The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-11-05

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THE WORK CoMPLETED-The main work
of the famous Vanderbilt bridge, spanning
the Susquehanna at this point, has been
completed. That is to say. the twenty
three piers in the river, representing as fine
specimen of engineering skill and mechan-
ical labor as can be found in the broad land,
were finished on Wednesday The work
has involved an immense amount of labor,
mental and physical. The honor of its ex-
traordinary expedition is divided between
the contractors. Messrs. James Smith &
Sons, of Dayton, and the resident Engineer,
Mr.. Theodore C. Ives. The perfection of
the work, the beauty and symmetry of the
piers and the phenomenal accuracy of the
result is shared by Mr.. Ives and his corps
of Assistants embracing Mr.. Thos. F. Demp-
sey. first assistant, and Messrs. Fred S. Will
son, Z. A. Rudyer, ]. Brown Parker, Geo.
C. Roberts and d. MacAllister, the latter
serving as inspector of masonry. These
gentlemen worked together assiduously as
they were faithful to their chief and the
company and the excellence of their work
stands a monument attesting their prof.
cheney in the science in which they are en-
gagged. The iron work, which will COM
plete the structure. will be erected as soon
as the completion of the road Immediately
on the other side makes it desirable.
Work preparatory to the building Of the
bridge was begun in December, 1888, at the
limestone quarry at Union Springs, n. Y,
and during January following granite
quarry was opened at Goldsboro, Pa, but
nothing was done at the site of the struct-
ure until last April when the actual work of
setting the foundations and laying the stone
commenced.
The piers are constructed to hold double
track deck structure, those in the river
twenty-three in number, are 1923 feet from
centre to centre and increase in height as
they approach the Cumberland side. The
grade ON the bridge, about 50 feet to the
mile, is thus affected the bottom piers with
the e-breakers, however are of uniform
height; their tops being placed at the eleya-
ton of the highest flood mark. Rock foun-
dations were procured for all piers excepting
four; those were founded on gravel, well
below the bed of the river they are situa-
ted just down stream from the island, where
contrary to general expectation the lime
stone formation of the river bed was sunder
ed leaving great rift into which the river
has been constantly depositing material
In Harris park the piers have been carried
only to the surface of the ground and form
which will support the trusses.
Those on the land spans will be about six
feet deep. The ends of those extending to
the first river pier will also be supported by
columns resting on the Harrisburg half of
the low pier, the other half supporting the
low trusses of the river spans, which are of
much greater deph. About twenty-five feet
of this is equal to the height of the columns
and the depth of the light trusses combined
bringing the tops of both kinds oftrusses on
a level. A thorough structure is required
for the span crossing the Northern Central
railroad on the west side and the piers and
abutments are constructed accordingly. The
elevation of the rails above the water on the
west side will be aboul eighty feet and from
that point fine view will meet the eye of
the traveller as he approaches Harrisburg.
There are upward Of ten thousand yards of
masonry in the entire work and considering
the difficulties of working on such broad
and shallow river the progress has been very
rapid. The location of the piers was entire
ly by triangulation work being in progress
from both sides and in the middle at the
same etime.-Harrisburg Patriot 4