BRIDGE AT NEVIS FERRY.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 221, 3 February 1874, Page 6

BRIDGE AT NEVIS FERRY.

Wo have been requested by Mr M'Cormick to correct certain mis-statements which appeared in a leader of a late issue of the Duu : stan Times, The writer of the article was doijbtless misinformed as to the conditions which exist between private persons and the Government in the matter of building bridges. The article says in one place :—“From the nature of the accident it is very clear that something was wrong in the original design by the Provincial Engineer, who ought to have known that a girder bridge of one hundred and eighty feet of a span, presented more than ordinary difficulties to erect; in fact, such a work could only have been undertaken by a first class engineer, and one of considerable experience in these matters.” In another place it says “Mr M‘Cormick worked from a general plan supplied by the Government, who took precious good care not to supply a proper working plan, leaving the difficulty of detail to the builder, which in a great measure must have led to the dssaster.” With reference to these statements, it is only necessary to say that the Government did not furinsh any design for the bridge in question, and had nothing whatever to do with it except to approve of it. The design was furnished by an engineer of proved ability to the order of Mr M'Cormick himself, who had already seen the' working involved in constructing a suspension bridge, and who preferred the girder principle. That the plan itself is an excellent one, complete and perfect in the moSt trivial details, will be admitted by any one who has any knowledge of the work required and is competent to give an opinion upon the question. The accident, we can assure.the I)unstan Times, was caused by one of those unforeseen chances which now and again occur to upset the most carefully laid schemes of men, and might have happened under the superintendence of the most qualified Engineer. It is of course.a matter of opinion whether a bridge upon the girder or suspension principle would have been most suitable for the place which is referred to, but surely the Times is a little unfortunate when it says “It seems absurd that our Provincial Solons should have insisted upon a plan for crossing the Kawarau which was perfectly impracticable.” It is equally, so when it talks of constructing a bridge “ of heavy unseasoned native timber, improperly secured together,” as “an absurdity.” It surely does not mean us to infer that the specifications provided for the use of improperly secured, unseasoned timber. With regard to another matter mentioned in the article referred to, —the Bannockburn Bridge,—we may take this occasion of reminding .the JDunstan Times that Messrs Grant and Richards were partners with Mr M'Cormick, in erecting it. If any credit is due for the successful carrying but of that enterprise, and surely there is, Mr M‘Cormick does not wish to monopolise it. As a matter of fact, Mr Grant was the actual builder of the bridge.