.95from Belgium for the superstructure of the
Line 1.0.96bridge, the Supervising Engineer for Bridges
Line 1.0.97in the colony reported that be was not satis
Line 1.0.98fled with it; and a great many rivets had to
Line 1.0.99be cut out and replaced. There was a great
Line 1.0.100deal of comment on this in the press at the
Line 1.0.101time; but it is satisfactory to know that the
Line 1.0.102engineers have put the matter right, and that
Line 1.0.103the travelling public need have no anxiety
Line 1.0.104about the safety of the bridge. The
Line 1.0.105second reason was that a serious
Line 1.0.106delay occurred owing to the difficulty
Line 1.0.107experienced in obtaining a satisfactory foun
Line 1.0.108dation for the piers on the Aberdeen side.
Line 1.0.109Rock was not met with at the depth which
Line 1.0.110the borings had led the engineers to antici
Line 1.0.111pate, and when fresh borings were taken rock
Line 1.0.112was met at a depth so great as to
Line 1.0.113practically preclude sinking to it on
Line 1.0.114account of the extra cost involved.
Line 1.0.115It was then decided to increase the area
Line 1.0.116of the cylinder foundation from 28 square
Line 1.0.117feet each to 78 square feet each, thus reducing
Line 1.0.118the load on each square foot of foundation.
Line 1.0.119This exceedinglydifficultoperation wascarried
Line 1.0.120out successfully under air pressure at a depth
Line 1.0.121of 35ft below summer water level, and the
Line 1.0.122difficulty of the work accounts for a con
Line 1.0.123siderablo portion of the delay in completing
Line 1.0.124the bridge. The work of erecting the bridge
Line 1.0.125was carried out under the direction of the
Line 1.0.126Supervising Engineer for Bridges (Mr. De
Line 1.0.127Burgh), the resident superintendent being
Line 1.0.128Mr. Joseph Hope during the main part of
Line 1.0.129the work, and Mr. James Rorison during the
Line 1.0.130last few months.

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