Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-01-21
From the PHILADELPHIA Gase.te.
THE COLUMBIA BRIDGE,

Over the Susquehanna at Wright's ferry is
finished and accommo iates travellers with a
safe and speedy passage over one of the larges,
rivers in North America. This work may he
justly considered the prouGest monument oil
the arts ever erected in the United States.
When the project was first started, it APP
peared so s,upendous and so far above the reach
OF human exertion, that it was generally ridi-
culed for its eXtravag ance.-Even eminent prac
ticai architects considered II rs Shimericai-
Tho idea OF building permanent bridge over
a bold, rapid K turbulent stream OF more than
4 mile in extent was too vast tor minds only
accustomed to contemplate ordinary difficu-
ties AND most of the few who perceived the
prsctcabiity of the undertaking, believed that
nothing short of great national eAertion would
be adequate to Garry it into effect.
The great enterprise, however has been &C
complishcd by private company in about two
years. The state it is understood holds part
of the stock but advanced no money until the
work was done.
The bridge is built on So massy stone piers
or pillars, including the abutmenls, all OF the
most substantial Workmanship. The piers are
80 feet long III tue direct ION OF the stream /;
ID feet thick and IS feet high ABOVE low wa
ter.-The huge columns are built in the most
solid manner with very large stones (nsny OF
which may be seen 10 each pillar OF several tons
weirht) and are all founded on solid rock be-
low the bed OF the river. Competent judges
pronounce them amply sufficient to resist the
greatest fury of tue Hood.
The piers are placed at equal distances of a.
bout ITO feet, measuring from and to their res
pectiye centres. The breadth OF the stream is
5343 feet-the length Of the bridge 1926 feet
the excess Of $50 feet is taken up in reaching
from the waters edge OH each side, to each side
Of the bank.
The superstructure is of wood--long pieces
OF timber are put together on architectural
principles, and from pier to pier, giving the
bridge small curvature between each. Those
'imbers are so large, numerous aud skilfuliy
put together that loaded Wagons passing over
the bridge produce scarcely any perceptibie
shaking Of the frame.
The bridge erected on the piers is thirty feet
wide, with partition in the middle Of strong
frame work, which as we'll as the patapet or
side wall is about FIVE feet above the hoor, wea.
therboarded on both sides and capped with
shingles, by which the timbers are well secur
ed against the wcsthor-exciting the idea of
great strength and durability, and the whole
presenting as complete specin N of architec.
ture on as great scale as any is perhaps to be
found III any courtry. II cost about $3.50, 900.
The citizens Of Columbia, in Lancaster coun.
ty, were the projectors of this great underta.
KING, and Ivy their Perseverance have accom-
plished work which entities them to high
rank among the benefactors of the nation.
The undcrtakers were Messrs. Henry and
Samuel Slaymaker Of Lancaster county, and
MIR John Wsicot of Connetticut-the last of
whom We and was the principal archi-
tect. all ofwhom have a Just claim to the gra-
titude of their &C. ntry and of posterity.
The first stone was laid in September, 1912,
and the bridge was opened for public use on
the lst day of December, 18l4-the very day
on which the contractors had, two years before,
bound themselves to have it finished, and it
gives us pleasure to add, that no serious acci-
dent happened during all that time, to any of
the hands employed or others concerned.
The bridge is built where the main road
from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh crosses the
river