Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-09
GREAT BRIDGES.
The Most Celebrated Metal. Stone and
Suspension Bridges in the Werld.

Suspension Bridges in the Werld.
Metal bridges are the invention Of
British artists. The first bridge of east
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 fS00, 600. 1t was opened in 1919.
The Blackfriars bridge is 1000 feet
long, and cost f3O0, 900. Waterloo
bridge is considered the finest in the
world, Canova, the sculptor, said it
was alone worth a journeyfrom Rome to
London to see it. The costwas FL, O0O,-
600. Charing Cross is the next bridge
on the Thames. 1t is used by a railway
company. Westminster bridge is 1920
feet long, and cost f4O0, 600. Lambeth
bridge is 740 feet, and cost E1OO, 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 a deep chasm.
Chelsea chain suspension bridge is 922
feet long, 45 feet wide, and cost f75,-
600. Hammersmith suspension bridge
is 841 feet long, 80 feet wide, and cost
Els, 900.
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 indies,
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 Carnaroonshire, in Wales.
1t was finished in 1925. In the
United States there are a number Of
these bridges; one v the Merrimac,
at Newburyport, measures pa feet.
That over the Brandywine, at Whining
tom is 145 feet; that at Brownsville.
over the Monongahela, measuring 1870
feet. The Wheeling suspension bridge
has a span of 1,010 feet. Roebling's
railroad bridge, at Niagara, has a span
of 82l feet, with a 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 a clear span
of 1,O57 feet. The Point bridge, at
Pittsburgh, is 1,345 feet. The highest
bridge in existence, at the present day,
is the lGarabit viaduct, on the railway
connecting Marseilles with Neussar-
CUES France), the height from the
water level being 400 feet. Its total
length is 1852 feet.
Among the most celebrated bridges
built subsequently to the fall of the
Roman empire are those of the Moors
in Spain, who initiated and rivaled the
bridge of Cordova, over the Guadal-
CULVER, is an eminent example of their
success. The bridge over the Rhone.
at Avignon, is one of the most ancient
bridges of modern Europe. 1t was
commenced in 1176, the same year tina,
London bridge was started, , and
finished in 1873. France can boast
of many fine bridges built during the
last two centuries; but to America be-
longs the greatest triumph in the art
of bridge building, the Brooklyn
bridge, spanning the East river from
New York to Brooklyn, being $3.50
feet long, with a clear span Of 1896
feet over the East river. 1t is built OF
steel, at a cost of several millions OF
dollars; recent descriptions of it, how
ever, render 4 repetition unnecessary.
Brooklyn Magazine.