Talk:Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge

2008 re-write

Seeing as this is just a stub, I am going to write a full article on this bridge in the next few days. I think I have pretty much everything I need from McCullough, Trachtenberg, Griggs, and many more. I would be writing up how the bridge was conceived, how it was built, and its impact. Target is for this article to be featured. Help and suggestions are welcome. Jappalang (talk) 07:22, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

Okay, first draft in place. Moving on. Jappalang (talk) 00:13, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

Reassessed for WP Trains as B-class mid-importance. I suggest that once you have a stable article (if its stable now, then thats fine) that you submit it for WP:GAN; its probably good enough for WP:FAC. You don't need a Peer Review for GAN, but it's recommended for FAC. I don't have time at the moment to do a Peer Review for you, but if no one else does it in the next week I have a go; but I'm not that good at US spelling and grammar.Pyrotec (talk) 10:45, 22 September 2008 (UTC)

Did you know...

• ... that a simple kite defeated cannons, steamers, and rockets in the bid to lay a line for the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge (pictured)? Jappalang (talk) 03:47, 22 September 2008 (UTC)

Colony then country

When the bridge was built, it connected the United States with the province of Canada, British North America. In 1867, Canada became part of the Dominion of Canada, and was subdivided, with Canada West becoming Ontario. GBC (talk) 07:03, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

In regards to this, what would be the problematic areas of this article? Could you point out the portions where they need correction? Jappalang (talk) 08:00, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

Regarding the reference to the collapse of Broughton Suspension bridge, the Designer is given as Samuel Brown, yet this bridge is not listed amongst his acheivements elsewhere and there is a suggestion that it was designed by Hewes. JDN —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.31.202.145 (talk) 08:13, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

Per Richard Scott, "Other English spans failed under load, including Brown's 1829 Broughton Bridge. Its 1831 collapse from marching soldiers setting up rhythmic vibrations resonant with the natural period of vibration of the bridge is said to have led to the rule to break step over bridges, although a French and Austrian span later collapsed for the same reason." What are the sources that state otherwise? Jappalang (talk) 08:33, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

[1] has flagged the attribution as questionable, and the WP article on Brown does not include it among bridges built by him. I have just created a stub for Broughton Suspension Bridge FWIW --Yendor1958 (talk) 07:48, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

I have added a footnote in respect to this. I hope this is a satisfactory measure. Jappalang (talk) 08:59, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Dismantling

It'd be nice if a couple of sentences discussed how the bridge was dismantled; "a piece at a time" is begging for more detail. Tempshill (talk) 15:55, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

I think the details of the dismantlement of the bridge are more pertinent to the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge as a construction section—the whole process is mostly intermixed, i.e. as one part is dismantled, it is replaced in function by a constructed item (technical details from Richard Buck's report, a primary source). I failed to find much secondary sources which delved into the details of the dismantlement (most just emphasized that the Suspension Bridge remained operational while it was being dismantled). Jappalang (talk) 01:55, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Well deserved FA

Glad to see this is now featured. One remaining question. How was the footbridge related to Ellet's final plan for the bridge? Was it going to be incorporated into the final structure? Was it planned to be part of Ellet's final structure? Was it intended to be used as scaffolding by Ellet or was that Roebling's idea? -- ☑ SamuelWantman 18:30, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

Several sources mentioned (as per the article) that the footbridge would support the construction of Ellet's final bridge. I believe only Irwin's book and Benson John Lossing's pictorial field-book stated that it would be used as scaffolding (which Roebling did as well). Roebling might or might not have taken the idea from Ellet, so the present text seems to be fine. Jappalang (talk) 02:03, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

I don't see where in the text it says that Ellet built the footbridge to support the construction of the final bridge, whether it was intended to be temporary or permanent, etc. Perhaps I missed it. --☑ SamuelWantman 10:39, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Ah, my mistake... I overlooked this. I have inserted it in. Jappalang (talk) 11:07, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Can you find a few bigger pictures? I noticed that most of those black and white pictures in the second half are all the same size- which is really small. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.70.94.164 (talk • contribs) 19:14, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Hi, you can click on the pictures to view larger versions (I believe 750 × 758 pixels for Maria is quite big). The 356 × 229 pixels Image:Renovated Suspension Bridge.jpg might be considered small, but it is the only public domain image that I can find (we need confirmed dates or authors to prove the image is in public domain). You can go to the Commons link (in the External links section) to view other public domain pictures of the bridge. Jappalang (talk) 02:03, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Roebling's educational credentials

Roebling was an engineering graduate from the Royal University of Berlin. This is as referenced from p. 74 of Billington. It is also stated in John A. Roebling: An Account of the Ceremonies at the Unveiling of a Monument to His Memory (1908, p. 26, Harvard University): "Thus it was that John Roebling was enabled to graduate from the Royal University of Berlin after a course at the Pedagogium of Erfurt, ...".[2] David Nye also said so in his American Technological Sublime (1996, p. 78, MIT): "John A. Roebling, an engineering graduate of the University of Berlin who had emigrated to the United States, ...".[3] Again his status as an engineer graduate is stated on p. 100 of 1955's Reader Digest: "John Roebling, graduate of the Royal Polytechnic School of Berlin, experimented with wire rope and made possible the modern suspension bridge." .[4]

Grigg's statement that "[Roebling] apparently never took the final exam to become a Baumeister (Building Master)" is also true. A Baumeister is a professional architect degree (status). Roebling is an engineering graduate, but never qualified (by not taking the exam) for Baumeister status. Engineers those days are involved in building structures, but they need not be architects (most American bridge builders before Ellet and Roeblings were not graduates of engineering or architecture even). Jappalang (talk) 05:40, 25 July 2009 (UTC)