The times., 1898-06-19
HENRY z. COOPER.
Minister OF Foreign Affairs.
Niagara's New Arch Bridge.

From the Chicago Times-Heraid.)
The last of the famous suspension
bridges at Niagara Falls is about 10 dis
appear A second great steel arch Is be-
ing constructed across Niagara gorge
and when it is completed the upper sus-
pension bridge. close to the great falls,
will be removed.
The new structure Will connect the two
great free parks, Queen Victoria Falls
Park on the Canadian side and the New
York State reservation on the American
side.
Because the arch bridge. now under
construction, will be the largest of It's
kind in the world the work is being
watched with great interest by civil en-
gineers not only in railroad circles but
generally While IL is not designed 10
carry the strain of moving trains, 1t is
conceded that the details would have
been little different had 1t been contem-
plated for such uses as the Grand Trunk
bridge near at hand is put to many times
a day.
Over / 260 feet of the distance separates
the high cliffs which will support this
new bridge and owing to the peculiar
formation of the land it has been i'm
possible TO build false works to sustain
the main arch, which is the notable part
of the structure. On either bank, how
ever high false works have been con-
structed. These rise from the abutments
to the floor of the old suspension bridge.
which has been left in the place to aid
the work of building the new structure
The false work also extends on either
side from the abutments over the slopes
of the bank to the cliffs. and on this the
shore spans or approaches will be built.
The main arch of this gigantic bridge
will be S6S feet long. This will be reach
ed from the Canadian side by an ap-
proach 210 feet long. The approach from
the New York side will be 100 feet long.
This will give the new structure a total
length of 1,26S feet.
The bridge will kbe a single structure
having a width of little over forty-nine
feet In the middle twenty-three feet of
this space will be given up to the pur-
poses of a double track electric railroad.
| On either side of this Will be carriage
WAYS eight feet wide. Outside of these
drives will be foot passages slightly
elevated above he--roadways.
When the electric car goes skimming
across this new bridge connection with
the trolley lines on either side will have
been made and people on the Canadian
side will have all the advantages of max
ing the trip down the gorge that are now
enjoyed by those on the American shore.
The manufacture of steel for the bridge
now under construction has been very
rapid. The work of preparing the great
beams and girders and the thousands Of
small plates has been in progress for
many months in the works Of a big Phila-
defphia company, but it was only short
time ago that any OF the material was de-
livered at the falls.
The abutments had been built in 1895 and
were ready for the workmen. On each of
the four abutments, 3two on either side of
the river, standing about sixty-seyen feet
apart, the bed plates were fastened for
anchorage of the arch. The top cords
were first placed in position. the workmen
operating from the old suspension bridge.
The end posts were then built and the
structure began spreading out from either
bank. A few days ago the two sections
met and were securely Joined.
AT this stage of the work peculiar meth
DDS were adopted. Long ladders were let
down from the old suspension bridge to
afford the men facilities for reaching their