NEW WESTMINSTER BRIDGE.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 207, 14 October 1859, Page 3

NEW WESTMINSTER BRIDGE.

(From the Times) -Xi Thb rapidity with -which-New Westminsterbvidge is being completed is a standing protest? against the inactivity displayed with the clockworks of the great tower which overlooks' it, and where,, though 16 years and upward? of £20,000 have been'{expended sqn-the-clocfe ,and belli, the* dials still make no sign. When, we last ,the progress of the bridge, only^a^vr weeks) ago, the whole range of iron arches were4rranged at Messrs. Cochranp's works, {jt. BatterseaA Each^ arch, was there' built' up 'almost as strongly as'if intended for carrying traffic' The'object gainedr by this erection was to ascertain in the-Jbest manner that each joint fitted, £so that on;being removed to the piers at Westminster nothing might remain, to do; biijt bdlt tliem into their places asfaßt as delivered. 'Whiltftlius temporarily ,erected, also, each separate girder of an arch and each arch when entire were tested both as to their stiffness and freedom from any excessive or unusual vibration. Since this was done the arches have been unbolted and removed to their permanent site, where such progress has been made in getting them together that already .three are almost entirely completed, and all the rest are rapidly advancing. The manner in which they are put together is simple and rapid in the extreme. On the stone abutment! or piers'are laid what are termed bed-plates, masses of castiron: lattice-work, which the granite is cut out to receive, and on to which the plates are firmly bolted. For the western half ofthe bridge, seven plates are required on each pier, and to every plate a cast-iron girder-rib of the arch is bolted. Each rib is made in seven pieces, those at each end,? where the vertical strain is greatest, being of The^centre piece^or crowff.of the work; which isexposed to conotant percussionand vibration, being made of wrought iron boiler plate, of sufficient strength to resist more than ten times the -moving load which ordinary daily traffic is ever' likely to put on it. . When the. bed-plate is fixed, the travelling crane lowers into it thefirst cast iron joint of one of the ribs which are to carry the arch. Directly this reaches its place it is bolted "with massive screw nuts to the plate, and by the time the screwing '.down". is completed, a similar part of, another rib ;is; ready for fixing byj its; side. In this manner the seven basement joints of the ribs or girders are soon' fixed, when, to 1 prevent any lateral movement diagonal girders of cast-irqn.are bplted in cross wise between each ribj which are again further strengthened by strait cross girders of the most solid description between each arch, at intervals of three feet apart* When the basement 'of the iron arch, sq to speak, is thus completed, the travellers bring the next length, of joints, which are secured to those already fixed in a similar, manner, and soon with the third length. In this ; as the work is commenced, at once on" two piers, by the time the third joint is affixed to the iron work on each, the arch (which is almost elliptical in form) is nearly complete^- and to connect the two piers nothing remains but to lower the> wrought iron ribs into-their places between the cast-iron ones and the span is made perfect. As fast as each archis completed, whatare termed " buckle plates" are bolted, over it. ; These' .consist ot sheets of wrought iron, six feet by four, and pressed in the form of a trough. -These rare secured with the convex side uppermost, and over these, on a bed of hard rubbish,, is placed the granite paving of the road way. ~';■.: -.■ •', :•; ■ '■: : ■• ■'■ ..-■'■ As we have said, already three arches are nearly completed, and the rest are advancing. That some of the latter may be fixed; it has been found necessary; to cut away several abutments of the old bridge, which projected too far to allow the iron;ribs to be placed. This cutting away, however, is a work of considerable labor, inasmuch as the piers of the old bridge are built mostly of brick, faced with stone. The stones are got rid of easily enough, but the brickwork is as hard as adamant itself, and pick or crowbar makes little impression. The bricks are either got out broken to powder, or else cuLaway as quarymeh work stone in solid masses, as intact as granite