The record-union., 1896-10-25
NIAGARA'S NEW BRIDGE.
The Structure VIII be One of the
Marveis of Engineering.

The new metal arch bridge at Mag
ara Falls will be noteworthy in two
respects. The new bridge is to- be
built over the old suspension structure
without interruption to the traffic on
the latter. The span from end pier+to
end pier will be $40 feet, making 1t
the largest arch span in the world.
The suspension bridge now in use
which has been familiar to all visitors
TO the great natural wonder for forty
years will be kept in place until the
new arch Is ready, as it would be i'm
possible to construct false works over
the Niagara gorge to sustain a struc-
ture of this class.
The span will have a rise of 100 feet
from the level of the piers at the skew
backs to the center of the ribs at the
Grain of the arch, which point is 110
feet above low water. The depth of
the truss is 70 feet, and they Will be-
60 7-10 inches apart
The bridge viii carry one floor, 46
feet wide. divided longitudinally into
three parts. On the middle portion,
which is % feet o inches wide. Will
be two trolley tracks. Each side of
these tracks will be a roadway for car
riageS, : feet wide, and outside of these,
raised q inches from the level of the
roadway, will be footpaths.
The construction of this remarkable
span is from plans of L. L. Buck, en-
gineer of the new East River bridge,
between New York and Brooklyn, and
the author of the plans by which the
railroad suspension bridge at Niagara
was replaced by an arch bridge.
The approaching or thanking spans,
will be 100 feet long on the American
side and 210 feet on the Canadian side
The total metal in the new structure
will be about 10000 pounds. Every
confidence is expressed in Mr. Bucks
ability to carry out his plans. The re-
placing of the railroad bridge by an
other without an hours interruption of
business was one of the engineering
feats of the decade
Those who have not seen the great
structure at Niagara which it. is in
tended to replace will hardly realize
the stupendous character of the under
taking. Imagine the task Of replacing
the simplest sort of bridge without In
terrupting traffic, and then add about
LOCO per cent. to the difficulty. This
viii give something Of an idea of4what
confronts engineers and builders.
LII Il1S natllrGs the
slightest error might be productive OF
Infinite disaster Every measurement
must be accurate to a hairs breadth
EVERY portion of the great arch must
perform it's particular share of the
great combination that will be one OF
the marvelS of the world
All that is done must be accomplished
quickly, for in affairs of this nature
time is indeed money. Every man who
can be utilized will join the army of
construction. Perhaps no work of re-
cent years has required, or viii yet
need, more skilled labor. In fact, in
bridge building it is becoming unsafe
to utilize labor of any other class The
bridge when complete will in truth be
work of genius in point of construc-
ton, as well as point Of conception.
The work Of preparing the material
Tor the great structure has been in
progress for some time, as little can be
accomplished in an enterprise of this
nature until the preliminaries are COM
plete When the effort of placing the
cl1ferent parts of the bridge in posi-
ton is begun, Niagara win be one OF
the busiest of places.-New York Jour-
nal.