The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1883-12-27
Opening Of the CesnyiIeVer Isri,lpc

LoCKPoRr, N. Y, Special Telegram, Dee, 90
AT an early hour this morning special trains
from Now York and Chicago. bearing the
officers and guests Of the New
York Central and M,chigaus Central
railroad from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse
and other cities came scllins into the
depot here. where THEY nnloaded their
throngs OK PASSENGER, who came
the great cantilever bridge over the Niaear "a
river. At IL o'clock the bridge was tested
by pacing number OF Mogul engines.
whose aggregate weight was 1000 tons. upon
the center Of the bridge, and a large number
OF engineers. members of the American society.
made . careful examination OF every pari
OF the structure. Every part was declared
firm. The detection was tr:fing and the bridge
was pronounced q success. Following this test
two trans Of palace cars, III which were the
1000 invited guests were run upon the
bridge and there photogr aphed. The frst
crossing OF the bridge was made Dec. 9th last,
when Division Superintendent Burrows. of the
New York Central, accompanied by number
OF civil engineers and experts, members of the
press and one or two ladies crossed on his pony
engine No. 5l3.
The bridge IL located about 800 feet above the
s s gill. I'D. 6rds shs
fest deep As the toamnF rapids st this point
rendered 1t impossible TO build piers in the river or
erect Temporary supports. It was necessary to de-
sign structure which could be erected without
such ia lse work: to tain this end bridge Of the
cantilever type WAS adopted which would be self
supporting during erection. The principle Of the
cantileyer he that OF beam supported at or near
lite center. with arms extending both ways. one arm
being held down by anchorage or counter
weight so that the load on the oyerhauging arm
which is resisted BY the counterwsight. The
ews 1 s91'i fee. S' nasa'' si
sestnr on s.euo piers thirty nine feet sst
595 feet SIG inches long. One end OF each
tower rests upon an abutment at the edge OF the
bluff, while the other end extends out over the
river. The shore ends OF the cantievers are
anchored to the abu ment masonry or anchorage
piers, and both river arts are Connected BY an inI
tsrmediate span Of .lzO feet, which is srspende q
length Of the bridge proper is go 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
tanning four columns each which are made up OF
plates and angles riveted together; braced
With horizontal struts and tie . rods ,n The
to the center line Of the bridge is il g. and oaral-
lei to the center line in "a. The trusses are two
in number. % feet apart between centers: the va
inches. Ga inches, aud $50 inches in diameter
turned accurately to fit the bored pin holes
within "a of an inch. The depth OF the cantts
lever trps:es ovsr tho towers s Sc feet, and at the
thore ends feet, and at the river ends 25 feet
The lover chords and centerposts are made OF
plates and angles riyited together ard laticed the
intermediate posts being of IL by 15-inch chan
nes. latticed The upper chords of the cantilevers
are S-inch bars, the shore arms having q
compression member IS inches deep COM
posed of plates and angles packed between the
chord bars. The shore ends of the cantilevers are
attached to short links oscillating pins anchored
to the abutment masonry. which serve as anchor.
ages and also rockers to allow for expansion and
contraction Of the shore arms produced by changes
of temperature Exhaustion joints are also pro-
vided for at tine connection of the intermediate
span with the river ends of the two cantevers
The structure is proportional to carry, in addition
to its weight, freight train each track al
the same time, weighing one ton per lineal foot
with each train headed by two 76ton consolidation
engines with factor of safety OF .. The wind
bracipa hes been .fCportioned for pressure of &c
bounds per square foot. a surface twice the ares
Of face of the truss, plus area of floor system
plus tho area OF side Of train taken 10 feet YER
+ics fiaiuhf