New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-04

heightened. and the opposite effect would thereby
be produced on the horizontal diameter. When
the delicate act Of lowering the halves OF the arch
into place was performed, it took eighty men at
the four capstans to operate the adjusting
screws.
This. however was not the final task, by any
means. Three or four months work yet remains
to be done. The land spans on each side must be
connected with the great arch. Then it must be
remembered that up to to the present time not
pound of the structure has been held up by
the old; and none Of the old has been allowed to
rest on the new. 1t VIII now be necessary, how
ever. gradually 10 introduce blocks under the
roadways so that the latter will be carried by
the Orders of the bridge In other words
support must be gently thrust up from below. to
take the place Of the suspenders above. 1t will
thus become feasible to take down the old frame
section by section, until the four mighty cables
which once bore the entire load are stripped
The removal of these. which weigh 10 tons
and are LOCO feet long. will prove task OF pc
culiar difficulty. Finally. the towers that sus-
tain the cables will come down. and the last
vestise of a justly famous structure will have
disappeared forever
The weight OF the new bridge will he 100000
pounds 1t is estimated that 100000 rivets have
been consumed at the shop in putting together
the big sections sent out therefrom. and 100000
more in splicing Joints at the site Of the bridge
itself. TO accommodate them fully 2.OOO.WW
holes have been punched or drilled. Two portable
rivetng machines have been in service on the
structure capable OF exertng pressure Of sew
enty tons on the rvet while the latter was being
driven. These machines were operated by COM
pressed air generated on the American side and
carried through pipes along the old bridge to the
points where il was applied
RIvETING BY POWER.
Rivetng by power instead OF by hand has sell
dom been tried on big bridges hitherto and
usually in previous cases with poor success. But
the most satisfactory results have been attained
in the present instance. The steam engines that
have done the hosting were located on shore.
not out on the bridge and the cables employed in
this part OF the undertaking were therefore run
out over pulcys along such portion Of the struc-
ture as was already finished. Some Of the large
sections Of the frame shipped from the shops
Their enormous weight. the frequent passage OF
trains (Which has never been interfered With.
and the dizzy height at which the workmen
carried on their labors made a rare comblna-
ton Of difficulties. Nevertheless up TO the pres
ent time not "A single life has been lost in con-
nection with the enterprise. This happy result
well as the rapid progress OF the work, IL
largely due to the watchfuness Of John V. W.
Reynders. superintendent of the Bridge and Con
strucion Department Of the Pennsylvania Steel
Company. who has had the immediate super
vision and control OF this arch.
Besides a carrageway and footways. the lower
deck OF the new bridge will carry trolley tracks
A belt line of electric cars from the American
side over the bridge to Canada. and down
around the whirlpool gorge, is now In contem-
pla ton. When the Michigan Centrals cantileNer
bridge was tested. on completion. the event at
tracted an immense throng. II is probable that
the equally interesting occurrence next June Will
attract similar multitude of spectators