300 



ENGINEERING. 



the rib by 1-inch pins at intervals of 5 feet, and 

 to the angle-iron stringer beams, which carry 

 the roadway. The roadway consists of corru- 

 gated flooring plates inch thick, 3 inches deep, 

 and 1 foot pitch. The plates are covered with 

 concrete of cement and granite chippings, and 



Hydraulic Canal Lift at Les Fontinettes, France. 



On the 8th of July took place the official cere- 

 monies attending the opening of this magnifi- 

 cent work near St. Omer on the Neuf- Fosse Ca- 

 nal, which connects the ports of Calais, Grave- 

 lines, and Dunkerque with the canal system to 



Fia. 3. FOOT-BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER OUSE. 



as the fir^t part of the roadway is necessarily 

 rather steep, it is stepped out into 2-feet-6- 

 inches treads, with a 3-inch rise. The string- 

 er beams, to which the flooring plates are riv- 

 eted, are of angle irons 6 inches by 3 inches by 

 inch, bent to a radius of 114 feet, having a 

 versed sine Of 11 feet 6 inches; and an orna- 

 mental rolled iron is riveted to each with coun- 

 tersunk rivets. Two ornamental cast - iron 

 pillars are fixed at each approach, and termi- 



the southward. It was begun by Louis XIV, 

 and all the barge traffic from the ports in the 

 vicinity of Calais, are obliged to pass through 

 this section on their way to Paris or Lisle. 

 The annual traffic amounts to 800,000 tons, and 

 will become greater with increased facilities. 

 Hitherto the change of level at Les Fontinettes 

 has been overcome by means of locks, and boats 

 were often detained for several days awaiting 

 their turn. While contemplating the construc- 



FIG. 4. HYDRAULIC CANAL LIFT AT LES FONTIXETTES, FRANCE. 



nate the hand railing. The total weight of the 

 iron work in this remarkable structure, includ- 

 ing the flooring plates, bolts, ornamental pillars, 

 etc., is less than 28J tons. The bridge was 



tion of a second series of locks, the attention of 

 the administration was directed to a hydraulic 

 canal lift that had been constructed on the 

 Trent and Mersey Canal in England. The 



designed by John J. Webster, and was erected result wns that a contract was made with 



under his superintendence. 



Messrs. Clark and Gail, an English firm, for 



