s ons ▁Bay ▁before ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁un loaded , ▁and ▁was ▁sc utt led ▁to ▁ex ting u ish ▁the ▁fire . ▁The ▁cons ignment ▁bridge ▁materials ▁we ighed ▁some ▁ 3 5 0 ▁tons ▁and , ▁together ▁with ▁its ▁ere ction ▁c ran es , ▁had ▁cost ▁£ 1 0 , 5 0 0 , ▁so ▁the ▁s inking ▁of ▁Her ald ▁of ▁the ▁Mor ning ▁represented ▁a ▁dis aster ▁for ▁Melbourne ' s ▁metropol itan ▁bridge - building ▁program . ▁The ▁contract ors ▁for ▁the ▁bridge ▁were ▁allowed ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁time ▁to ▁import ▁similar ▁bridge - works ▁from ▁Britain . ▁The ▁ordering , ▁manufact uring ▁and ▁delivery ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁structure ▁delayed ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁bridge ▁until ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁ ▁A ▁newspaper ▁account ▁gives ▁some ▁further ▁details : ▁ ▁After ▁raising ▁the ▁bridge ▁components , ▁Ing les , ▁Adams , ▁and ▁G res ham , ▁brought ▁the ▁material ▁to ▁Sand ridge ▁( Port ▁Melbourne ). ▁While ▁the ▁firm ▁was ▁negoti ating ▁with ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁Government ▁to ▁pay ▁£ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁the ▁salv aged ▁materials , ▁Ing les ▁made ▁the ▁serious ▁mistake ▁of ▁offering ▁Victoria ' s ▁Ins pect or - General ▁of ▁Public ▁Works , ▁Thomas ▁H ig gin both am , ▁a ▁two ▁and ▁half ▁per ▁cent ▁commission ▁on ▁the ▁agreed ▁price . ▁A ▁parliament ary ▁row ▁en su ed , ▁the ▁negoti ations ▁were ▁void ed , ▁and ▁the ▁salv age ▁firm ▁was ▁er ased ▁from ▁the