The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-11-18
WHOLE NO. 1854.
Niagara's New Bridge.

The new metal arch bridge at Niaga-
ra falls will be noteworthy in two re-
spects. The new bridge is to be built
over the old suspension structure, with
out interruption To the traffic on the
latter. The span from end pier to end
pier will be so feet, making it the
largest arch span in the world.
The suspension bridge now in use,
which has been familiar to all visitors
to the grea. natural wonder for 10
years, will be kept in place until the
new arch is ready, as it would be irl-
possible 10 construct false works over
the Niagara gorge to sustain a struct-
ure Of this class.
The span will have a 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 I7O
feet above low water. The depth of the
trusses is 25 feet, and they will be 6S.7
inches apart. The bridge will carry
one floor, 46 feet wide, divided lOngitu-
dinally into three parts. On the mid
die portion, which is % feet 8 inches
wide, will be two trolley tracks. Each
side of these tracks will be a roadway
for carriages 5 feet wide, and outside
of these, raised inches from the level
of the roadway, will be foothpaths.
The construction of this remarkable
span is from plans of l.. l.. Buck, en-
gineeer OF the new East river bridge be-
tween New York and Brooklyn, and
the author of the plans by which the
railroad suspension bridge at Niagara
was replaced by an arched bridge.
The approaching or flanking spans
will be 100 feet long on the American
side and 2i0 feet on the Canadian side.
The total metal in the new structure
will be about 4,OOO,0OO,OO0 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 one of the engineering
feats of the decade.
Those who have not seen the great
structure at Niagara which it is intend
ed to replace will hardly realize the
stupendOus character of the undertake
ing. Imagine the task OF replacing the
simplest sort of bridge without inter-
ruptiny traffic, aud then add about
1000 per cent u the difficulty. This
will give something OF an idea of what
confronls engineers and builders.
In an undertaking Of this nature the
slightest error might be productive Of
infinite disaster. Every measurement
must be accurate to hairs breadth.
Every portion Of the great arch must
perform its particular share of the great
combination that will be one of the
marvels of the world.
All that is done must be accomplish
ed 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
a work of genius in point of construe-
tiOn As we'll as point Of conception.
The work OF preparing the material
for the great structure has been in pro-
gress 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
zette.