Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-10-01
New National Curiosities.

RAILROAD BRIDGE At PORTAGEvILLE, NY.
{ This structure, when completed, vii
undoubtedly be the largest of the kind il
the United States, if not in the World. L
is to cross the Gencscc River at the High
|, Banks about half 4 mile below Portage
vile, and only 200 feet above the Upper
Falls. Messrs. Lauman, Rockafellar, &
Moore, the original contractors for the road
from Attica to Hornelsville, have this
bridge under their personal charge.
The height Of the bridge, is to be 23 I
feet from the bed of the stream, and the
whole length 1000 feet. The distance from
bank to bank is 500 feet, and the bridge
is to extend 80 feet each way over the
banks, rising G5 feet above the west
and 80 feet above the east bank 1t
is to be supported by eight piers, five of
which rise from the bed of the river 234
feet, one from the middle of the bank be-
tween the river and canal 1914 feet, one
from each side of the canal 166 feet, and
one from the middle of the bank east of
the canal 125 feet In addition to these
eight piers, there is to be an abutment or
pier on the brow cf each bank the west
one ca feet high and the east one 50 feet
high; with a continuation Of piers, lessen
ing in height till they meet the cmbank
mcntS.
The ) piers from the bed of the river
arc to be composed of foundations of cut
stone masonry rising 80 feet, surmounted
by trestles of timber work 204 feet The
masonry of each of the four west piers is
to be 80 feet by ID at the bottom, and -
by l. at the top. The bottom of the tim
Der work is to correspond in size with ma
sonry, (11 by 12,) and the top of the same,
to be - feet by feet 1 inches. The fifth
pier from the west bank, being near the
centre of TIE bridge, is to be 100 feet Ion
ger at the bottom than the other piers, and
the same length of the others at the top.
for the purpose Of more thoroughly bracing
the bridge on each side-the mason work
and timber work of this pier to be the
same height of that of the other piers
The four piers east of the river to be made
Of masonry and timber similar to the 9th
ers, The distance between the river piers
is 30 feet from centre to centre
We saw model of the timber work of
one Of the piers, which is curiosity to
look at, but a difficult thing tc describe.
1t is composed of five sections, gradually
tapering from the bottom to the top
These sections are composed of three
tiers Of posts, or bcnts of three posts each,
about 10 feet high, The three lower see
tons have I bents, or q posts each, and
the two upper sections 5 bents, or - posts
each; making 93 posts in pier These
posts are halved and bolted together, so as
to make 5 bents extending from bottom to
top, and two bents extending through three
sections. These bcnts are connected by
two tiers of beams through each section,
halved and bolted to the posts, and exten-
ding from side to side of the bridge. Be-
tween the sections, running lengthwise of
the bridge, are other beams, extending %
feet each way from the pier, and halved and
bolted together with similar beams Of 9th
er piers, thus strongly connecting the whole
timber work from end to end of the bridge
These beams are strengthened by braces
meeting at the middle of the posts midway
between the piers. There are to be no
lemons or mortices in the work, but the
timbers are all to be halved, and bolted
together with heavy iron bolts. The posts
of the lower sections are to be IA inches
square, and of the other sections II inches
square, with net work of braces between
the bents.
! This whole work is to be surmounted by
timbers planked over, on which the track
is to be laid. There will also be a railing on
each side about five feet high but no roof
The height of the track above the water in
the canal will be lS2 feet.
! Our readers will see bv this that +b;s