Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-01-19
NATURAL BRIDGES
We Can Boast of at Least Nine
of Them In This Country.
OUR FIRST WOODEN BRIDGES.

They were pu'I ' NV
+ Eastern and Central States, and Then
Came tho Covered struetures-Few
Iron Bridges Prior to 1850.
Nature has provided this country
With at least nine natural bridges, one
IN yirginia with a span of about nine
-. r.thraa feet and about 200 feet high:
nno IN Alabama with a span Of about
saraptv feet and abou, l3O feet high:
sro IN California. the largest of which
has , snan of about eighty feet and is
,bout twenty feet high; one in Ken
tuckv with span of about seventy
foot and about 1870 feet high. and one
in southern Florida of somewhat
smaller dimensions
Bridge building in the United States
Is of comparatively recent accomplish
ment, The early settlers were COM
pelled to ford the streams or cross
| tbam on rafts or in dugouts. When
Washington crossed the Delaware with
his army there were no bridges over
that river, and history records many
instances OF streams being forded with
untold hardship and the consequent
disasters and delays. Such incidents
| become serious matters when. for ex-
annie. PHYSICIANS are unable to reach
the sick or injured because OF 1mpass-
| able fords or are compelled to expose
| themselves to unnecessary danger
Traffic conditions In general are de-
moralized by unsafe bridges or cul-
| verts.
Pontoon bridges have served tempo
rary need in many instances. but eSpe-
ciallv In warfare. Mention is made OF
their use very early in history. and one
of the most notable occasions was
when the Persian army under AerXes
crossed the Hellespont on two pontoon
bridges consisting. one OF 360 vessels
and the other of 314. These were an
chored head and stern alongside of
each other. with their keels in the d.
rection of the ruFrent-
The Romans had wickerwork vessels
covered with hides destined to support
the timber platform Of bridge. These
formed part of The train Of their ar
mics throughout the history Of the EN-
pire until 416 A. j.
The construction o. highway bridges
In this country began To assume prac-
teal proportions about tue year lSOO,
when many wcoden bridges were built
In the eastern and central states by
Theodore Burr and Timothy Palmer.
The wooden lattice truss was intro
duced about lS2O by. ithiel ToWne.
Many of these bridges. consisting or
planks pinned together in lattice work.
were built from this time OH. ard they
became we'll known as "Towne' or
covered" bridges. 1t is doubtful II
much attention was given to econom-
ical design A effort was made to
protect the trusses from the weather
,, by wooden roofs and sides In some in
stances. but very few were ever paint
ed to preserve the timber This early
type of bridge did service for many
years, and some are still in existence
in Indiana and elsewhere.
The FIRST covered bridge to be built
in Tippecanoe county and one Of the
first in central Indiana was the
Brown street bridge over the Wabash
river at Lafayette. according TO the
records on file in the office of public
roads. department Of agriculture. This
old structure. that had been condemn
ed for good many years. has long
since disappeared However. a mum
ber of covered wooden bridges that
J were built more than half century
ago are still being used within ra-
dius of fifty miles Of Indianapolis.
Few iron bridges were built in this
country prior to 1850. and 1t was only
in 1917 that the first publication In the
United States. discussing the rational
design of bridge members. was issued
by Squire Whipple Of Utica. y. T.
Wrought iron liegap to replace cast
| iron about 1863. hut steel was not used
until about ten years later. the ad-
vantage OF steel over cast or wrought
iron lies In lis greater tensile strength.
"Foremnst among STRUCTURES repre-
:enting sou.e uf the attractive as well
s. substantial features in good bridge
',-,',,t - ;he present age may De
! 81 .:t.'. 4 - Wa h!r:-:un hriGge over
| h, finfnm river in New York. said
....e superintendent Of construction OF
ride eu:-illrer:ng. office Of pubic
;oa;i.:. Washington. This bridge has
Two middle arches Of steel. each 5lO
'eri in clear span. and seven masonry
rchpS. each with Il sixty foot span.
Its total length is 2.3i5 feet. While
the wi .:ii IF its roadway is eighty
feet. and it.; height above mean hlgn
water is l51 feet II was built at cost
| # s.. S:in nc" indianapolis News.