The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-07-13
THAMES RIVER BRIDGE.
One Of the Most Difficult Engineering Feats
Ever Accomplished.

One Of the Most Difficult Engineering Fest
Ever Accomplished.
The building of the new bridge for
the Shore Line across the Thames
river at New London, Conn, is an en-
terprise which will interest engineers
and the public generally, as it is to be
one of the largest draws in the world.
and remarkable for the application Of
original devices to overcome local diff
culties. The project is not a new one,
and it has cost generation Of talk.
planning, and the overcoming of the
obstacles of both nature and man to
bring it to the point of beginning work
few weeks ago, and the work will
probably be completed in two years.
The Shore Line road from Boston to
New York by the way of Providence,
has been Objectionable from the begin
ming on account of the number of fer
ries, and the one across the Thames is
the worst and last to be abolished.
There has always been danger here. es-
pecially in the spring. when the steam
ferry-boat has frequently had to strug-
gle to avoid being swept into the Sound
with its freight of cars and passengers.
A. P. Boiler. of New York, was engaged
to make the plans for the new draw
bridge several years ago. and the de-
tails were arranged for the beginning
of the work in 1888: the project had
the approval of the commissioners, but
just as building was to begin. interested
persons failed to agree. Nothing was
done till 1887, when the road decided
on a double-tracked bridge, which was
another advance, as only single track
had been previously proposed.
WinthrOp's Point, half mile above
the present New London station. where
the Thames is the narrOwest. has been
chosen as the location. The place is
familiar to all who have seen the Yale
Harvard regattas, for the finishing line
is only few feet away. The Govern
ment navy-yard, which was established
a few years ago above the site of the
bridge, has required notifications in the
to admit the huge war YES
sells through. To allow this the swing
spans of the draw will be SOP feet long.
and afford two clear passageways for
ships of 225 feet each. The draw itself
is reversible. which saves much time
and is of itself difficult method on &C
count of the double track, and is APP
piled here for the first time. The full
length of the superstructure is l,422
feet. and it will be of steel throughout:
of a quality admitted to be the best by
engineers who have made a special
study of the composition.
The depth of the water along the line
Of the foundations ranges from 5 to 81
feet. while the depth of the soft mud is
from 10 to 80 feet. The usual method
Of foundation can not be followed in the
case of each pier. The pneumatic pro-
cess or putting down by air." as it is
called, could not be used without the
outlay that is demanded after
a certain depth has been reached. The
engineer has succeeded in removing the
local difficulties by the application of
original plans. The method in brief is |
10 sink an immense timber curb into the |
mud at the bottom of the river. fill it |
Full of piles, which are to be cut off at |
he surface of the mud, and upon the |
heads of these found the masonry. The |
mud within the curbs having been ex-
the spaces around the heads of |
he piles will be filled with concrete,
which will bind the whole together and |
Orm substantial base upon which to
Ound the masonry. The timber curbs
llOne are immense structures. the one
or the central pier being seventy-one
eet square. and higher than most of
he buildings in New England cities.
The work of locating them in their
proper position at the bed of the river
8 a matter of great exactness. as the
lightest deviation would be the cause
Il much trouble and expense. The
york of the sub-structure. in short, is
he most important and most expensive.
special machinery has been made, and
he number of engineering principles in
olved is greater than for any similar
Enterprise yet OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ield Republican.
Judge Lambright, of Brunswick,
"a. has an eleven-year-0ld dog which,