boulders. Thus cutting down the abutments has not the least effect on the stability of the bridge, which has literally Settled into such a Condition that it can proceed no further. The piers have found a natural foundation for themselves, and not the least subsidence has taken place for a long period. In fact, so carefully is the whole mass now shored up, that if even the foundations were much worse than they are, the bridge would still remain as it is. Not only have the defective arches been powerfully supported with timber, but between the foundations of the arches themselves and below low water mark, the divers have fixed beams of elm, so as to wedger each foundation beyond the chance of further decline. It would certainly relieve a good deal of anxiety on the part ofthe public if the same precautions were adopted with Blackfriars Bridge, which as far as regards instability and settlement is, we believe even in a worse condition than the long straggling obstacle which spans the river at Westminster. There is no doubt that while in its. present, condition, Blackfriars-bridge may be easily and effectually repaired by taking down the two centre defective arches, but if this is not done, and any accident does occur, not only would the two centre arches fall, but most of the others would probably follow them;. ■■'■■..'■ / .' ."■ ■ ..." ■■' 'V: : '~" ; During the delay which has arisen in the deliver^ of the ironwqrk at Westminster, Mr, Page, the engineer, has been indefatigable in pushing forward the other works, so.that as,littleas possible may retnairi;to,b'e: accomplished when thefirst half is opened, and the old bridge has to be taken down. With this view, Wherever the openings of the arches admitted of it, he has carried the eastern halves of the piers through, and all are now finished exceptspiers' No. .5, 4,; and . 1.... As an abutmentof the old bridge stands right in the way of No. 5 f>ier,;ndthihg^hatever can be done towards completeUnjf Jits eastern half till the 014 structure is removed. N. 014, however is nearly completed, and will be so entirely in about three months more. This pier passes "ght under the scaffolding which flupporfs-the centre and most defective arch of all, and the, supports had to be refixedin such a manner as to truss,; up;the arch, and yet not interfere with the worksof the pier below water. The greatest ;care and flkill were,neec(ed.to .effect this; but all the difficulties' were at last overcome by JVfr Pagt, and the pier jsiiqw complete, and by its: solidity adds strength : to}'the foundations of the told work. Almost the same obstacles had to be overcome in forming the eastern half of No. 4 pier, but over these too, Mr.. Page has triumphed in a similar manner. By thi?: progress the works commenced with the eastern half of the Bridge are not only considerably advanced, bill; an enormous outlay will be'saved in removing the old arches by tpakingthe piersserve assupportson which to rest thescaffoldings which, will be necessary for vthat purpose.: Cer-r tainly, as - far as ,cau be judged: at present, there 'seems no reason why the whole [structure should nqjtbq completed and the old bnei^einoved M %2! months from this date. The western half of the bridge will be ready for opening in September next,; aud^the difficulties which will then remain to be overcome are as nothing compared with those which have already been surmounted. -- :: "\ ;Thk Greek Kilt.—The national costume has^ by no means fallen into disuse at Athens;. the? King always wears it, and leads the fashion. ..The. Icilt, or fustianella, has, however, undergone a at! the hands of many of the smartest young men of the day, and from hanging Jimp rind close to the figure, now stands out searched and.quilted like,,cripoline, investing the gallants of Athens with a most lady-like appearance.^—Leader. '; ;.' ";' ;__ •_ ..._. v ~[ ;The Three Kingbioms.—-The fqllowing charac-? ' teristic 1 remarks were some time ago overheard fry { a j gentleman standing in a shop in Stirjihg, in which there was a stuffed eagle:—An English-, man, an Irishman, and a Scotsrnan,,entered the, shop, and Paddy, taking hold of the bird's beak, and talons, declared that "it would fights, noble battle ;'' to which the Scotsman rejoined that;"it would eat an unco deal «o' meat." The Englishman, looking at the bird,* said—" That bird w.ou|d; n]|ak« goofoundeti tough eating."—/,<^j^' «/"^r?i«^