New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-19
NEW NIAGARA BRIDGE.
THE SECOND STEEL STRUCTURE WHICH
WILL SPAN THE GORGE.

The last of the great suspension bridges across
tire Niagara gorge Is about to be taken down
and workmen are now busy preparing for the
erect ion Of second steel arch 10 span the chasin
whore for many years the suspension type OF
bridges held undisputed sway. The final strucl-
are t. be removed Is the bridge close TO the state
,oscryation and falls. 1t has the longest span OF
81 the Niagara bridges. ana the arch that Is 10
.Crl.cc it will BE- one Of the most notable struct-
tres of its class in the world. with the con-
,t~,ction Of this second arch this style Of bridge
v.iil share with the cantiiever the honor ahd
.r, dill of transporting all travel across the gorge
chile Il win also define most Wohderiul au'
yAncement in bridge building.
~. proposcd arch especially referred to VIII
BE- the forrth bridge 10 be erected on the s"e'
Connection between the cliffs at TINS point was
oa6, by carrying a rope across The river Oh ai
o., bridge and this rope aided in strihSiis hea'
ar rnpes and cables. The first DrldSe ercc'cu VII
,rfs site vas a wooden structure. IL WIS a" y" "
.pcn TO tie public on January - loo'' II.
towers as originally constructed co"'S. 'u VI
1oy12 inch timbers. each leg consisting oi iou'
.uch timbers sixteen Of them beng ero"PVu W
xother under the saddle-plate for the support u
.hc cables In 1857 the wooden structure " do
.o,.od in steel as were also the towers In DO
ing this the bridge was widened so th"' G"
r;,cos cou,d mass n IT. the original bridge hay
,oC been only wide enough Tor one 'arri'sc ~
cross in one direction al time. IhiS h"iio
massage led to many long waits. when al Il P'dce
,t. NIAGARA were many times annoying to trav-
oilers
DISLODGED BY WIND.
The work OF rebuilding the bridge III s'ee
cas completed on December ID. 1888 VII '''
nicht OF January $40. 1889. the Niagara local
uy was visited 10y terribly fierce gaze. WHICH
svcpt the new bridge from its suSpehdcrS. hho
Il DROPPED bottom upward in the gorge. Por
ton Of 1t fell on the debris slopes OF inc pa'A'
and was removed. but the greater portion Still
;,cs hidden beneath the waters OF the rNei' ou
~ sigh, but not out OF the memories OF those
" no recall the disaster which wrecked inc h''"
,-idce Lcforc il was month old. Within forty
eight hours after the storm the d'rec'oi' "''
awarded contracts for rebuilding inc orio6c
Work was begun on March - lSN? ana Oh
May Of thc same year travel was reopenet
over the new bridge.
II is this structure that Is now To give way
o. the new arch. When 1t was rebuilt th'
bridge companies felt that they were crcc''hi
n structure that would outlast their days ahC
afford ample accommodations for years 10 come
The demands Of travel have given birth To ne"
ideas about the Falls. and the development
owing to the growth Of the electric railways. mas
been material factor in making the pflu6'
comnanics realize that the facilities OF the suS
tension bridge are not up To cate. On ea'f
side OF the gorge the trolcys have E"oi patron
noe and an international connection Is hced'o
80 that visitors to the Falls may trtEc1 along
T. th Sides without changing cars. 10 pt"''u'
zach facilities the new arch Of the Grand Iruh'
Halfway completed about two months nEo' h''
ben furnished with II trolley track on us lower
DECK. and the arch to be built two miles iurthc'
ID stream will have double track Tor electric
ear.
ABrTMENTS OF THE ARCH
The abutmcnts for the arch have been built for
over a scar They are four In number. ana
stand close 10 the waters cdg" on either side oil
TN. river Each abutmcnt VIII support one I'a oi
tie bridge In preparing FOR their cohs'ru'''o"
ihe accumulated rock and loose dirt 81 the BANKS
we're cxcava;cd boy hydraulic means untiI s'Hd
rock foundation was reached. on ths iouhdd-
ton " rock "A concrete foundation was OuH' III
this concrete portion OF the abntmcnts four three
tnch wrOught-iron anchor bolts or r'dS '"o"-
ty-one and a half feet long were sunk. each f'd
extending ten feet beyond the surface OF the con
crete. In addition TO these rods four other rods
o. the same material and size were passed
through the stoncW ork ~ the abutments. max
Ing in all eight anchor bolts in each abutm'nt.
Tie end OF each one extending about ono root
beyond tie coping stones 10 afford an anch'raH"
:cr the anchor or bcdplatcs. The tota weight OF
,!,c rods in the abutm"nts Is J.?lo pounds. While
h,rty-two washers. couniersunk in the concrete.
weigh $3.50; pounds. The abu'mcnts are mag