The Portland daily press., 1897-12-28
NlAGARA'S NEW BRIDGE.
The Greatest Arch in the History of Steel
Construction.

Niagara Falls, Dec. 25--All the false
work preparatory to the erection of what
is destined TO be the greatest steel arch
ton of steel will begin and be continued
throughout the winter, in order that the
proposed new structure may be finished
for the expected5heavy travel of next sum
mer. This steel arch is to be beuilt across
the Niagara gorge on the site of the up
per suspension bridge, and its span will
be the greatest in the history of steel arch
bridge building. AS compared with it,
the new steel arch recently completed for
the Grand Trunk Railway, two miles be-
low, will appear very short.
At the point where the arch is to stand
the cliffs are 1.26S feet apart, and the sus-
pension bridge now resting there seems
but slender thread from bank to bank.
The abutments for the bridge stand close
to the waters edge on either bank. There
are four in number, two on each side,
and the distance between the members OF
the pairs is sixty seven feet. These abut-
| lnents were built two years ago, as it was
thought that the new arch would be com
pleted long ere this, but the condition of
the monetary and steel markets was not
such as to inspire the company to proceed
W ith the great and costly work until
now.
In the construction of the abutments
m uch care was taken to make them most
substantial. The loose earth and rock OF
the slope of the banks was excavated until
a solidsrock OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES This
rock was then cut away in step form and
on the foundation SO created another
foundation of concrete was built.
Through this mass of concrete four long,
heavy iron rods were run and securely
fastened, their tops projecting several
feet above the face Of the concrete mass.
1t was on this concrete that the stone
work of the abutments was built, the
four rods and four others running through
the stones III order that they might be
held securely. The tops of all the eight
rods project above the tops of the coping
stones in order to afford a fastening for
the bed plates of the legs of the arch, of
which each abutment will support one
The stone used in building the abutments
are all very large, and derricks of great
strength were employed in letting them
over the cliffs to the point of use. The
north abutre ent on the New York State
side OF the river stands very close to the
portal of the Niagara Falls Power Com
pany's tunnel, and in order to protect it
strong retaining wall has been built.
On tho Canadian side the centre of the
new arch will rest exactly on the center
OF the present suspension bridge, but on
the New York State side it has been
found necessary to carry the center a little
to the south OF the present center of the
suspen sions bridge in order that the abut-
ments referred to may clear the tunnel
portal. From these abutments or skew
hacks the arch will rise with graceful
lines, and the length of.the arch proper
will be no less than $40 feet. The shore
ends of the arch will be connected to the
cliffs by urussed spans of beautiful lines
Unlike the railway arch, this latest
bridge will have but a single deck, the
About % feet of its center will be taken
up with double trolley tracks, on each
side of which there. will be.carriage ways
and walks the latter to be slightly ele-
vated. The width of the suspension
bridge is but IL Ia feet, thus the new
arch will be nearly three times as wide.
1t is estimated that over 4, 900, 600 pounds
VI sbSo1 WALL DO uscu III ltS CONSTRUCTION,
but the arch will not be SO heavy in con-
strnction as the railway arch.
The bridge which will be superseded
dates only from 1887 In that Year the
work Of rebuilding the earlier bridge in
steel was commenced. Shafts were sunk
for new and stronger anchorages to take
the strain of the two additional cables to
support the additional weight of the
superstructure as well as the wider floor.
Two gangs of men worked day and night
Seven steel ropes 2 4 inches in diameter
We're put in each cable and placed in posi-
tion, when the suspenders for supporting
the trusses were attached. The tIusses,
in thirtyfoot sections, were built out from
each end until they met in the center and
were there connected, after which the
work of removing the old wooden struc-
ture was begun. 1t was on the night of
June II. 1888, that the last portion of the
old bridge was removed and connection
was made with the new trusses, thus
giving a double roadway from end to end
the original structure having been only
wide enough for carriages to travel one
way at time.
On Dec. Is, 1883, the bridge was pro-
nounced finished in all its parts. The
bridge companies were congratulated by
press and people for having built struc-
ture which, apparently, was destined to
stand for years. But not so. Its Tie was
less than n month. On the night of Jan
9-10, 1889, the Niagara gorge was visited
by one of the most severe wind storms
ever known. 1t came up out of the south
west, and with all its force tore down
across the Horseshoe Fall through the