Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-05-07
LARGEST BRIDGE IN WORLD.
Steel Arch Over Hell Gate Will BE
Marvel OF Construction.
(The Sphere.l

The steel arch bridge over the He'll
Gate, in the northern part of New
York city, will be, with it's viaducts,
the largest bridge in the world. It's
construction has only recently be-
gun, but preparations for it have
been in progress for seven years. 1t
is expected hal trains will run over
it in less than four years. The bridge
and viaducts will measure 15,S4O
feet in length. The Tay Bridge in
Scotland is 10,7S0 feet, and the fam
Gus Forth Bridge 5000 feet.
The He'll Gate Bridge will form a
part Of the ~so-called connecting rail
road, which, though only ten miles
in length, will cost about 5000 900
pounds, out OF which the cost of the
Hell Gate Bridge will probably be L.
100000 pounds.
The connecting railway, which
joins the New Haven system with the
Pennsylvania, begins 1t the New Ha-
ven yards, in the Bronx. 1t is car
ried on Il viaduct to the Bronx Hill,
which it will cross by a lift bridge
300 feet long. A viaduct $500 feet
long will bring the line to Little He'll
Gate, which will be crossed by a
bridge, and a third viaduct, which
crosses Wards Island, will continue
to the edge Of He'll Gate, which will
be spanned by the great bridge.
TIL catastrophes of the Tay
Bridge and the Quebec Bridge are
borne in mind by all competent en-
gineers, and in the carefully wrought
plans for the He'll Gate Bridge every
possible precaution has been taken
to assure it's safety. 1t will be built
oCrong enough to support on it's four
tracks at n time four lines of the
heaviest modern locomotives. But
1t Is hardly within the bounds of
possibility hat under the worst con-
ditions ofNcongestion it will ever he
called upon to bear such a burden.
About 100000 cubic yards Of con-
crete will be required for this bridge
and 1000 tons of steel. Some pieces
Of steel will weigh 100 tons apiece.
The necessity OF this bridge Is very
urgent. AS Manhattan Island, on
which the major portion OF New
York city is built, became more and
more congested by rapidly-increasing
population, the difficulty OF trans
porting passengers and freight in
creased a~larmingly, and it became es-
sential to make the island practically
a part OF the mainland. The build
ing Of the Greensboro, the Williams
burg and'the Manhattan bridges, the
subway tunnel to Brooklyn, the Hud-
son tubes to New Jersey and the
Pennsylvania Railway tunnels under
the East and the North rivers, re-
lieved the congestion for local pas
senger traffic, but gave no relief to
the freight congestion. The He'll
Gate Bridge will provide for four
lines of steam railroads, two for pas-
senger and two for freight trains.
When it is completed it will be pos
sible to travel without change Of car
riage from Quebec on the north to
any of the Southern or Western cities
in any part Of the great Pennsylva-
MA system; and Manhattan Island,
instead OF being an obstruction to the
traveller, will become a convenience.
Freight traffic to the island at pres
ent depends on ferries and floats, and
to a part at least of this traffic the
building of the He'll Gate Bridge will
bring a very great relief. Despite
the great proportions and strength of
He'll Gate Bridge it's architectural
features have been so carefully plan
ned that it gives the appearance Of
symmetry and lightness.
The bridge, OF course, will be of
steel; the abutments of the arch will
be stone and concrete towers, which
will divide the arch bridge proper
from the steel viaduct approaches.
The base Of the towers will be of
granite, the upper portions Of nodded
concrete. The design of the simple
and massive towers harmonizes with
the design Of the arch.
Gustav ~Lindenthal. formerly
bridge commissioner Of New York, Is
the consulting enpineer and arcbi+oo+