Open Road — Guides — Railroads — Canals — Bridges 



river the greater portion of the wreck was hidden, and there it 1899 

 remains to this day. . . . Dunlap 



While they mourned the loss of their bridge the controlling 

 companies were equal to the occasion, and at once ordered it to be 

 duplicated. This rebuilding of the bridge was a feat of surprising 

 rapidity ; but as the iron-mills had all the patterns, the steel parts 

 were quickly at hand. On March 22nd, 1889, the duplicate 

 bridge was started, and on May 7th, 1889, it was opened for 

 travel, thus accomplishing one of the most notable feats of bridge 

 construction ever witnessed on the Niagara frontier. This 

 structure had a width of 1 l^/l feet, and when it was built the men 

 behind it believed they were building for all time. 



Not so, however. In 1 889 they little realized that the ensuing 

 decade would bring forth such wonderful changes in the Niagara 

 region as to demand a voluntary destruction of the handsome 

 structure they had built, in order that it might give way to a more 

 modern and a better bridge. But all this was to be and has now 

 taken place. With the development of great units of electrical 

 power at Niagara Falls there was a revolutionizing force of won- 

 derful power set free. The horse-car lines of the region and 

 other new roads were electrically equipped, and a new force was 

 set to work developing the Niagara surroundings. With the con- 

 struction of electric roads on both sides of the gorge for scenic 

 purposes there came a demand for international connection 

 of the lines, in order that a belt-line trolley service might be 

 operated about the gorge. The modern electric car is heavily 

 weighted, and it was found that none of the bridges were suffi- 

 ciently strong to furnish the required service. This led to the 

 determination to replace the upper and new suspension bridge with 

 an all-metal arch. 



This arch was built in 1897-98, and has the distinction of 

 being the greatest steel arch in the world. The abutments stand 

 close to the water's edge on both sides of the river, and the length 

 of the main span between them is about 840 ft. This arch has 

 but one floor, on which room has been provided for double tracks 



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