The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-11

Frantic efforts were made to place a chain rope around the tottering structure but with reports likeNshells exploding the remaining supports snapped and the span disappeared with a spectacular splash. -Some of the observers said that the structure buckled at the centre as it fell.
 Groups of men at work slipped off into the water and others were knocked into space by flying debris went to the rescue, and their endeav- ors prevented a larger loss of life.
 The span had been constructed on pontoons a few miles east of uno bridge site and was lowed into posi- ton immediately under the gap left in the anchor arms of the structure.
 Chains with links 30 inches in diam eter, together with girders. were then attached to the span and 5000 ton hy- draulic jackss began their stupendous task of lifting the span into place.
 This work could be accomplished only a few feet an 1lourzand as the distance from the floor of the bridge to the level of the river is 15o feet, the engineers had not counted on com- pleting the operations until the end of the week or later The bridge was to have been completed and ready for train service next spring. marking an important milestone in Canada's> en- gineeripg railway history.
 The juggling of 50o,o00 tons of steel under unprecedented circumstances in :, the Dominion attracted to the seems i today several thousand spectators, in- |. cluding members of parliament and newspa permen gathered on vesselD furnished by the Canadian govern ment.
 Members of the Dominion cabinet witnessed the collapse from the deck of a government vessel while Ameri- !, can tourists crowded hundreds of other boats of all classes. Eminent American authorities on bridge build ing and members of the Australian returning home after vis- iting in Europe also were at the scene. and river traffic for ocean-going had been temporarily sus- pended.
 The project interrupted today or iginated in 1853, when at the request of the Quebec city council, a New York engineer submitted plans and es-a
 
 however, and it was not until 1882 that the scheme again was given , serious consideration. The cantilever plan of bridge building was at that time becoming generally used and dis tinguished Canadian engineers ob- tained a chatter at Ottawa and after many years of delay the building was begun only to have it terminate dis astrously in the collapse of the un. finished structure in 1907.
 Canadian Federal Railway depart-' ment then decided to reconstruct 1t and the undertaking was placed in the hands of a commission which included some noted American bridge builders. among them Ralph Modjeski of Chi rago and c. c. Schneider of New York. The plans for the bridge provided for a channel span longer than that of any existing today anywhere. It's ength from shore to shore when com- oletei would be 3,2g9 feet, and the space between the anchor butresses was 500 feet There would be two railroad tracks, two street car tracks md two roads, and while the bridge was being built primarily to be of ser vice for national trans-continental it would be used by tho following railroads: Canadian Pa- fife: Grand Trunk; Quebec Central; Quebec and Lake St. Tohn; Quebec and Saguenay; Cana lian Northern and Delaware and Hud- son.
 The bridge was being constructed at , cost of $17.000.o00 in order to shorten he railway journey from Halifax to he northwest by 200 miles.
 The bridge stands on the site of the structure which collapsed on August g, 1907, with loss of 70 lives.
 The central span which fell today weighs more than 5000 tons and Is $40 eet long.