Hopetown Old Wagon Bridge (S. Africa)
1900 'The picture given below [not included here] represents the centre span of Hopetown Bridge over the Orange River, which was destroyed for strategic reasons by the Imperial [British] authorities in the early part of the campaign. The order for the new span was placed with Messrs. Joseph Westwood and Co., Limited, of Millwall, E., and was manufactured by them, and erected complete as shown, in eighteen days after the receipt of the order and eleven days after the receipt of the material, without making any allowance for delay caused by the snow-storm and bad weather generally. The span is 108 feet long, weighs 80 tons, and is what is technically known as a "Link Type, pin connected, Warren Girder Bridge." The rapidity with which this span was turned out forms a record in the annals of bridge-building, no span of similar construction having ever been made in such a short time. It is satisfactory to note that the patriotism of manufacturers in this country is equal to any emergency that may arise, so that there is no justification for urgent work being placed with bridge-builders outside the United Kingdom on account of time, as was pretended in the case of the Atbara Bridge. The whole of the main connecting pins were drawn out and forged under the steam hammer, turned and screwcut within five days. When the operation of assembling the component parts of the bridge commenced the whole of the span was erected complete, as shown, in twelve hours, showing the great accuracy of the connections throughout. One of the most satisfactory points to notice is that Mr. William Beardmore, of Parkhead Forge, Glasgow (Chairman of Messrs. Westwood and Co.), rolled the plates within six hours of the receipt of the specification, and, but for an unfortunate delay in receiving a part of the steel consigned by rail, the span would have been completed in less than a fortnight. The portion consigned by rail from Glasgow was three days longer in reaching London than was the portion forwarded via Grangemouth per steamer.'[3]
'HOPETOWN BRIDGE.
We have heard so much lately about the wonderful
despatch with which American bridgebuilders can turn
out their work, more particularly since the order for
the Atbara Bridge was placed in the States, that we
had become almost reconciled to the idea that English
bridgeyards were incapable of any really smart piece
of work. It is, therefore, all the more gratifying to
us to be able to record a piece of work turned out by
Messrs J. Westwood and Co., Limited, Napier Yard,
Millwall, which reflects great credit on that firm,
both for the accuracy of the work turned out and
also for the remarkably short time taken to execute it.
The work to which we refer is the rebuilding of the
channel span of the road bridge over the Orange River
at Hopetown, in Cape Colony.
Our readers may, perhaps, remember that the span
referred to was destroyed by the Imperial authorities
for strategic reasons in the early part of the present
campaign in South Africa. On page 386 will be seen
a view of the bridge as originally constructed and
erected by the late firm of Messrs. Westwood, Baillie and Co., while on the same page is an illustration, from
a photograph, of the new span as it appeared in the
yard of Messrs. J. Westwood and Co., Limited. On
page 383 will be seen working drawings of the span,
showing the details of construction.
The order for the new span was placed with Messrs.
J. Westwood and Co. in the early part of this year,
and the work was manufactured and erected in 18 days
after the receipt of the order, without making any
allowance for the snowstorm and bad weather in the
early part of February.
The span is 108 ft. long from centre to centre of
bearings, the girders being of the Warren pin-connected
type, and the weight complete is about 80 tons. The roadway, as will be seen on reference to the drawings, is carried on steel troughing on the top of the girder.
The whole of the main connecting-pins were drawn
out and forged under the steam hammer, turned and
screw-cut, within five days. The castings (including
the patterns) for press ing the various special sections
of plates, were made, and the plates pressed and
finished in ten days.
It speaks well for the accuracy of the workmanship
in the various connections throughout the span, that
the operation of assembling the component parts and
of erection was completed in 12 hours.
The plates for the complete span were rolled by
Mr. William Beardmore, of Parkhead Forge, Glasgow
(chairman of Messrs. Westwood and Co .), within six
hours of the receipt of the specification, and but for
an unfortunate delay in receiving a part of the steel
consigned by rail, the span would have been completed
in less than a fortnight.
There is a fact in connection with the dehvery of
this material, which, we think, merits the careful
consideration of the railway companies, and that is,
that the portion consigned by rail from Glasgow took
three days longer to reach London than the portion
forwarded via Grangemouth by steamer.
The work was carried out under Sir Benjamin Baker, engineer to the Agent-General for the Cape,
and Mr. Rigby (general manager of Messrs. J. Westwood and Co.) has received a telegram of congratulation on the expeditious completion of the bridge.
The original bridge, comprising 15 spans of 72 ft.
and three spans of 108ft., was made about 25 years
ago, and erected complete at the site by the late Messrs. Westwood, Baillie and Co.'[4]
![[1]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hopetown_Old_Wagon_Bridge.jpg){kind=link}