The Huron Expositor, 1979-11-29, Page 36,:iirrmrrmirrwarr,mnp rrwor• .arrwrorrmrtrrls•rmr•prrrrrmriprIPIVIVOINVIITIFFIFIt• Ara• -•1:`,0:3 'MO I
II THE HURON EXPOSITOR, NOVEMBER 014 104
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Th
W.G. STRONG
A bridge is a structure culling a
highway °Vega rivulet. a stream, a river er
valley Or OWObStrittika_., or interruption
to traffic without' elesing the way beneath.
Bridges seem to have existed from
antiquity, Perhaps Nature fashianed the
first bridge, The fallen log. the natural arch,
farmed by Make or vine festeetted from;
tree, to tree across a strewn. were the
'Prototypes of the beam, the ;arch, the
sUsPOTtSton bridge. Perhaps the first
bridges crossed by man were of natural:
origin- Primitive man with his hand -made
and crudely-fashianed tops Was readY to;
imitate the structure designed by Nature.
He felled a tree so that it dropped across a
1 chasm, a. venial genius. Log beams Iaid
front stone to stone placed across a stream
formed the first multiple span with its
intermittent piers. Later two trunks were
laid parallel to each other and branches
laid thereon to form the fitst bridge floor.
In warm climates, man fashioned vines and
creepers into ropes to form a primitive
cable crossing. A woven mat formed a
suitable foot -path. For greater comfort and
safety, side structures were added to form
a cage or hammock.
• Modern bridges are constructed of iron,
steel cables, reinforced concrete or sire -
compressed concrete, the latter being of
recent use in order to carry heavy traffic
over highway overpasses.
Bridges constructed today may be
classified by their structural form. The
simplest form is the single span resting
upon two supports. Basically these upright
or perpendicular supports or pillars are of
varying heights depending, upon. the ele-
vation of the land adjacent to the stream as
• well as to the depth of the basin. The more
lengthy bridges conSist of a series Of spans
supported upon. concrete piers. The more
• complicated include moveable bridges
which are structured so as to permit the
• passage of ships where the elevation of a
fixed span would be •insufficient. The three
main types of moveable bridges are the
swing bridge in which a single span turns
about on a vertical axis on a central pier;
the cantilever bridge in which two adjoin-
, ing , spans are raised mechanically on
••permanent axes to an angle of sortie sixty
degrees or more and the lift bridge which is
raised vertically. The most modern strucL
tures are of the suspension type pertnitting
;increased span lengths. Tubular passage-
ways under wide waterways where the rock
• is blasted away and concrete walls, ceiling
and floor installed are making their
usefulness kabwin. Many of the largest
bridgeserected in this century were. built ;
by companies as a business investment for
• crossing water barriers, Some of our most
• modert structures are being built by the
. government of the day; and paid for, over
• the years, by a system of tolls.
FIRST BRIDGES
• The first bridges in Canada as in most
• forested countries in the world were made
of timber sawn at a local mill or hea,vy joists
hand-hewn and shaped by skilled, crafts- •
men. Wood was cheap and plentiful,
Government engineers_ understood the
technicalities •of streis• and tension in
bridge buildialc but were glad to employ
local labour ftthe carpentry. The' settlers
were eiPerientreditrputting up their frame
houses and barns and the framed super-
structure of a wooden bridge was sturdy if
not fancy, Those pioneer builders did not
have.access to modern preservatives and
realized that •the usefulness' of these
bridges was of short dOration. The covered
bridge could outlast by eight, or ten. times
• that of an exposed' type. Fire, 'wind and
weather, however; limited their longevity.
• Rock -filled . wooden piers supported the
• superstructure and future layers could be
added' to jack aril a sagging deck.
In building colonization roads,' water-
ways required many bridges'. Land' sun'
• veyors laid down a regular • pattern of
rectangular townships and highway engin-
• eers followed' this pattern in road building
in this new country rather than having to
follow ancient tracks along river -banks and
around hills as in the long-sertled areas.
• Thus the bridges were in line with the
roads not needing the picturesque Tight -
angled turns so; familiar withthe older
• covered bridge •depicted on Christmas
cards: •
•
• CONNECTICUT INVENTED
Practically allcovered bridges were built
on the mode ;patented by a Connecticut
inventor, Ithiel Town, in 1820, His design
was essentially a lattice truss forming eaeh
wall of the wooden tunnel. The truss made
use of shorter. lighter timbers andcciuld be
built to any required.length, These bridges.
• were sheathed. in clapboard' or tongue -and-
• groove material. Two twenty-four inch
spaces were left; open at shoulder height
and under the eaves,to admit light. These
openings also acted as vents to release the
gales that sometimes buffeted the bridge
off its piers or at least the roof. •Painted
pale grey with red or green trim, they were
originally roofed with;split cedar shingles
but later, when the roofing was replaced,
tin or asphalt Vvas used. Due to the passago
of he time iron rods were affixed to
• strengtheti the truss. ,The date a construe-.
tion, the height of the opening or portal as
• well as the speed of•liassage was posted at
the entrance. The weight of the vehicle an(1.
leadwas' restricted. Horses walked rather
than •trotted. Trucks. and cars are •usual',
; restricted to fifteen Miles per hour.
• In certain parts of Eastern Canada and
the adjoining New England States covered
bridges are still fashionableA recent
newspaper article estimated that there are
fifty covered bridges still to be viewed or
crossed within a. relatively short distance of
downtown Montreal. North of.. the Ottawa
River in Ontario and Quebec as Well as in
the Eastern. Towhships these romantic
'structures lend dignity to the country -side
where once horse and buggy populace was
content with a Winding -road and a bridge
just wide enough to permit the passage of a'
load of hay or grain in single file. They
stand tucked away in the countryside
•poised patiently over 'waterways , often
reduced to mere trickles in mid -summer.
