Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-11-22
WIRE SUSPENSION BRIDGES
s HISTORICAL NOTICE

W IKE SUSPENSION BRIDGES.
HISTORICAL NOTICE.
he Suspension Bridge is not n ret ent invention.
u l. hardly 10 lee doubted thai IL WINS used ia il,
smpesl form. n carly periOds as any other spe-
cies oi construction which has called into exercise
The mechtnIeal ingenuity of men. AID with ,nI
adopting The fanciiuI idea Of a modern writer Thai
The iir-i eifcSs OF the kind were in imitation of the
spider. Il Is easy 10 perceive that precarious pas
sage ,nighi he Obtained by stretching a grape vine
across ravine. AMI securing ats eKireraes io the
limbs "f trees on the opiO-Ue banks hy the exercise
OF iio greater sagaciy than might he Attributed 10
''nr own species, even IA its most primitive coadl-
ton.
Among The EARLIEST and CO frequently the rudes,
attempts IN this department Ut architecture OF whch
we have any aofheaic informal inn are Ih.se bridges
described by NJ HumhpldI, Dsn UiIoa, and Other
writer's. by acans Of whirh The srzes in the passcs
OF the COrlillsras in Peru aud soine of the moura,n
torrents oi l"tia ravesed y The natives of tn
Countries Suspension bridges nf considerable i'm.
Po'tance. are there sustained by cables formed of
twisted roois appearing a flooring Of bamnoo
Ttese STRUCTURES frail. and the fooIna which
hey oiier is unsteady Of course. But great rs may
seem the contrast. between these RIDE attempts OF
an uneiieTed people, aud the recent eikDrls ui
European Eng neers IN the same department, n is
no, greater than may he observed in every other
branch III pracIical sciense. The passage from the
Ens and. and Perronei IN France; rnn The hut of The
savage 10 the dune Of ST. Peters. or the Pantheon
might PrIi'shlv call fur equal admiration.
TIE extent of The improvement m the particular
br nch OF architecture under consideration is less
surprising than TACT. That The application 0f The
pnneile on which u rests should have bcen loug
confined 10 remHe aud ubeivizsd countries.
Ii - only wIhn The last forty years that The ,ub.
jecI has At all commanded me attention Of praccal
men. sumo successful aiIesn jan a mod rate scale
were made in the United Slates nb nj the wear
loOG; bui having been executed on very econo,ni-
cal plan, and beore The laws Of equilibrium at such
structures we're properly exposed by The nveslisa-
lions OF modern engineers, these specimens offered
no Inducements for The extension of the system and
II has Since lalien into neglect f not di.repuie
Tue example offered by these early effo-s ia this
country was mol h"wcver altogether lost Il is e, en-
probable that ." The partial success oi ihese attempts
IS due the design Of Ire famous bridge across the
S'rai' OF Men1i. between Wales and the Island col
Anglesca; The accomplishment OF which great work
was the signal of the RAPID extension of Ihe system
Throughout England. and iis nrod aciou into almost
every stale Of Europe The width OF The strait al
the point where this structure was 10 be ererted
was 1000 feet: The depth OF The water AT high tide
Was 4S feet; AMI an indispensable con liIon. TO be
sa,lsie by The ppn. rrxnir~l fhat the pdiiee sh "a,
offer no oJs uction TO the ships navga ng The chan
mel.
Stone arches were our Of Inc question: both lie
cause the depth Of The rendered The consrnc.
lion Of piers almost impracIicabIe aud no span could
be attempted wide enough To permit The safe passage
Of ship 0eheaih tie aches The same obje cilons
would apply though with less free. ic a wOoden su.
PersirnciOre, and though iron arch was sup.
geseS. and was indeed prsciIeable The consideration
OF the cOsl Of sue b a work led To ils reieetinn
To obviate these difficulties. Tellord one OF the
most illusriOus Of modern engineers proposed sus
pension bndge-or revived such proposition pre-.
viously submitted BY sno'heF-and was charged by
Committee with The preparation ofs suitable plan
for ne eIecuiisn,
The 10 The first important suspension bridge that
was eonsrucied ia Europe; and IL Is still Justly re-
ga DEED as one Of the nObesl specimens OF art in exis
'ence The distance between lis points OF supoorl i.
SEQ feet; The flooring is sustained at an sevaIion OF
l2o iee above io~ tide, AID ships pass beneath il
under full sail.
Tao success ofIhis experiment was followed bv
The prompt erIeEson Of the application of the nrine
pie Of IL eonslrnciiOn; aud iis adoption fr many
sites. both in Engiand and the Continent syhere
The difficulties, Or anticipated expense had revous
" prsveRied any aitempI ~ The erection Of bridges
The Minister ofP1bIc Works in France appointed
distinguished engineer. NJ. Navier. with insiruc.
lions 10 proceed 10 England. ard examine the most
approved works Of the hind in that kingdom and re-
port ~ detail on their aud construction the pri
ciPe- Of herr equiiIbuum. aAd The general sdvan.
lsses thai would resu from their nffodu cion into
France. '''
The memoir Submitted 10 the Academy Of scieo.
cos Of Paris, on The subject by this officer forms one
81 the most beautiful applications Of science 10 Oh
Jec's Of practical utility with which the profession Of
The engineer - enriched The ssnrk received The an
probation Of the Academy. Of which ls aulhor was
elected member, and a board Of engineers added
me sanction Of lheT approval ~ recommending the
So bees 70 the attention of government
About this period. 1923. NJ Ssgnin, a practical
hechanc'o OF Lyons. constructed 81 hrs own cost q
suspension bridge across the Rhons ~ Tournon Of
material which bad not yet been used in any siruc.
Tore OF eonse uence In his bridge series Of cablss
manufactured Of iron WIRE was substituted for The
wrought iron chains, which had heen previously en-
p'"yeJ Tor he support Of The road WA. And IN
memoif which followed soon slsr the SANE individ.
uai described very minuiry bic node Of constructing
these bfidges'and sustained be plan BY many corsni
epo indeed irresistible Arguments.
The eHpenmeni, though a rude one. was regarded
- successful AMI "as Immediately repeated IN So
pef'of siyie' al many points the same rvef, and
subsequently N nany Oiher places 10 France, end in
various parts II Europe. The new system snread
with extraordinary rapidty sd there u now no ode
m construction N sucb general use and few bridges
~ aly oihef description srscicd on The continent
They ars - b. found spanning III Inc principal Il,
vsF's Franoe snd Eagisad.io svsy p,rt of ne con