Ashtabula

The special oommission appointed by the Legislature of Ohio to investígate the late Ashtabula dienster lins made ita j port. The commission, al'ter going into details showing the imperfectiona in tlie bridge, report the following ns their conchisions : 1. There were 80 to 100 lives lost by the failure of the bridge. 2. The bridge -went down undrr an Í ordiunry loal by reason of detecta in its ' original oonstruetion. Ú. Tho defect in the original ! struetiou of the bridge eould have been diseovered ut any time after its erection by a cnreful and analytieal inspeetion, such as the importnnce oí' the stniotnre demnnded, and thns the sacriflee of life and property prevrnted. The tnith is, Í the bridge was liable to go down any time during tlie lust ten or eleven years under a lond that might at nny time be , bronffht npon it in the ordinary ooiirse 1 of tlie company's business, and it is ; most remarkable that Üio disaster did not ; sooner ocmir. It would le needlens to i say that an engiueer would be dereliet in ; liis diity wlui did not provide in liis struotiou of a bridge agninst wind, snow, ic-, and the vibration of a rolling load. ■ They are as rnuch to be antieipated and ■ provided against as the law of gravity. Tliis report is ac-ompanied by a bilí Bpecifying how bridges of different puns ! slinll be oonstnioted.