Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-01-01
TRf BRIDGES OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

q show that we are all borrowers from the
'sncients, and that, in but few respects,
have we improved upon the arts of the
earlier ages. The geader of Motley's Uni
ted Netherlands will find that even in the
matter of war, VIZ have not so far outdone
the Spaniards of the sixteenth century as
many suppose. ais account of the siege
of Antwerp by Alexander arnese, the
Prince of Parma, affords ample food for
reflection and comparison in this respect.
Antwerp was the chief commercial city of
the States, and Parma found it necessary
to reduce it, in order to bring4iis enemies to
submission. one of the means necessary
to prosecuting the siege successfully was
decided to lie the bridging of the river
Schelde. This stream was two thousand
four hundred feet wide and sixty feet deep
It was subject to ali ebb tide and flood of
ten feet
In winter islge mountait.s of ice were
washed up aEd down from, the seas and
certain to prove formidable obstacles to
engineering skill. But il the winter of
1885, near thrse hundred years ago, a Span
ish General with an army of but ten thou
sand halfcl half starvedemen, determin-
ed to bridge the river and reduce city
with twenty thousand sighting inhabi-
tants. The work was prosecuted with
great energy and skill. The Antwerpers
looked upon the project with dersion.
They laughed at the idea e. bridging such
a stream and watched its progress day by
day with perfect Indifference. They believ-
ed that without supernatural powers such
an engineering feat was sinsply impossible.
The aeco@ut of this woIf6erful work Civ
en- by the eminent historian is extremely
full aud Interesting andshows the engi-
neers ia charge to have been possessed of
wonderfulsi1ill, Piles wcre driven fifty
feet deep ia the bottom of the surging
river. Upon these piles, from the two
shores, were extended q solid bridge,
standing upon huge piers, five hundred
feet towards the center,of the stream.
The shore, piers were surrounded by heavy
forts, and were models of engineering
skill. Between the ends of the stationary
bridge, projected from either shore, was
constructed a bridge Oh beats, which was
then naturally considered the most mar
vellous work, This bridge was laid upon
thirty-twO barges, each sixty-two feet in
length and twelve in breadth, the spaces
between each couple being twenty feet
wide, and alDbeng bound together stem,
stern and mitlships by quadruple hawsers
and chains. zach boat WAS anchored by
loose cables. Strong timbers with cross
rafters We're placed upon the boats, upon
which heavy frame work the planked
pathway was laid down. On each of these
boats were mounted cannon, and on both
sides of the briGgeway was erected a thick
parapet Of clcse-titting beams.
Besides the batteries to protect the bridge
from attacks of the enemy,s fleets addi-
tional precautions were taken to ward off
icebergs and fire-sllips. Above and below
the bridge, at 'bowshot distance, was an
chored heavy raft floating upon empty
barrels. Eaehraft was composed of heavy
timbers bound together in buuches of
three, the pacesbeing connected by ships
masts and Fighter epar-wOfk and with
tooth-like projection along the whole outer
edge formed of strong rafters pointed with
sharp iron hooks. These RATS were twelve
hundred and fifty feet long aud protected
The bridge on boats and part of that on
piers.
This mamREOth structure tLEs built
-hows what engineering skill could do
three hundred years ago. 1t was far
greater triumph than Cs,sar's bridge over
the Rhine many centuries earlier. That |
bridge was but half as Gong as Parmas, |
'Sss built in summer andever stream un-
disturbed by tidal action and was but a |
temporary concern.
iitTvill be interesting to note in this con
ieoiion the efforts of the Alrtwerpers TO
lest1Gy the bridge when they were as
iouniAed by its actual completion and to
heseNie will refer hereafter.
ulHi%+Scribners send out a special cores
sendent, Mr.. Edward King, to write up
IA twelve papers the Life, CoHdition and
eeaoureGs of the South. Scr5Jncrs' saws
II Ghese articles "Tlicy will be brilliantly
Illustrated and will lie written with no
'tlAar Object than that of representing, by
'eB and pencil, one of the most interest
ng, fruitful, and picturesque regions of
'ur hanmaE country. While they will
im "a convey reliable information on all
he social, industrial, and com ni ereiSl top
cs suggested Nv "A uersoual atrVpU tbaNy