Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1910 — PURDUE ENGINEER MEASURES JASPER COUNTY BRIDGES. [ARTICLE]

PURDUE ENGINEER MEASURES JASPER COUNTY BRIDGES.

Measurements Made of Bridges Constructed by the Wfnamae Bridge Co., hi Union and Keener. i ■ It is quite probable that other indictments will be found by a grand jury, soon to be called, against Clinton L. Bader, of the Winamac Bridge Co., if investigations now under way show that other bridges Bader’s company built do not comply with specifications or . are sufficiently short to justify a suspicion of premeditated guilt. Prof. Smith, engineer from Purdue University, came to Rensselaer Monday and In company with Walter V. Porter drove to Union and Keener

townships and carefully measured one bridge over the Iroquois ditch in Union and another over the Otis ditch in Keener township. Both bridges were built by the Winamac Bridge Co. The engineer did not take the specifications of the bridge with him and did not make any comparison, but took careful measurements and will make the comparison after computing the weights and measurements and make his report direct to the prosecuting attorney and by him presented to the grand jury. What the investigation will disclose awaits to be seen, but it is safe to conclude that the two bridges were selected because information had been suggested that they were short of weight. Prosecutor Longwell is himself greatly disappointed because Bader was not taken to the penitentiary after his conviction and he doubtless proposes to let no stone go unturned in an effort to dig up other corrupt practices if any exist and make the guilty suffer the consequences.

Prosecutor Longwell states that he has discovered that two contracts were let to the Winamac Bridge Co., only a short time apart, and that the specifications were identical. One bridge was built for ,595 and the other for ,1,289. In another case a difference of ,700 was made between the cost of two bridges when the costlier of the two was (Inly 5 feet longer than the other one. The prosecutor thinks that this discrepancy can not exist in' the natural trend- of business and he is going to try to find out how it happens

While Prof. Smith did not make any report, not having returned to Rensselaer until about 9 o’clock and having proceeded to Lafayette at 11, it is understood in an indirect and unofficial way that the bridges will show that they are from two to three tons short in the weight of steel. The workmanship was also poor, bolts having been put through the truss instead of rivets and the bolts projecting out from what shquld be the finished side of the bridge. The planks were partly heart Side up hud in practically new bridges they had begun to rot, and in one case a warped plank had been laid without an effort to straighten it, leaving an aperature that was large enough for a horse’s hoof to go through. This was patched by driving a post through the hole even with the surface of the bridge. Prof. Smith, it is understood, is to come back to Jasper county and to measure other bridges and the bridges of other companies. It is not intended to let other companies off with a “clean bill” if they have been guilty. AH these things will probably be ready to present to the grand jury when it is called, which will probably be next Monday. Mr. Long well is acting on his own initiative in hiring an engineer and so far as known he is paying the expense himself. That there will be other indictments when the grand jury convenes there is little doubt.