The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-03
THE GREAT BRIDGE.
Tie Monster Railway Bridge Over the Ohio
Ii will be Open for Travel on the 18th instant


1t will be Open for Travel on the 18th instant.
The Louisville Journal of the 80th ult has the fol-
lowng:-
The work on the great railroad bridge over the
Ohio is so far advanced that the engineers are
ddent OF being able to open it for the passage OF
regular trains by December IS. Construction trains
however, will be able to pass several days sooner.
We yesterday inspected the work, in company with
lr. +. w. Vaughan, engineer in charge. Although
and the structure literally alive with men On the
bed of the river the temporary track has been re-
moved far back toward Corn Island as pier No. IT,
The worst OF this difficult task having been accom-
pshed the rest will be taken up very rapidly
Til Corn Island is reached All Of the, cribs
used for the foundation OF falsewOrk for
the spans already raised have been removed,
together with the bolts holding them
in place. thus removing all danger to passing boats.
On the tops OF the piers the span between piers IS
and 10 is nearly completed, the intention being to
span between 10 and 20 to raise The alse-work for
this will be completed this evening and two forces
started Tomorrow morning putting on the iron. Tive
derricks will be employed, and each force will work
from the centre. BY this arrangement the iron will
be put on in about four days, when the bridge may
40o-feet span large force is at work taking down
the top false-work When this is removed as far
back as the middle of the span, the under. towers
and cribs will be taken out and the channel opened
TO navigation. The engineer thinks five days
will suffice to accomplish this. We are satisfied
that the company is toing everything in its
power to open the chanCe The 400-feet span
now rests on its permanent earrings and is in
every respect satisfactory to itss ngineers This by
the way, is the longest span ever erected in America
the next less being the main span of the Victoria
bridge at Montreal, Canada, hich is $3.50 feet long
and the channel span OF the SteubenVille bridge
which is 800 feet long. The plan of truss is that
known as the "trianguar' one which has been eX-
tensvely and successfully used by Mr. Fink and has
in the present specially arranged for this
long span. The clear space above low water line
under this span is 965 feet and above high water
line 45% feet the total height from the rock bed OF
the river to the top OF the upper chord OF this span
100 feet. The last pier, No. 10, was finished week
ago. and in two days from now the last stone OF the
bridge masonry Will have been laid in the Indiana
abutnent which is all that remains OF 81 800 cubic
yards Of masonry commenced August /, 1867 The
total length Of the iron supersructure is $3.50 feet of
which two spans respectively $40 and 400 feet
long. The middle and Indiana channels are "oyer
grade" or "through," the others varying In
length from so to 25O feet, are "under
is of the same plan known as Finks patent
suspension truss-a plan that has been well and
favorably known for over twenty years The fetal
quantity OF ron wrought and cast, used in the con-
struction OF this great BRIDGE is 100000 pounds
and the amount OF timber, including rail- jost cross
ties and railway, will be $4,000 feet, board measure
Considering the large number OF men employed on
the structure and the character OF the work. are
surprised that accidents have not occurred. In
almost every case in which men have been killed OF
injured, it has resulted from their own carelessness
of rescue for those who may fall into the river
and several skins with two men in each are always
moored below, ready to give aid in case OF emer.
gency. Very few visitors are allowed the bridge
for fear OF accidents to them, where so many men
are at work. One can get pretty good idea OF It's
immensity, however, from the city wharf where
numbers go every day TO see 1t.