Great Achievements in Bridge Building 
BY C. R. YOUNG, Toronvro, 
Read before the Hamilton Association April 2nd, 1909. 
oe § SHE execution of great engineering works is always 
productive of general interest, not alone because of 
the magnitude or novelty of the works themselves, 
but also because of admiration of the foresight, courage, 
resourcefulness and perseverance of the men who conceive 
them and carry them to completion. Nor is the engineer 
who undertakes an extensive or novel work free from 
responsibility when tests made at the much-advertised 
opening show that the structure is capable of bearing 
certain specified loads. Not until years of service under 
actual working conditions have shown that it possesses the 
qualities of security and durability, is his mind relieved of 
the burden so long imposed upon it. 
Notable achievements in bridge building are not con- 
fined to the past century or to several centuries, for some 
of the boldest and most remarkable bridges that have ever 
been built were executed by primitive or semi-civilized 
peoples. In view of the material at their disposal and the 
knowledge which they then possessed, ancient engineers 
have as much claim to our admiration as those whose recent 
achievements are on every tongue. With their wood, 
vines, thongs of leather and stene, they built structures 
which essentially are the same as many of those executed 
to-day in materials of more recent development. Thus 
from the earliest times suspension bridges of great boldness 
were constructed in India, China, Thibet and South 
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