The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-12-28
OpsnInr OF the C.n,il,ver nria.r

OpsnshE Of the Cautllcver Bridge.
LockroHT, N. Y, Special Telegram. Dec 20.
-At On carly hour this morning special trains
from Now York and Chicago. boaring the
officers and guests Of tho New
York Central and Michigan, Central
railroad from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse
snd and, other her cities % came rolling into the
:s''nss s...s .hs osssa aps opsnus
the great cantilever bridge over the Niagara
river. At II o'clock the bridge was tested
BY pacing . number Of MOgul enginea,
whosc aggregate weirht was 2, 600 tons, upon
Of engineers. members Of the American society,
made careful examination Of every part
Of the structure. Every part was declared
drm. The detection was iriiling and the bridge
was pronounced . success. Followin: this test
two trans Of palace cars. in which were the
bridge and there photographed Tho arst
crcssng Of the bridge WAS mAds Dec. 9th last,
wher Division Superintendent Burrows, Of the
New York Central, accompanied BY number
oisc;vil engineers and experts, members Of the
press and ono or two ladies crossed on hls pony
engine No. 6l3.
The bridgeia located about 800 feet above the
o!d railroad suspension bridge. spanning cllasm
80 feet wide betwecn the bluffs and over 900
teudered Il impossible to build piers IN the river or
sseot temporary supports, Il was nscessary to de.
sign structufe which could bs erected without
eantllevor typo vaa sdopssd which would b ssls.
ApportinR during erection. The principle OF the
tanttlever is that OF . beam supported at or near
~ center with arms extending bsth Ways. one arm
being held down by N anchorage or counter
weight 20 that the load on ths overlianHing arm
produces an uplifting force In the opposite end
which 4 resisted by the counterweieht Tho
se.ss ,ss s9 he. '%ass'' inuSss sisi' siss
testing Oh stone piers thitty-nine feet
high: a Each of these towers supports cantilever
tower rests upon an abutment At tho edge Of Tie
blu6. while tho other end exteuds ont over The
riser. The shore ends OF the cantiIerers are
anchorvd TO tho abu'msnt nssonry OF anchorage
termediatc span Of 100 fest, which 10 ausnaudsd
from the extreme ends Of the river arms. The total
ienstb Of tho bsldIe proper Is 9iO fest q inches
clear span bstveen towers being 40 fest. Tho
Insight from surface OF water to base Of rail Il 238
teet Tho towers are braced steel structures. con-
plates and angles fivoted together. braced
With horizontal struts and tie roda Tbs
batter Of the columns at right angles
70 ai II II ra:.s e. .s ,: !o
70 number: 2S feet apart between csnters: the va.
inches, 81 inches. aud So inches in diameter,
within 1.04 ps:yn Inch. Tho depth Of the cAnti-
Liver tho towep is 80 fest, and Al the
shoHs y tSet. and Ut the river ends ~ fsss.
IheNtowe chords aud csnterposts arc made u
plates and angle. rivite to4sthss aEd atticsd. the
tntermodiate pUsts beiug Of 12b1 l5.iuch shan.
nss latticed. Ths upper Chords Of the cautiieyers
are 6.inch bars, the sllore arms having
compression member IL iuches deep com.
posed Of plates and angler packed betvssn the
chord bara The shore ends Of the cantiieyers sre
attached to short hnks. osCllaipg on pins anchored
aRes and also 40 rockers TO allow for expansion and
oonttActtoa Of the shors arms prOducsd by changes
q temperature. Exhaustion joints arc also pro.
vided for at tho connection OF tho Intermediate
span with the river ends Of the two cantilevers
The structure is proportioned to carry In addition
% its own weight. freight train on each track q
ths came tin", weighing one ton per lineai foot,
With each train headed by two 76ton consolidation
epRines. With factor OF safety Of 5. Tue wind
bracinR has been proportioned for pressure Of 80
pounds per square foot on surface twics the area
Of one facc OF the truss plus area of hoor systsm,
plus the area Of sde u train takou a. 10 teet var.
stcal Insight.