The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-11-11
NIAGARA'S NEW BRIDGE.
It VIII Be One of the Wonders Of the
World.

The new metal arch bridge at Niagara
falls will he noteworthy intwo respects.
The new bridge is to be built over the
old suspension structure, without inter
ruption to the traffic On the latter. The
span from end pier to end pier will be
$40 feet, making it the largest arch
span in the world.
The suspension bridge now in use,
which has been familiar to al visitors
to the great natural wonder for 40 years,
will be kept in place until the new arch
is ready, as it would be impossible to
construct false works over the Niagara
gorge to sustain q structure Of this class
The span will have rise Of $50 feet
from the level Of the piers at the skew
backs to the center Of the ribs at the
crane Of the arch, which point is ITO
feet above low water. The depth Of the
trusses is 20 feet, and they will be 66.7
inches apart. The bridge will carry one
floor, 46 feet wide, divided longitude
nally into three parts. On the middle
portion, which is 20 feet 9 inches wide,
will be two trolley tracks. Each side OF
these tracks will be roadway for car
riages feet wide, and outside Of these,
raised 6 inches from the level Of the
roadway, will be footpsths.'
The construction Of this remarkable
span is from plans Of L. L. Buck, engi-
neer of the new East river bridge be-
tween New York and Brooklyn, and the
author of the plans by which the rail-
road suspension bridge at Niagara was
replaced by an arched bridge.
The approaching or hanking spans
will be 100 feet long on the American
side and $40 feet on the Canadian side.
The total metal in the new structure
will be about 1000, ,000, 900 pounds.
Every confidence is expressed in Mr..
Bucks ability to carry out. his plans.
The replacing Of the railroad bridge by
another without an hours interruption
Of business was cne of the engineering
feats Of the decade.
Those who have not not seen the great
structure at Niagara which it is intend
ed to replace will hardly realize the stu
pendous character Of the Undertaking.
Imagine the task Of replacing the sim
pIest sort Of bridge without interrupting
traffic, and then add about 1000 per
cent to the difficulty. This will give
something Of an idea Of what confronts
engineers and builders.
In an undertaking Of this nature the
slightest error might be productive Of
infinite disaster. Every measurement
must be accurate to a hairs breadth.
Every portion of tho great arch must
perform its particular share Of the great
combination that will be one OF the
maryels 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 recent
years has required or will 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 construction as
we'll as point Of conception.
The work of preparing the material
for the great structure has been IN prog.
rel for some time, as little can be ac-
complished in an enterprise of this ma
ture until the preliminaries are COM
plete. When the effort of placing the
different parts Of the bridge in position
is begun, Niagara will be one of the
busiest Of busy places Railroad Ga
zetta