New-York tribune., 1901-02-17
THE GOKTEIK VIADUCT.
A TRIUMPH FOR AMERICAN STEEL CON
STRUCTION IN INDIA.

The PENNSYLVANIA steel Company has recently
completed a monster viaduct across the COX
teik gorge, in India. This work is remarkable
l0t only because ii is the largest of its kind in
he world but also because it is a colossal mon
ument 10 the enterprise of American bridge
builders, through whose work direct road has
been opened from Rangoon. the seaport of Bur
mah TO China. The contract was obtained
from the British Government. which had invited
and obtained bids from some of the best known
concerns in the world. The gorge which is
sranned by the bridge is a great rift in the
Shan Hills of Burmah. the rocky borders Of
which resemble in many respects the Palisades
of the Hudson. The gorge is about one hundred
and fifty miles inland from RangOon, and about
eighty miles from Mandalay
The cost Of the structure was about 500 600
The European concerns which had bid for the
work predicted failure for the Pennsylvania
company, but the finished work has been ac-
cepted The work conducted under the per-
sOnal direction of j. C. Turk with Louis N
Gross foreman. The plans were prepared by
Y. W. Reynders. superintendent of the bridge
and construction department of the company
and when these had been completed they were
sent to Europe for inspection and approval
After the plans were accepted the work be
gun at Steelton, Penn. where the structural
metal was designed and finished at the works
of the Pennsylvania Steel Company. whence it
shipped in three vessels to RangOon The
total weight was about five thousand tons ex-
elusive of the erectIon outfit. which weighed
about two hundred and fifty tons. The cars
which brought the metal. the pneumatic plant
the engines and other paraphernalia from Steel
ton To the seaboard would if joined. have made
a train one and one-half miles long
Thirty men We're sent from America, and they
h. of
1880 The viaduct was practically completed in
October 1900 Besides the thirty Americans
there were fifteen Europeans engaged on the
contract and about five hundred natives. These
latter worked in gangs. and received S17 a
month each. which was considered good wages
In its completed condition the viaduct is 22Go
feet long and 800 feet high at the central point
A natural bridge, under which the river flows
forms the foundation for the great tower. and
the top Of the metal structure is go feet above
the water level. Fourteen additional towers.
each divided into vertical stories Of about thir-
ty-flve feet each. support the structure. For
PSI feet at end and 81 feet at the other
end the axis Of the yiaduct is curved 20 a rsdius
of 500 feet. The intermediate 1.GiS fcet Is
tangent and its height varies from I3o to :20
feet
The gorge spauncd hy tho yiaduct was a
wilderness before tho work was begun. and the
contractors We're compelled 10 send. in addition
to material tools etc. portable houses special
clothing. medical stores and other necessary
articles which could not be procured in that
country The Americans Of the party suffered
hardship because Of the severe climate. One
writer. in describing that feature Of the difficult
undertaking. says: In the morning il was clear
and hot, and by noon il Was almost impossible 20
work in the During the afternoon there
you'd be "A steady downpour. and at night, owing
TO the rain and the high altitude. il would be
cold that heavy blankets were necessary"