The Portland daily press., 1885-10-01
ST. JOHNS BRIDGE.
The New Cantilever opened to Travel
Yesterday.
a Description of the Fine Structure
Especial to the PREss.]

Especial to the PREss.]
ST. JOHN, N B., Sept 30.-The formal opening
OF the new cantilever bridge, which crosses the
81 John river at this point, took place today, and
was carried out most successfully. The structure
was handsomely decorated with British and
American flags as the special train carrying Off
ciais and guests passed over it for the purpose of
inspection. AT noon banquet was rendered the
visiting party by the bridge officials at the DOM
vile building. About $50 were present, including
the party from Maine, prominent railroad men
ana distinguished officials. Toasts to the Queen
ana TO the President of the United States were
proposed by President Jones, of the Bridge Com
pany, and after a short address, United States
Consul Murray responded to the second toast.
| Other toasts were sour Invited Guests" by DIR.
Barker, with responses by Hons. Hannibal Ham
lin and c. A. Boutelle "The Press" by DIR. Bar
ker with response by Hon. j. P. Bass. Mayor
Chesley, OF Portland, N. b., and Hon. David Nc
Lellan made brief addresses
In the afternoon the party went to Rothersay,
anu LOOK the steamer for a sail under the bridge
majority of the party left on the Pullman this
evening. The weather has been good, and the oc-
casion an enjoyable one.
Description of the Structure.
This bridge, which spans the ST. John river be-
bridge of its kind ever erected in America and is
the FIRST entirely steel bridge built in the Ca
bridge was in 1861, and surveys were made but
the matter dropped till 1881, when company
was organized, consisting of following oficers
PRESIDENT, Hon. Thomas II. Jones; Treasurer,
James Murray Kay; Chief Engineer, P. S. Archi-
bald; Directors, Thomas R. Jones, Payson Tuck
er, Arthur Sewall, f. E. Barker John H. Parks,
James Murray Kay, Robert Robinson
The money for the erection of the bridge has
been principally obtained by government subsi-
The plans for its construction were completed
during the summer of 1888, and in the following
asepiemtber sp Work or va was begun upon the piers, and
Dominion Bridge Company Qimited). of Lachine,
Ontario. The company was newly organized at
alton, and this, taken with delays that occurred
from the loss OF material in its transportation
been experienced in the completion of the bridge.
The iron for the approach to the bridge on the
west side of the river, 395 feet in length, and the
on the east side, was delivered SO that the same
was erected last summer. The material for the
bridge supeTstructnre was delivered last March,
and its erection was begun the 8th day of the fol
lowing month, and the first connection on the
central span between the cantilevers was made
above high water, and "a feet, inches above low
water. The pier at the east end, upon which one
te g eaateNers t es rests e is SO feet high The
"a feet above the pier upon which it stands,
and the height of the eastern cantilever is 72
feet. This irregularity was caused by failure
to find a good foundation for pier on the west
side of the river where it was originally expected
to place the same, and as a result the main span
than the original plans contemplated, and the
cantilever upon the west side was enlarged
bridge. The present length of the eastern cant-
lever is 286 feet and 2 inches, the western cant-
lever $50 feet 16 inches, and the central span is
tai length of AT feet over the river between the
piers. The width of the bridge outside of the SUI
perstructure is % feet and inside I6 feet Twelve
hundred tons of steel ncad in tha
bridge superstructure, the tensile strength of
which is about 10000 pounds per square inch
and its elongation about so per cent This is
about one-third more than could have been ex-
pected OF an iron bridge of the same size. Any
piece Of the steel used can be bent fiat in an un
heated condition. without showing signs of break
ing. The whole contract for the grading ON the
east side Of the river and the bridge superstrue-
ture was $35o,00O, but with the changes that
cave been made in the original plans and other
extras, the cost will be about 100000. The
bridge has been built by the st. John Bridge and
r. r. Extension Co, and the iron plates placed
upon the bridge give the names of the directors
Of the company: The contractors have been MI.
Hogan and the Dominion Bridge Company. The
engineer in charge of the erection Of the bridge
has been Mr.. F. E. Came, and the foreman in
charge Nh: NJ. II; Hasler.
This bridge differs from all other cantilever
bridges that have been erected, in that it is a
Through" bridge. The Niagara bridge, which
eet n tfse Years ag3b IS d
bridge, of the same style as the one over the Nj
in British coanbia For the Canadian Facc lTff fa
road.
The completion of this bridge will enable the
New Brunswick and Intercoonial railroads to
cross the St. John river, so that through passen-
ger or freight trains may hereafter be run from
the Eastern Provinces to any point in the States
without change. Heretofore passengers or freight
from the States for st. John or any points on the
lntereoonial railroad, have been compelled to
stop at Carleton and be ferred across the river.
The total length of the bridge is 1880 feet. The
main span across the river is n feet, or seven
feet more than the cantilever bridge built across
the Niagara river for the Michigan Central rail
road last year The bridge, when tested July 80
by two trains of loaded cars weighing $40 tons,
showed a detection of only 334 inches, all of
which, except 9.10ths of an inch was recovered
when the trains were removed.
Mr.. f. w. Crane, who for the past twenty-four
years has been at work for the European and
Maine Central railroads. and to whose energies is
largely due the change that has taken place in
the manner Of shipping the products of New
Brunswick to the States, is now general manager
of the New Brunswick railway. His thorough
familiarity with everything that has heretofore
been done will stand him in good stead at the
present time, and will doubtless enable him to
largely increase the business of the road now in
his charge, to the advantage of all connecting
roads.