The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-05-26
THE KINzuA vIADuCT.
Scientific American.

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We give an engraving of the largest rail
road bridge in America, now being erected
by the New York, Lake Erie & Western r..
r. 1t Is situated in the middle of Mexican
County, Pa, four miles from Alton, the
present terminus of the Bradford Branch of
the Erie road, and crosses the Kinzua Creek
at an elevation of 2,100 feet above the level
of the sea.
For many years the valley Of the Kinzua
has been an obstacle to engineers in locating
a road between Buffalo, NY, and Pittsburg,
Pa. The banks on both sides form steep
slopes, and are covered by dense growth
of heavy hemlock trees. The stream itself
is small and shallow, but flows through a
deep ravine from It's source until it empties
into the Allegheny River.
Various surveys have been made from time
to time for the purpose of finding easy grades
and good alignment, but with no definite re-
suits until two years ago, when 1t was pro-
posed by Mr.. o. W. Barnes, of New York,
to cross the valley by an immense viaduct.
Mr.. Barnes, who at that time was Chief
Engineer of the extension of the Erie, hav-
ing received the appreciation of the company
to carry out his plans, selected suitable
place to span the ravine, and made the calcu-
lations for strains and windage, aided by his
able and energetic assistant, Mr.. Charles
Pugsley.
The length Of this immense structure is
2,051 feet clear of the abutments, and the
height Is 3O1 feet from the bed of the stream
to the base of the rail. There are twenty
spans 81 feet long, and one 62 feet long,
alternating with the tower spans, which are
3sa feet each. The truss being six feet high
and ten feet wide, and continuous from one
end to the other, Is supported by columns
foot thick, which increase in length toward
the middle of the bridge. They spread out
with . batter of two inches to the foot,
which gives distsuce of 1o.5 between the
columns of the highest bent at the bottom.
The two longest bents rest on two long piers
with pedestals, built on either side of the
stream, each containing about 500 yards of
masonry.
All the other columns rest on piers con-
tanning from 20 to 125 yards of masonry.
Foundations for the most part are built on
solid rock; only in few piers near the bot
tom Is where timbers have been used. They
average about fourteen feet square on the
bottom, and batter in to coping of four feet
square on top, and two feet in thickness.
Iron shoes, to which the columns are fast
ened, are imbedded in the copings, and each
one is anchored to the pier by two large
bolts passing iown through to manhole In
one of the bottom courses, where they are
made secure by an iron plate and nut. These
bolts are put in to counteract the influence
Of the wind.
An excellent quality of sandstone has been
found in the immediate vicinity of ;the
bridge; which proved quite beneficial to the
of masonry, Mr.. John q. Noakes,
-FOUR mtIIIon pounds of iron and seven thou
sand yards Of masonry will be consumed in
The construction Of the viaduct. It will cost
not far from 100000.
work was commenced last August and will
be finished next August, about the same
Time that the grading will be done. 1t will
be 90 feet higher than the Niagara suspen-
sion bridge, ITO feet higher than the great
bridge across the Ohio at Cincinnati, 1S9
feet above High Bridge, ITO feet higher than
The East River bridge and As feet higher
than Portage Railroad bridge over the Gen.
esse river.
The officials connected with the road are
0. Cbanute, chief engineer; Charles Pugs-
ley, P. A. engineer; G. II. Keefer, division
engineer in charge of viaduct; VIM. Sea-
man, resident engineer; and c. L. Ball, in
spector of masonry; Barnes s. McFadden,
The iron for the bridge Is
by the Phoenixville Bridge Com
pany, and erected by r. A. Simmons.