(KEEFER, Samuel) 4 stereoscopic views of Clifton Bridge at Niagara Falls (Niagara?) c.1869
4 stereoscopic views (1 rather faded), each mounted on original card measuring about 3½ x 7 ins. Such was the success of Roebling’s 1855 Niagara railway suspension bridge, bringing myriads of tourists to view the famous Falls, that in the late 1860s it was decided to build a further suspension bridge for foot and carriage passengers only, further to enhance the attractions of the area. This second bridge was designed by Samuel Keefer with a single span of 1268 feet. The deck was hung from two cables, one on either side of the bridge, 12 feet apart at the centre of the structure but diverging to 42 feet apart at the towers. There were also stays and guys to stiffen the bridge. All the wirework was supplied from England, notably the cables, which were made by the famous firm of R.S.Newall of Gateshead, which had also supplied the cable for the Atlantic Telegraph. The bridge was opened in January 1869.Of these four views, one shows the bridge under construction, in particular the towers on either side of the gorge. These were in the form of truncated pyramids made of baulks of timber sheathed in boards and each crowned with a cast-iron cap on which sat the saddles. A further view (faded) shows a dramatic view taken from the top of one of the towers looking down and across the structure, clearly showing the splayed arrangement of the cable, while the other two, taken from ground level, show the arrangment of stays and guys. The bridge was virtually rebuilt by G.W.McNulty in 1889 with a wider and stronger roadway and steel stiffening trusses. It was finally removed in 1899 and replaced with a steel arch structure.
£450
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