The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-09-28
THE STORY OF A BRIDGE.
A BIT OF PLUCkY CONDUCT WHICH
WAS "ALL IN THE BUSINESS"
Mining by Psycomstric Power-A New
Scheme Which Is Planning Out Well
The Success Of Little Lord Fauntleroy"
Outcome Of the School Agitation.
From Our Special Correspondent

(From Our Special Correspondent
BOSTON, Sept 49,
Il isn't a matter directly affecting Boston,
except as Boston has an interest in American
enterprise everywhere, through its invested
capital; but in recent trip through the
Canadas geined some exclusive information
which is worth your readers attention, even
In Boston letter."
How many readers know that the "Vic-
torian is no longer the notable bridge OF
Montreala Very few I fancy for very little
has been published either in this country or
In Canada to indicate otherwise
Yet the Yankees who manage the Dominion
Bridge company of Montreal finished in the
summer of 1887 over the st. Lawrence, just
above the Lachine rapids, for the Canadian
Pacific railroad, an iron bridge which for
handsome design and skilled engineering was
comparable to the Victoria in about the same
way as the new ocean liner "City Of New
York" is comparable to ferryboat.
It was of bridge similar to the Victoria,
the Britannia in Wales, that Robert Stephen
son said when speaking of Roebling's Niagara
suspension, IF your bridge succeeds, mine is
a magnificent blunder."
The Victoria, is In similar sense, blum
der, but its magnifcence is only in its length
and the uncalled for expense Of its thirty
acres of iron surface Its construction is
simple, it consisting of huge square iron
tubes set end to end. The owners are now
tearing off strips Of these tubes to let in air
and light
Contrast with this clumsy bulk the airy
and graceful, yet strong, skeleton trusses OF
the Lachine bridge, rising at the channel by
lofty half-arches, to allow the passage OF
steamboats,. and you have a striking illus
tration of the advance made in this most diff
fcult and interesting arb
You also gain reali tion of the stagnant
condition of journal h in Canada, which
permitted this magnis ent structure las long
as the Brooklyn bMslge and costing over
$4,000, OO0 to rise without SO much notice as
would be given visit of the ornamental
governor general or the building of
toboggan slide. When big bridge is put up
in the States the people are informed of it.
But that isn't exactly the exclusive infor
nation l started to give.
The bridge during it's building. was the
scene of much daring conduct, and, on
certain cold Sunday afternoon, of a heroism
that defied death in way which on the
battlefield would be the theme of poet and
historian Business men don't boast Of such
things, and it is no wonder that this par
ticular event has hitherto escaped record
Situated as the bridge is above the Lachine
rapids, the mighty current of the st. Law
renee sweeps under it with terrible velocity.
A man falling would be hopelessly lost.
Yet all through one of the stormiest Of
Canadian winters plucky men chung to the
frosted iron framework, slowly with pulley
and CABLE rivet, pin aud hamper extending
the huge trusses from pier to pief
Every movement was periious; slip on
the icy iron would have been followed by
splash in the i,svv'er-freezing water, an outcry
and then oblivion. No boat would be likely
t. reach an Unfortunate, yet, to inspire conf
4ehfe in the workmen, a canoe load Of the
Lachipe Indians yas usually kept on guard
at point below Tho bridge ~
The work went on with painful slowness,
but courageous fofemen kept the Canadian
employees at work by force of example, and
only on few days of the bitterest cold did
they refuse to quit the fires in their huts.
Though they worked steadily, the results Of
their labor averaged about as much a week
as would be accomplished in day and half
in summer.
***
One afternoon, as the constructing engi-
neer, Phelps johnson, was walking toward
the bridge for his usual visit of inspection, he
saw the foreman urging madly toward him
a truck horse cut loose for the purpose. The
foreman was white and trembling with his
errand of fear.
Hurry up johnson" he shouted frantically,
''there's - to pay at the bridge The whole
span is sinking"
That message meant that SIS 600 worth of
ironwork, which had cost months of painful
toll to erect, was going into the river and
might take some human beings down with it.
Jumping on Foreman Punch's horse, the
engineer was quickly at the bridge. 1t was
time for bold action The storm had weak
ened the temporary substructure, and the
iron span, now only partially supported, was
dropping inch by inch, and threatening soon
to take final plunge. The workmen had
sought safety on shore and refused to venture
out again.
That span must be saved at any cost. It
was a case of business before life The en-
gineer vigorously spurred the courage of his
men, and himself with his foremen led the
way to the point of peril. The waning pluck
of the workers was somewhat restored by
this example, and about forty went again
upon the sinking span
Then came determined and hurried labor
For three or four hours two-score men tugged
and pulled on timbers and ropes, putting
braces under the span, while the angry river
surged and whirled below and the odds were
appalling in favor of men and trusses drop
ping suddenly into it, the men never to
emerge till their mangled bodies were cast on
tine banks, far down the river, on the de-
parture of the ice in the spring.
The catastrophe 90 narrowly averted never
came The span was saved, and the men
who took the fearful risk now talk of it in
their homes, but scarcely look for public
recognition of their bravery. Merely mat
ter of business that's all.
The peculiar feature of this bridge is where
it rises in two high spans forty feet above
the water. The greater length Of the bridge
is composed of 'deck spans,n the railroad
running on top of the trusses. But to clear
the steamer channel, 800 feet wide, the bridge
is arched up SO that what has been the upper
line of the bridge becomes at these two spans
it, base, and the railroad level is at the
bottom instead of the top of the structure.
The base is forty feet above the river.
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