WAIHOANGA SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

Otaki Mail, 12 November 1923, Page 2

WAIHOANGA SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

! CAUSE OP COLLAPSE. At Saturday's meeting of the Horoi whenua. County Council the following report of the collapse of the WaihoaDga suspension bridge, which spanned the Otaki river in the Gorge, was submitted by the County Engineer:— "During the period the Te Horo Biding suffered a severe loss in the collapse of the Waihoanga bridge in the Ctaki Gorge. Ou Sunday morning, the 'J-Sth October, the cables ("three in number) parted at the anchors at the northtwnwtc cocot? of the bridge, allowing the bridge to drop on one side, this putting the whole' wpj'ght of pha bridge on the remaining cables. On Monday morning these cables parted, also at the anchors, and *»3io»ed the whole structure to drop info tfcis river. On ciftiuunut.en of the c-tides I found that the euis arc absolute';/ rusted through. The ironworS ijs thi bridge is badly buckled and a good ' deal o£ f.h<? timber is splintered, but the greater part fags now been salvaged. Arrangements have been made to erect a chair over the river at the site of the bridge. A 31-inch .cable is on the ground, the, chair is ,cbmpiet«3, an< l the anehora j will be put in at tie ijeg'innmg of nest week. j

"Since writing the above further information has come to hand regarding the anchors. These were found to be iron-bark logs imbedded in concrete j with th'e ends of the cables looped ' round the ironbark log?. The Cables, I where they entered the ground, wer» 1 encased in tarred sand, but of a very poor quality, thus allowing the dampness and water to lodge about the j cables at the anchor blocks, and there ' causing .corrosion of the end* and of I the cables. . ' "Thave inspected a new site further ! down the riv;pr, .but at present I have I nothing to report on same.'.' The chairman said that the collapse would appear to have been the result ' of egoless work in the construction of the bridge. There was no use in recrimination, but there was no denying that after only 19 years a bridge had collapsed which should have lasted for fifty. The only matter for congratulation was that there had not been anyone" on the structure when it did giv« way. Bs could not make any statement at the present juneture segarding the restoration of the bridge, bat it was a matter which would have to bs gone infAjat an early dare and a decision arrived at. Mention had been made of the fact-that a. somber of children would hare- to cross to school daily o:: the chair which, was be:n? provided as a temporary" r-'ears of crossing the river, but he" was of opis- j ion that thi* would be eaite safe. I