Arkansas intelligencer., 1857-05-15
Fall of Suspension Bridge.

Sunday morning il began to rain, SUNDAY
noon it began 10 snow, and 1t Is showing now
while we write, forty-six hours thereafter
The Snow is very deep, and very wet and
heavy; and, taken altogether, il is the mos.
woful booking weather that we have ever seen
for the month OF April.
About half past three o'clock this mortrrv
the Genesee suspension bridge, which spaR.
the riyer Just below the lower falls, fell with
a crash. The fall WAS doubtless owing 10 n.
heavy weight OF snow imposed upon the floor.
ing aud cables OF the bridge.
As you approach the site ofthc bridge tom
State street nothing can be seen but the siyn
warming persons against crossing the bridr,
faster than a walk; singular useful precau.
tloa al this time. The iron towers are broken
aud shattered, and hardly one section remain,
upon another, and the wreck of matter Is a,
perfect and entire rs it possibly sah be.
On the west bank the south cable has civ
en- way at the anchorage. Zach set Of cables
consists Of one main cable, surrounded by siI
smaller ones. The cables enter cones Of iron
attached 10 loag rods which enter the anchor
age. In no case has the cable drawn out Of
the cone. The long rod" of the main cable
has broken Off square. One Of the smaller
The long rods" have at their ends dead
eyes," through which rods passed u transmit
the pressure 10 the masonry. In each Of the
five remaining cables these rods have given
way. leaving the dead eyes" unbroken. In.
masonry appears but little disturbed. though
it may have VIZ lded even but slightly under
ground, and thus have been the real cause Of
the tumble. Tue iron, however, does not ap-
pear to have been Of plDper strength. The
floor of the bridge, from either part 10 the
towers, lies at length upon tue ground, every
suspension rod having gwen way. Between
the towers the flooring and cables are crush
ed between the banks, the wood having toaled
oil, and the iron probably IS awaiting sub
marine diver. 1t Is every way total and
entire loss, and the 50 2s GOO already expended
are forever gone up"
The Genesee suspension bridge was coz.
menc9d in 1855, and finished last summ.,g.
Ar. Rsse!l was tbs engineer and the Messrs-
Holy lands the contractors. The bridge WA
constructed between iron towers standing on
the banks. The towers are built Of cast iron
cylinders, bulted together, and standing une
above the other. They were lO5 feet high.
aud their tops were 235 feet above the water.
The roadway was 200 feet above the water,
and proceeded in almost straight I.ue from
the top Of the high bank on the one side To
the other, The rahleS were 7s0 feet long,
and the entire length OF the bndg. Va, over
700 feet. Our opinion is that the iron struc-
ture was dc:ectne and insufficient Ii ha,
failed of !ts purpose most uil,erably. The
entire weight on the bridge, calling it, 200
feet long and 20 broad, and making AN area
Of II, 900 feet, could not have been, suppos-
ing tho STOW was one foot deep and weighing
% pounds to the cubic foot, over l75 tons.
The bridge WIS calculated to sustain "a weight
of 1000 tons, and It was claimed that the
iron wi:rs mere capable Of sustaining such
mass. But they have cracked and broken
under twcntieth of the weight, aud the
whole concern has gone to utter ruin.-Ro-
cf.eyter, ~ J. Am,,ieug.