Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-09-03
GREAT BRIDGES.
The Most Celebrated Metal. stone ana
Suspension Bridges In the World.

The Most Celebrated Metal. Stone and
Suspension Bridges In the World.
Metal bridges are the invention OF
British artists. The first bridge of cast
iron ever erected is that over the
Severn, about two miles below Cole
brookdale, in Shropshire. The second
cast-iron bridge was designed by
Thomas Paine, the famous political
writer, and was intended for America,
but the Spectators failing in their pay
ments. the materials were used for the
construction of the beautiful bridge
over the river Wear, at Bishops. Wear
mouth, in the County of Durham.
Southwark bridge is constructed OF
iron. Its length is 700 feet, and its cost
was f8OO,OO0. 1t was opened in 1919.
The Blackfriars bridge is 1000 feet
long, and cost f300,000. Waterloo
bridge is considered the finest in the
world, Canova, the sculptor. said it
was alone worth a journey from Rome to
London to see it. The cost was 81, 000,-
900. Charing Cross is the next bridge
on the Thames. 1t is used by a railway
company. Westminster bridge is 1920
bridge is 740 feet, and cost f1O0, 900.
Vauxhall bridge is $40 feet long. The
first wire suspension bridge was erected
at Froilburg, Switzerland, and hangs
800 feet in the air over deep chasm.
Chelsea chain suspension bridge is 1922
feet long, As feet wide, and cost f75,-
OOO Hammersmith suspension bridge
is S41 feet long, 80 feet wide, and cost
$4,000.
Suspension bridges, although held by
some persons to be OF modern inven-
ton, or derived from the rope bridges
of South America and the East In dies,
were in use in Europe in the time of Sea-
mozzi, early in the seventeenth century.
One of the most remarkable suspension
bridges in existence is that construct
ed by Mr.. Telford, over the Menai
strait, between the isle of Angle
sea and Cernaroonshire, in Wales.
1t was finished in 1925. In the
United States there are number OF
these bridges; one over the Merrimac,
at Newburyport, measures PA feet
That over the Brandywine, at Whining.
ton, is 145 feet; that at Brownsville,
over the Monongahela, measuring 12(
feet The Wheeling suspension bridge
has a span of 1,O10 feet. Roebling's
railroad bridge, at Niagara, has span
of 1921 feet, with DETECTION of SO feet
its roadway is $50 feet above the line
of the stream. The bridge at Cincin
natl is 1920 feet long, with clear spar
of 1,057 feet The Point bridge, a
Pittsburgh. is 1,S45 feet. The highes
bridge in existence, at the present day
is the Garabit viaduct, on the railway
connecting Marseilles with Neussar
CUES (France), the height from the
water level being 400 feet. Its tota
length is 1852 feet.
Among the most celebrated bridges
built subsequently to the fall of thu
Roman empire are those of the Moors
in Spain, who initiated and rivaled the
best construction of the Romans. Th'
bridge of Cordova, over the Guadal
culver, is an eminent example of thei
success. The bridge over the Rhone
at Avignon, is one of the most ancien
bridges of modern Europe. 1t wa
commenced in 1176, the same year tina
London bridge was started, ant
finished in 117S. France can boas
Of many fine bridges built during tn
asst two centuries; but to America be
.. longs the greatest triumph in the al
of bridge building, the Brookly
bridge, spanning the East river froI
; New York to Brooklyn, being 5,9e
2 feet long, with clear span of 1,59
1 feet over the East river. 1t is built {
: steel, at a cost of several millions I
dollars; recent descriptions of it, hov
5 ever, render repetition unnecessar.
: Brooklyn Magazine.