Suspension Bridges. 89 



ket into which he is put, and in which he is 

 pulled over from one side of a river to the other. 



4. One of the finest suspension bridges in the world is 

 at Niagara. It has a span of over 800 feet, and is nearly 

 250 feet above the Niagara River. This bridge is so 

 strong that ordinary trains pass over it. 



5. Another at Cincinnati, over the Ohio River, is 

 more than 2,200 feet in length. Its height above the wa- 

 ter is about 100 feet. 



6. The largest suspension bridge, most probably, in the 

 world is that now in process of construction between 

 New York and Brooklyn over the East River. It is 

 3,475 feet long between the anchorages, with a clear span 

 over the river of 1,595 ^ eet< The bottom of it is 135 feet 

 above the water. 



7. Light suspension bridges are sometimes 

 broken by too much vibration. This happened 

 to a small bridge over the river Loire, in 

 France, at a place called Angers. 



8. A lieutenant in command of a party of soldiers march- 

 ed them in the usual way, without causing them to break 

 step. As their regular tramp, tramp was felt by the bridge, 

 it began to swing, and went on swinging more and more, 

 until it finally broke from its fastenings and precipitated 

 those on it into the river, where several of them were 

 killed. 



9 Suspension bridges are so called because 

 the floor or roadway is hung or suspended from 

 the curved cables. Other bridges are built of 

 stone, iron, wood, or brick ; their roadways 

 usually over or alongside of the arches. 



