Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-12-28
openinx 81 the Can,i.ay ave bridge.

LocKpoRr, N. \, Special Telegram. Dec 20.
tan early hour this morning special trains
from Now. York and Chicago, bearing the
oficers II and n guests of r. the X New
York Central and Michigan1 Central
railroad from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse
and other cities came rolling into the
depot here, where they 5unloaded their
throngs Of : passengers Who. came s
the great cantilsyer bridge over the Niagara
river. At IL o'clock the bridge was tested
by placing 8 number OF Mogul engines,
whose aggregatefw weight was 1000 tons, upon
the center of the BRIDGE and q large number
made = careful examination of every part
Of the structure. Every part was declared
firm. The DETECTION was tritling and the bridge
was pronounced success. Following this test
two trans Of palace cars, in which were the
1000 invited guests we're run upon the
bridge and there photographed. The first
crossing Of the bridge was made Dec. 9th last,
wheE Division Superintendent Burrows, of the
New York Central, accompanied by q number
of civil engineers and experts, members Of the
press and one or two ladies crossed on his pony
engine No. 5l3.s .~.
F The bridge is located about 300 feet above the
old railroad suspension bridge. spanning chasm
SO feet wide between the blufssan over 200
feet deep. IA the foamine RAPIDS at this epoint
rendered it impossible to build piers n tho river or
erect temporary supports, it Was necessary to ae-
sign a structure which could be- erected without
such "a se work tain this END d bridge e. of the
supporting during erection. The principle Of the
cautilever is that Of q beam supported at or near
its center. with arms extending bcth ways one arm
weight so that the load the overhanging arm
produces an uplifting force in the opposite end
which is resisted By the couuterweight. The
1 consists feet Of TO- neSss Etc., si
high. Each Of these towers supports cantiever
tower rests upon au abutment at the edge of the
bluff, while the; other end extends out over the
river. The shore ends. OF the cantiIevers are
anchored to the abu'ment masonry Or anchorage
piers, and both river arms are connected by an ia
termedate span Of 1870 feet, which is suspended
from the extreme ends Of the river The total
length of the bridge proper is 81 feet 45s inches
between the centers Of the anchorage piers; the
clear span between towers being 40 feet. The
height from surface of water to base of rail is 239
feet. The towers are braced steel structures, con-
plates and angles riveted together. braced
with horizontal struts and tie rods. The
batter Of the columns at right angles
lei to the center line in a. The trusses are two
10 number, % feet apart between eepters; the va
rious members being connected with steel pins ~
inches. 6si inches, and 5ss inches in diameter,
turned accurately SO as to fit the bored pin holes
within 1-64 Of an inch. The depth of the cdnti-
lever russes oyer the towers is So feet, and at the
Shore ends 81 feet and at the river ends 26 feet.
The lower chords and centerposts are made Of
plates and angles rvite together ard latticed, the
intermediate posts being Of l2by 15-inch chan
neIs atticed. The upper chords of the cantilevers
compression member ID inches deep COM
posed Of plates aud angles packed between the
chord bars. The shore ends Of the can1ilevers are
attached to short links, osclating on pins anchored
to the abutment masonry. which serve as anchor
ages and also rockers to allow for expansion and
of temperature. EXPANSION joints are also pro-
vided for at the connection of the Intermediate
span with the river ends Of the two cantievers
The structure is proportoned to carry, in addition
to its own weight, freight train each track at
the same time, weighing one ton per linea foot,
with each train headed by two 76ton consolidation
engines, with a factor of safety of 5. The wind
bracing has been proportional for pressure Of 80
pounds per square foot. on surface twice the
Of face of the truss, plus of floor SYSTEM
pins the of side Of train taken as 10 feet rer-
tical height.