The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1883-12-28
op.pjnr Of the Cantirevor bridge.

~Io,KrcRT. \. y, Special Telegram. Dee. 20.
At an carly Iour this morning special trains
from New York and Chicago, bearing The
officers and guests Of the New
York Central and MIohiganv Central
railroad from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse
and other cities came rolling into the
depot here. where they uuloadcd their
thrungs Of passengers who came
to witness the formal opening OF
the grcat cantilOvor bridge over the Niagara
river. At IL o'clock the bridge was tested
bv pacing q number OF MOgul engines,
whose aggregate weight was :, 600 tons, upOn
the center or the bridge, and a large number
Of engineers, members OF the American society,
made q careful examination of every part
Of the structure. Every part was declared
firm. The DETECTION was trifinG and the bridge
was pronounced q success. Following this test
two trans Of palsce cara, III which wore the
1000 invited guests were run upon the
bridge and there Photographed. Tho first
crossing Of the bridge was made Dec. 9Th last,
When Division Superintendent Burrows, OF the
New York Central, accompanied by a number
Of ciYil engineers and experts, members OF the
press and one or two ladies' crossed on his r0ny
engine No. 5l3.
Tie bridge is located about 800 feet above the
Old railroad suspension bridge, spanning Il Chasm
$40 feet wide between the bluffs and over zoo
fest deep As the foaninE rapids at this point
reElSFea u IMPOSE Die 10 DulIu piers IN LNb ElN6r or
erect temporary supports, II was necessary 10 ue-
sign a structure which could be erected without
such "a lso work: 10 q tain this end a bridge Of the
Cautlever type was adopted which would be self
supporting during erection. The principle OF the
cautileYer is that OF 4 beam supported st or near
it's center, with arms extending b,th ways, one arm
being held down by ar anchorage or counter
weight so that the load on the oyerhaugiug arm
produces an uplifting force in the opposite emu
which is resisted by the cOunterwsight. The
structure consists Of two inmeuss steel
towers, 49, feet GlS inches high,
resting on stone piers .thirty-nine feet
high. Each OF these towers supports a CantileVer
800 feet . 5-l6 inches long. Ooe end Of each
tower rests upon an abutment az the edge Of the
bluff, while the other end extends out over the
river. The shore ends OF the captilevers are
anchored TO the abU ment masonry or anchorage
piers. aud both river arms arc CONNECTED by an in-
termediate span Of 100 feet, which is suspended
from the extreme ends of tho river arms. The total
length of the bridge proper is go feet d5s inches
between the centers Of the anchorage piers; the
Cloar span between towers being 470 feet. The
height from surface Of water to base Of rail IS 239
feet. The towers are braccd steel structures, con-
tanning four columns each, which ara made up Of
plates and angles riyetod together, bracod
with horizontal struts and tie rode The
batter Of the columns ut right angles
to the oenter mo Of the bridge Is l ~ Z, and gaFal-
lei to The center lina 4 ia a. Th- s~-t -satEo
=. number. % feet apart between canters; the va
rious members bong connected with steel Plus IL
inches, ga inches, and SO inches in diameter,
~ ~ so N'~ ~NAS ff@ NMA~F
within Lea Of Eu inch. The depth Of the cauti-
lever tTusses over the towers IL So feet, and at the
shore ends Il feet, and at tho river ends % feet.
The lower chords aud ceaterposts are made of
plates aud angles rivited together ard latticsd, the
intermediate posts being OF u by l5-inch chan
neis, latticed. Tbs upper chords Of tho cantiloyers
are S-inch bars, the shore aims haYiDs q
compression member Is inches deep com
posed OF plates and angles packed between tho
chord bars. The shore ends OF the capIileyers are
attached 10 short links, osCillating on bins anchored
/ 10 tn0 9EEtn1nnt lDaGHDrV which ERrEg ne Gnrhnp-
aces and also as rockers to allow for expansion and
contraction OF the shore arms produced By changes
Of temperature. EXPANSION joints are also pro-
vided for 1t the connection Of the intermediate
span With tho river ends OF the two cantileyers.
The structure is proportioned TO carry, in addition
to its " weight, \ freight train on each track at
he same time, Weighing one ton per liueal foot,
with each tAiin headed by two Teton consolidation
engines. with a factor OF safety OF 3. The wind
bracinC has been proporiioned for a pressure OF 80
pounds per square foot, on q surface twice the area
Of one face Of the truss, pins area OF floor sYstsrn,
plus the area II side 9f train taken as l0 feet YER
.icl Insight.