THE NEW TAY BRIDGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1587, 17 June 1887, Page 3

THE NEW TAY BRIDGE

The last girder for the new Tay bridge was floated on 26th February from the work* at the south shore, and paced m position m the navigable channel iv the centre of the tiver. The massive structure weighs between 500 and 600 tons. The operation trai witnessed by Mr Barlow and Mr Orawford Barlow, vhe engineers cf the bridge, and Mr Arrol, the contractor. With tbe floating out of this girder the last stage of the work of erecting the new structure bas been entered upon. Although the half of the 145 feet girder Immediately to the south of the large spam has yet to be placed In poiitlon, the two banks of the river •re now connected. The permanent way way on the north side has been laid to within ft ihort distance of thia hrge girder, while on the loath Bide tbs r«iU have been Md across almost to tb« lut of the 145 feet girder m the flection of the bridge. An attempt was to be made to have the structure aeady for the running of goods traffic m May, while the 20th June, fixed for the celebration of Her Majesty's Jubilee, baa been suggested foir the formal opening. A number of yomg men went out from the Dundee end of the bridge to wltnesa the pltolng of the girder, and, after it had been Mt 60 the tops of tbe piers, they croised over to the Fife Bide, being the first to do 10 by meana of the new bridge. In the couree of the journey, however, one of them narrowly escaped loning his life* The girder to the south of the large spam Is yet without \hv two parts formIng the central portion, and In oroeslng It one of the young men slipped. He had, however, lofficient presence of mind to Rrisp, the boom m hia fall, and by this means recovered bis footing; Should the contractors finish the bridge m Jane, they will have taken five yoara to complete the con tract. It is noticeable that the oombined length cf theaa ■even girders already raised to their fall height Is almost equal to one of the large spans of the Forth bridge. From plar to pier of the cantilevers of the Forth bridge la 1710 feet, and the combined length of peven of tte large Tay bridge girders is 1715 feet. Mr Arrol Is to be congratulated on the suocesj whloh baa hitherto attended his operations at the bridge, A great amount of foresight and anxious thought have been required from him, bat the result has been a series of ■accesses which must have been gratifying not only to himself, bnt to all directly interested In the building of the bridge. Be has united the counties of Fife and Fotfar a second time, and it is to be hoped that what ho has joined together elemental forces will not ruthlessly out ••under.