The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-18
NIAGARA's NEW BRIDGE.
A Structure to Be Erected at Historic
Queenston Heights.
From the Philadelphia Record.

From the Philadelphia Record.
From the materials which comprised
the old suspension bridge at Niagara
Falls. which has recently given way
to a larger and more pretentious span
structure, another bridge will be reared
over the same stream some distance
below.
The towers and approaches of the
new bridge have been completed and
all is ready for the stringing of the
cables and the erection of the iron.
The site will be on the site near the
village of Lewiston, N. Y, and the
quaint old town of Queenston. Ont,
where in 1S50'51 a suspension bridge
was built to connect the Lewiston
mountain with the historic Queenston
Heights into the soil of which the blood
of the brave Canadian, General Brock,
soaked when he fell mortally wounded.
The old bridge was many years ahead
of the profitable demands of the times
| and when it was destroyed it was
| never afterwards rebuilt
In the matter Of location the new
bridge Will adhere closely to the old
| bridge. From tower to tower the span
| will be little over 1000 feet, while
the span of the suspended portion of
the bridge will be about 200 feet. The
| outside width OF the bridge will be Is
| feet, and the roadway will have a
| width of 25 feet. This width of floor
| will afford room for single trolley car
track laid through the center, with
| space on either side for teams to pass
| abreast. In the construction of the
| bridge about 800 tons of metal will he
used, and the cables will weigh all of
| 200 tons The strength Of the bridge
| will be great enough to afford safe
passage for the heaviest of electric
| cars in addition to a uniformly distri-
| buted load of 40 pounds to the square
| foot over the whole structure.
The height of the new bridge above
| the water will be about 20 feet, and
those familiar with the former suspen-
sion bridges at the falls will recognize
| that this is quite different condition
| from the bridges that made the Mag
ara gorge famous for it's display OF
| engineering talent. The old bridges
were built on line with the tops of
| the cliffs, whereas the new bridge will
| swing midway between the tops of the
banks and the waters of the river. This
|
| long approaches on either side to af-
| ford facilities for trolley cars and car
riages reaching the bridge. The cleo
| trio lines now operating at the waters
| edge on the New York side and on top
| of the bluff on the Canadian side Will
make connection with the bridge. An
| electric road now runs across the up
per steel arch of the falls, and there
remains but final link to be provided
| for before it will be possible to make
| the trip about the gorge in trolley
car, and thus still more effectively rele-
| gate the Niagara hackman to real
seat. The bridge will be completed and
opened for next summers travel to the
| falls.
The wrecking Of the old bridge forms
| one of the important events in the his
| tory of the Niagara region. Early II
the year 1864 mighty mass of ice came
down the Niagara river from Lake
| Erie. The foe as it passed down the
upper river and over the falls com
manded much attention, and the own
ers of the bridge at Lewiston were
| fearful for the safety of their struc'
| ture, for the guys were anchored just
| above high-water mark Orders were
| issued to loosen the guys and lift then
up out of the way of the icy mass il
| it's passage to Lake Ontario. This was
| done. The ice jam went out, and nj
| damage was done. The guys We're no
| reanchored and a fierce gale sweep
| down the Niagara chasm with grea
| force. 1t caught the bridge full on the
side and soon it was swinging bacl
| and forth. About IL o'clock on the
| morning of Monday, February l, 1864
it gave a mighty surge, and then the
| greater part of the bridge proper fel
into the river below. 1t was a com
plete wreck. There was no encourage
ment to rebuild. Back and forth tn,
old cables swung for years, until a
last they We're cut away and allowed
to plunge itno the river, where, thirty.
four years before, the other portions Of
the structure had found a grave.
!