Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-07-27
The Quick Work Of the Edge Moor
Bridge Co., Sunday, at
Newark, New Jersey.
WATER TRAFFIC NOT HINDERED
While the Pennsylvania Rail-
roads Old Iron Bridge
Across the Pass aic
River Was Being Re-
placed by One
OF Steel.

The Edge Moor Bridge Go. accom-
pished difficult engineering feat at
N. j., Sunday, when steel
bridge for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Co., 2l4 feet long, replaced an old iron
bridge across the Passaic River, and |
in doing the work the Edge Moor Go. |
solved the problem of placing bridges |
in position without interrupting river |
traffic. The undertaking in its on
tirety was accomplished by working
loneitudinally with the banks in the
middle of the river and shipping did
not experience the slightest incon-
yenience, while railroad trains were
diverted across another bridge for only
about six hours.
S. P. Mitchell and II. f. Lofland,
two of the Edge Moor Co. IS most skill
full engineers, had full charge OF the
work and to them is due the great sue
cess of the undertaking. At 10 O'Clock
in the morning the railroad company
turned the site Of the bridge and the old
bridge over to the Edge Moor people,
and the old draw was swung around on
its pier, and the trains incoming and out
going were diverted over another route
leading around by the Centre street sta
tion and into Newark to the Market
street station. Orly few seconds
time was lost by going around and over
the old bridge, and in the meantime
the work of preparing for moving the
old draw out of the way and replacing
it with the new one was being pushed
with all possible speed.
To safely and successfully accom-
plish the task of replacing the old draw
without losing any more time than was
necessary was task requiring engi-
neering skill of the most delicate kind,
and preparation for the work has been
going OH for several days. The pier
upon which the old draw rested was
extended both up and down the river
for distance Of 2li feet each way, and
Oh the lower extension Of the pier The
new draw has been in course of con-
struction for several months. Each of
the extensions was capable of bearing
weight up to geo tons and each was
long enough to carry the eutire length
of the draw.
The old draw was raised on jacks as
soon as the bridge was closed TO traffic
Sunday morning until it was far
enough above tho structure to permit
of the placing of trucks under it, these
trucks resting on "a double railroad
track, which had been laid the entire
length of the pier, including the extern
sions.
At the upper end of the extension
pier, upon which it was the intention
to rest the old drawbridee, were placed
two stationary engines, and attached
to them was windlass with siA-inch
hawser. The hawser was attached to
the old structure Just above the trucks,
and tho now structure was in turn at
tached to the old one. When all was
in readiness the signal was given TO
start the engines and the Thousand tons
began slowly TO move on the tracks.
When the new draw rested on the
| pier where the old one had stood for SO
many years, the old one was on the
| upper pier extension, and all that re-
mained was to cut the upper and lower
piers away and remove the old draw.
| The whole work of replacing the old
draw with the new one occupied about
| five hours, but only eight minutes was
actually consumed in moving the draw
from the superstructure to the centre
pier from the time the engines were
started. The new draw was swung into
place across the stream at >. 80 o'clock,
less than eight hours after train had
| EaSSeQ over inc tilu one.
The work was watched with great
interest by engineers and many others
Vantage points all about were occupied
for hours by spectators, and several
boatmcn sold seats to people who were
particularly anxious to have good
view.
As far as is known this is the first
time new bridge of large size has
| lnap ,,lapal in pncitinn in fhic UNIV
and when President William IL. Con
nell of the Edge Moor Co. was seen
Monday. he was delighted to know
that tho company had solved the prob
lem which has been great annoyance
to bridge builders and railroad COM
panies, erecting bridge without inter-
rupting traffic on the river. Mr.. Con-
nell explained the work when re-
porter called upon him.
Last January the Pennsylvania Rail
road Co. decided to replace the bridge
over the Passaic River, which was
about 81 years old and much worn. Ac'
cordingly the contract was given to the
Edge Moor Co., with the understand
ing that traffic on the river was not tC
be interfered with and the running oi
trains over it not to be interrupted any
longer than necessary. The Edge Mooi
people agreed to do the work according
TO the stipulations and asked for the
site only six hours, and how we'll the,
accomp. ished the task is now matter
of history, which will mark an epocf
in bridge building. The railroad com
pany was particularly anxious to avoit
interruption to navigation, as ordinaril.
this would be expensive to peopl,
, having business on the river. In tht
open season the bridge is opened on al
average of three times an hour all day
The Edge Moor people designed th'
bridge aud began its construction il
, February and during the past few
weeks il has been in course of erection
on the superstructure in the Passai
River, the superstructure being an OK
tension of the bridge pier, as STATED
above. So at the appointed time yes
terday everything was in readiness.
3 While it was about eight hours befor
the work was actually completed tn
, draw was turned into place three hour
) after it was placed in position on tn
centre pier. the builders were compli
mented by a large number of engineer
who iourneyed to Newark to watch tn
, work.
: n, The work OF improving the Christians
River is about half completed.