The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-05-10
.QUEBEC'S BIG BRIDGE
ALMOST COMPLETED
Famous Canti1ever Over the ST. Law
renee Will Be Ready for Use
in October

MONTREAL, May 10.-After eight
years Of work, the famous Quebec
bridge over the st. Lawrence river
near the city of Quebec, the largest
cantilever bridge in the world, is APP
preaching completion. BY next Octo-
Der, according to present estimates,
TINS great structure, which viii cost
$lTo00,0OO, will be finished, so far as
steel construction is, concerned, and
work trains will be running over it.
The Quebec bridge wins the title of
the largest cantilever bridge in the
world by margin of 80 feet in the
length OF its greatest span, the Firth
of Forth bridge in Scotland coming
second. The piers Of the Quebec bridge
are 800 feet apart and the suspended
span is $40 feet long.
The work of building the Quebec
bridge was undertaken eight years ago
by the Canadian government. 1t was
one OF the great schemes conceived
under the administration of Sir Viii
fred Laurier and his liberal cabinet.
and forms part of the great National
Transcoutinental system, the "'bete
noir' OF the Canadian government to-
day. The first government guarantee
was for $4,000 600, a sum at that time
estimated as sufficient for CARRYING out
the enterprise.
During the construction of the
bridge thus begun, the structure gave
way, some 90 persons losing their lives
i'm the resultant disaster. The worI,
was begun al over again. and bv the
time the structure is complete the cx-
pcHditure will be almost triple the
original estimates.
The cantilever principle involves the
construction of two long spans with
piers under their centcrs and not at
the ends, as in other types of bridges.
central or connecting span is hung
between the free ends of each can't
lever. These high members can be
built out from the piers member bv
member on one side and then on the
other, 50 rs to keep the weight Of the
growing span properly balanced on the
supporting pier No scaffoldinc or
false work is necessary with this tvpe
OF construction, and navigation of the
stream is not impedcd In many posi-
tions the cantilcver is the simplest and
most economical method of bridging.
Comparison between the Quebec
bridge and the stnpendous structure
erected over the Firth of Forth in
natural The Firth Of Forth bridge has
one tower on the Island of Inchgarvie
aud it is 260 feet wide. The distance
between adjacent faces of the support
ing piers is LILO feet. as AGAINST 500
feet in the case of the Quebec bridge.
I'm Interesting feature of the Ouebe.
bridge is that the anchor or shore end
Of the span and the free end balance
each other 50 closely that there is ONLY
about 1000 tons Of difference between
them. the free end weighing abNut
24.o3o,oOO pounds and the shore end
-6.eoo,oo0 pounds
During the past season about 30
eco tons OF steel were erected. The
estimated total weight of the bridge
IS 65,000 tons. The record dav 5 ton
mage in 1915 was GO tons on the south
shore traveller, although there were
several days IN which over GOO tons
were erected by this traveller. An
average Of $50 day was made in the
erection of the south shore post.
At present, work is proceeding with
the erection of the south shore can
tilcver, and this viii be completed
early in the fail. The suspending span
Is also being erected at Sillcrv Cove,
n point about three miles below the
bridge site.
When completed the center span
viii be floated to the site on pontoons.
This span, which is $40 feet long, 10
feet high at the center, IS feet wide
and weighs about 5000 tons, will be
attached to long hangers, from the
ends of the cantilever arms and lack
ed into place by means of heavy lacks
placed on the erection girders at each
. corner Of the cantilcver arm. This
part Of the bridge construction will
take about "a hours, it is expected.