Abstract
IT is no small evidence of the importance of this great undertaking, that the proposed scheme should have drawn from Sir George Biddell Airy such severe criticism as that which appeared in last week's NATURE. Coming from such a source, this criticism is sure, not only to receive the most careful consideration of those few who are sufficiently conversant with such matters to form their own opinion, but is sure to have great weight with the much larger class who accept the opinion of those they conceive best able to judge. It therefore behoves those who are responsible for this scheme, to make the best answer they can. Whether they will be able to remove altogether the impression adverse to the scheme, may well be doubted; but for my own part I do not anticipate that they will find much difficulty in meeting the objections raised, in so far as these are definite. It is not my present object to defend, or even to discuss the merits of the proposed bridge; what I wish to point out is that the knowledge of engineers as regards the theory of structures, is not so imperfect, or their methods of designing such guesswork as might be inferred from the tone of the criticism.
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REYNOLDS, O. The Proposed Bridge over the Forth. Nature 26, 623 (1882). https://doi.org/10.1038/026623e0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/026623e0
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