The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-01
NIAGARAs NEW RAILROAD BRIDGE
Steel Structure Being Built to Take
the Place of the Suspension Bridge

Steel Structure Being Built to Take
the Place of the Suspension Bridge
From the New York Herald.
The historic suspension railway bridge
over the Niagara gorge will be entirely re-
moved by July /, and new steel struc-
ture, remarkable in many of its features
will be in place. The new bridge is being
built around the old and the change from
one to the other will be made without in
reference to traffic. This new bridge will
consist Of one mighty steel arch span, $50
feet between springing points-hanked on
either side by a trusted span 10 feet in
length, connecting the same with the clit
on each side of the river. In addition to
this there will be approaches aggregating
800 feet in length. This mighty structure,
to cost half a million dollars, and to weigh
1900 900 pounds is to take the place of the
present suspension bridge, which was long
considered one of the best in the world.
IL was built in 1855 by John A. Roebing
for the Niagara Falls international bridge
company, of New York, and the Niagara
Falls suspension bridge company, of Can
ada.
In 1880 the original wooden suspended
superstructure was found inadequate, and
was substituted by a new steel stinenng
truss $40 feet long. Six years later the
stone towers on top of the cliffs supporting
the cables we're found to be crumbling and
We're replaced by new ones of steel, without
interruption of traffic. Both of these
changes were made under the direction
of L. /. Buck, chief engineer in charge
of the new structure for the Pennsylvania
steel company, which is doing the work
for the two corporations owning the bridge
franchise. Now comes another and great
or change. The old bridge, with it's single
track, Is inadequate for the enlarged trat-
fic. and the increase in weight Of iocomo-
tive engines, and will be replaced by
new bridge with two railway tracks on
its upper deck, and with wagon ways, side
walks, and trolley tracks beneath The
lower tracks will be used for an electric
line from the United States TO Canada
around the Whirlpool gorge.
A strange feature in changing from one
bridge to the other is that IL will be done
without interference with the heavy traf-
fic, though the new bridge is being built
on the exact site of the old one which it
surrounds and with which 1t is interlac
ed The new structure gets not one ounce
of support from the old, as It extends from
the cliffs on either side out into the air
in an apparently mysterious manner, and
to the eye of the tyro deies gravity. Its
huge pieces of steel, which in some in
stances exceed thirty tons in weight are
being extended with apparently My the
atmosphere under them. When these two
sides OF the arch meet in the center Of the
span and are Joined. the old bridge will be
blocked up on the new one, the new bridge
carrying II IN addition to its own weight
aud the regular traffic. The latter win
then be disconnected piece by piece and
the new floor system placed In position as
the work progresses. The last work will
be to remove the four cables Of the sus-
pension bridge each weighing 10 tons and
having a length OF 1900 feet. Then the
towers Will come down, and a landmark
long familiar to tourists to Niagara Falls
will have disappeared.