Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill
Encyclopedia
Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill was an 1808 chain suspension bridge built across the Schuylkill River
, north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Designed by James Finley
, it became the model for his later chain suspension bridges.
The Chain Bridge had two spans: an eastern one of 200 feet (60.96 m), and a western one of about 100 feet (30.48 m). The bridge's chain cables were carried by paired A-frame
wooden towers on its east and west abutments, and a third pair built atop a stone pier rising from the river. An 1811 painting by Thomas Birch
at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
clearly shows the two unequal spans.
Its chains were made of 1.5-inch-square (3.8 cm) iron bar wrought into links of between 8 and 12 feet (2.44 and 3.66 m) in length. These were used for both the cables and the vertical suspenders. The suspenders were attached to 10-by-5-inch (25.4 cm x 12.7 cm) wooden joists spaced 10 feet (3 m) apart, and covered by a 2.5-inch-thick (6.4 cm) wooden deck that was 18 feet (5.5 m) wide and 306 feet (93.26 m) long.
Although Finley patented his Falls of Schuylkill
bridge and publicized it widely, it was not a success. "Part of the superstructure broke down in September, 1810, while a drove of cattle was crossing it, and in January, 1816, the bridge fell down, occasioned by the great weight of snow which remained on it, and a decayed piece of timber." The Chain Bridge was replaced by a wooden covered bridge in 1818.
The Reading Railroad Bridge
(built 1853-56, still in use) crosses the Schuylkill at the approximate location of the Chain Bridge.
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Designed by James Finley
James Finley (engineer)
James Finley , aka Judge James Finley, is widely recognized as the first designer and builder of the modern suspension bridge.Born in Maryland, Finley moved to a farm in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, near Uniontown...
, it became the model for his later chain suspension bridges.
The Chain Bridge had two spans: an eastern one of 200 feet (60.96 m), and a western one of about 100 feet (30.48 m). The bridge's chain cables were carried by paired A-frame
A-Frame
An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in a 45-degree or greater angle, attached at the top...
wooden towers on its east and west abutments, and a third pair built atop a stone pier rising from the river. An 1811 painting by Thomas Birch
Thomas Birch (artist)
Thomas Birch, American portrait and marine painter; born in London, England, in 1779; died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 3, 1851.He came to the U. S. in 1794, and assisted his artist father, William Birch, in preparing a 29-plate collection of engravings: "Birch's Views of Philadelphia"...
at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historical society founded in 1824 and based in Philadelphia. The Society's building, designed by Addison Hutton and listed on Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items...
clearly shows the two unequal spans.
Its chains were made of 1.5-inch-square (3.8 cm) iron bar wrought into links of between 8 and 12 feet (2.44 and 3.66 m) in length. These were used for both the cables and the vertical suspenders. The suspenders were attached to 10-by-5-inch (25.4 cm x 12.7 cm) wooden joists spaced 10 feet (3 m) apart, and covered by a 2.5-inch-thick (6.4 cm) wooden deck that was 18 feet (5.5 m) wide and 306 feet (93.26 m) long.
East Falls, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
East Falls is a neighborhood in the Northwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. East Falls is located adjacent to Roxborough, Manayunk, and Germantown, and Fairmount Park. The neighborhood runs along a stretch of Ridge Avenue that is only a few miles long, along the banks of the...
bridge and publicized it widely, it was not a success. "Part of the superstructure broke down in September, 1810, while a drove of cattle was crossing it, and in January, 1816, the bridge fell down, occasioned by the great weight of snow which remained on it, and a decayed piece of timber." The Chain Bridge was replaced by a wooden covered bridge in 1818.
The Reading Railroad Bridge
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Schuylkill River Viaduct
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Schuylkill River Viaduct, also called the Reading Railroad Bridge or the Falls Bridge or the Falls Rail Bridge , is a stone arch bridge that spans the Schuylkill River at Falls of Schuylkill, in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.It replaced an...
(built 1853-56, still in use) crosses the Schuylkill at the approximate location of the Chain Bridge.
See also
- Footbridge at Falls of SchuylkillFootbridge at Falls of SchuylkillSpider Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill was an iron-wire footbridge erected in 1816 over the Schuylkill River, north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though a modest and temporary structure, it is thought to have been the first wire-cable suspension bridge in history.-Chain bridge:Prior to the Spider...
- List of crossings of the Schuylkill River