Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-09-11
QUEBEC SPANS
BREAK THROWS
men IN RIVER
$17,00o,000 Structure, lust
Built, ColiapSes as Work
men are Finishing
STOOD ON SCENE OF
GREAT TRAGEDY OF 1907
Previous Effort to Erect Huge
cantiIever Resulted in
Death OF rs
tA..osl.,.a Pres. By Federal wireless,

QUEBEC. Canada, Sept. H.
4 second tragic disaster came to-
day in the construction of the new.
great bridge over the 81. Lawrence
river from Quebec to the opposite
shore -the largest eantilever sas-
pension bridge in the world.
The new central span, just be-
ing brought to completion after
years of work, collapsed and the
huge structure of iron and steel
fell into the ST. Lawrence river.
The disaster occurred as the
great span was being hoisted into
place. There were 80 men work
ing on it when the supports cr,im-
pied and the mass of metal hurtled
downward into the deep river wa.
ters.
1t is believed that at least %
of the workmen have been lost,
as many have not yet been ac-
counted for. Observers from the
shore, gathered to watch the hoist.
ing of the mammoth span, c0lh
see, the workmen struggling In the
water.
The structure sank 200 feet and
civil engineers. after a hasty In
spection OF the crumpled MISS,
doubt whether it can be raised
-grsm it,. he'd OF wafer and mud = Z
The cost Of the span is $17, 00ll,-
900. The bridge was planned to
shorten the railway from Halifax
and the Pacific Northwest 200
miles.
The bridge piers stand on the
site where a similar structure col
lapsed in August, 1907, with a loss
of 40 lives. Undaunted by this,
a still heavier and stronger bridge
was designed and work on 1t start
cd not long after.
The history of the Quebec bridge IL
long and interesting. AS early IS
1852 the project had been considered;
In 1884 it was up again for considera-
ton: but nothing was done till 1900
when the Quebec Bridge & Railway
Co. began actual construction. IN
1907 the sections that had ben erected
collapsed, with serious loss OF HE.
After the disaster the governments de-
cided to have the bridge reconstructed
and appointed a board of three engi-
neers to study various designs and to
report q choice. They chose . can't
lever design; contracts for construc-
ton were let in 1910 and 1911; and
since the latter date the board OF en-.
gineers has comprised Ralph Nodes
XII. C.E., Chicago, Mr.. @. G. Schneider,
C.E., PhiladeIphia, and Mr.. c. ". Non
sarrat, C.E.. of Quebec, chairman and
chief engineer.
The main span is the longest IN the
great bridges Of the world. being, &C
cording to the plans, 1900 feet IN
length. From the floor Of the bridge
to the top Of the main post Is Q height
Of 185 feet and the width Is IS feet.
Other interesting features OF the
new bridge are the weight Of the steel
structure, which Is 5000 tons: the
main posts were 80 feet above the
main piers; each post weighs 12,000,-
900 pounds and rests on shoes
weighing 400 tons; one Of the Gals
sons, measuring $50 feet by IS feet
and sunk IS feet below the river bot
tom, Is the largest on record; and
the center span (suspended) was $40
feet long and weighed 5000 tons. The
bridge was to be completed In 1917
and would have been one Of the WON
ders Of the world.