St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-27
SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
Iron 10 be Substituted for the Great
Stone TOwers--A Dangerous and
Difficult Task.

Stone Towers--A Dangerous and
Difficult Task.
| Special to the Globe.
| NIAGARA FALLS, July 26.-Some yery
important improvements are being made in
the Niagara railroad suspension bridge
| which may turn out to be as dangerous as
they are difficult OF accomplishing in an en-
| gineering way. The bridge is one of the
best points from which spectators can view
the whirlpool rapids, which have been
made famous by the trips of the Maid of
the Mist, Capt. Webb, and Graham, the
barrel man, and in which the English
| swimmer lost his life. 1t is the ONLY
bridge at the falls which has a passage way
for foot passengers, none being allowed to
| pass on che cantlleyer bridge The whirl-
pool rapids are nearly 200 feet below the
bridge and begin Just under
it. The bridge was finished on
March %, 1855, and was for some years
thereafter considered a wonderful structure.
In 1SS0it underwent an important change
when all the wooden portion of the bridge
was removed and iron substituted for the
extracted woodwork. The cables are the
| strongest portion of the structure and have
never been disturbed because there is no
question about their durability When the
iron was substituted for the wooden parts
OF the bridge six years ago, the travel on it
was practically permitted to go on without
| hindrance. A much more important and
troublesome change is the one now about
| to be made. The four massive towers of
rock which support the big cables of the
| the bridge are to be replaced
with iron supports, and it is thought now,
that although perhaps dangerous this can
| be done without much interference with
the use of the bridge. Superintendent
Swan said to the GLOBE correspondent that
safety will be considered above all things
and every precautiOn to avoid an accident
has been taken by Mr.. Buck, the engineer
! in charge of the work. There will be times
| when perhaps the trains will be slightly
| delayed, so that even one chance in a
| thousand may contribute to the precipita-
| ton of such a disaster as would involve the
hurting of train into the chasm of Mag
| ara. WOrkingmen are now making room
| on the sides of the towers for the prelim-
mary iron work, and stone is being Clipped
away with care by experienced men who
know just which ones to remove.
On the top of the towers, men
who look like pigmieS from below, are drill
| ing holes in the caps, so that when the time
comes the hydraulic jacks may be applied
"no 'ho Si0t'o @s'ulco oaioiy oiduieu ilou tle
stone supports which have held them so
long and placed on sJrong iron towers which
will replace the stone ones. This branch
of the work is regarded as very difficult AID
| will occupy about two weeks time. It is
not unattended with danger, should some
portions of the complicated apparatus give
way at critical time. So carefully, how
ever, have all the plans been made that in
| the Office of the bridge company are great
piles of diagrams showing the exact loca-
ton and dimensions of all the stones rivets
| and beams in the great structure. This
| work cost large sum of money, but has
| proved invaluable. The iron work is being
made in Detroit and the shipments of ma
| terial will soon begin. The cost of the new
towers will be $40, 600. Disintegration Of
stone is the reason for changing the tow
| RrS.