Artists and photographers record for
posterity these frame structures which man
and beast crossed years ago so that their
presence -Will never be fbrgotten. Interest
in covered bridges will continue- leng .after
the last example has been demolished,
"It has seen much joy and happiness,
It has witnessed peace and strife
But now it's old and growing grey.
It has passed its prime of life.
A new highway by-passes it,
You'd think its work was done
But that is not the case at all,
Its work has but begun.
Folks drive by to see it now
And watch the waters flow
And marvel at the lifespan
Of this bridge built long ago."
(McCoy)
• WHY COVERED?
Why were these covered bridges built in
the first place? It has been recorded that
horses tended to shy at setting foot on a
bridge from which they could see the
running water. A romantic theory holds
that the reason was to furnish the rural
traveller in the olden days with shelter
from downpours and snowstorms but the
actual purpose was more prosaic. The
coverings as•statecl above provided protect-
ion against the rotting effects of sun, wind'
' and rain. The walls were designed. with
-ample open spaces to permit the snow to
blow in on the decking but additional loads
• had to be spread over the plank flooring to
permit easy passage of sleighs and cutters.
• Covered bridges! How the words ring
solidly of old-fashioned days- • invoking
memories and sounds that have faded with
the years These sturdy structures have
• heard the hollow punctuation of the
•lip -clop -clop of horses' hooves clumping
• on wood, the creaking' and rattling of
• wagons and carriages, the heavy whisper
• of sleighs, the tin -tin -tabulation of sleigh-
• bells, the drumming of rain. 'the whistle of
• the wind through the' chinks, the echoing
calls and laughter of generations 'of
• children delighting in its mysterious
acoustics.
••
• WHO PLANNED 1T9
The tourist who snips to witness these
relics o f a by -gone age has many un-
answered questions flash upon his brain.
Whoplanned.the dcsign of intricate
pattern of sloping roof, of firm enduring
bastion?'How long has its trembling arches
and the vibrations of its walls withstood the
march of time? How long has it, stretched
its 'full length so patiently across the
wayward stream? What, solace has it
brought on snowy nights as a protection
a ai tthe 1 ti f of I d
•
wind? How often have travellers held their
breath and made their last wish as they
Placed their trust in its magic power? How
many lovers have carved their names or
initials in hearts on the heavy beaPIS new'
aged and dark and rough? Whattales it
could tell standing there at ease,,, quietly
romantic!!
These bridges were useful in many other
ways. It did not take the rural merchant or
the village retailer long to discover the
potential for messages that they hoped
would be of passing interest. The front -
posts and siding near the entrance adver-
tise() all kinds of goods and products; farm
machinery, harness, blankets, liniments,
cough syrups, tobacco. Farmers displayed
notices oil:upending auction sales. Church
organizations called attention to forth-
coming events such as the lawn social, on
the church grounds or the fowl supper
served in the church hall or basement. At
• municipal election time notices relative to
nomination •day and voting day and the
exact location of the respective polling sub-
divisions were much in evidence. When
provincial and federal elections were
called, large posters bearing the pictures of
the local candidates and their respective
party affiliation were prominently' dis-
played. Traces of present-day advertise-
ments may still be seen. Rustic forerunners
of highway bill hoards.
• Now their sides are weathered and
• splintered. Loose boards that rattle in the
wind allow shafts of sunlight to steal into
their cool recesses or dance upon the worn
planks. Neighbouring children delight to
play in the cool depths of this retreat or
climb among its trusses to peer into the
nests of birds or fondle the nestlings. They
hold their noses when vagrant brisk
breezes stir up the dust of the years long
past.
"Like some vague dream this memory
comes to me •
Of crossing a. covered bridge once, •long
The horses' hooves re-echo rhythmically
With that strange far-off sound that made
one grow.
Into a musing, meditative mood
The world outside appears to fade away;
The cool, dim shadows brought an, inter-
'
• u e
So calm one almost wished that it might
stay. • •• •
But all too soon the inteival would end,
'The soothing world of dreams was, left
• behind. ,•
But thoughts of it come back as if to lend
• A healing, tranquil moment to the mind."
•(Bruner)
• In conclusion it is worthy of note that the
now famous Hartland •Bridge in New.
Brunswick carries the Trans Canada High-
way across 'the St. John River near
Fredericton. It retains its picturesque
attractiveness as being the longest covered
bridge in the world, its seven spans
'measure almost thirteen hundred feet, a
quarter mile. Constructed in 1897 it was
rebuilt in 1920 at which time a covered
pedestrian walk was added to supplement
the, travelled, section for motor vehicles.
There •was ,romance in those 1pioneer
bridges including the convenient privacy
they offered courting couples. Covered
bridges are becoming museum pieces
along many highways. Heavier and faster
vehicles are often banned from spans built
for lighter traffic but there is evident
• renewed interest' in preserving many by
roadside parks where they can please the
eye without bearing the brunt of heavy
traffic. They forge a fascinating link with
the past. •
• • -•—•ir
L.)
A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT—It was a full house at the) :tear tables
during Saturday afternoon's annual Christmas bazaar held in St. James,
School. (EXPOsiter PhOtO),
C00. so.10.. appears in :Perth •
BY pATLyricn, • Crops Information meeting
at the Stratford Coliseum,
"This past Year a new' smut
- head smut- has been re-
cognized in Perth county. It
is present in other parts of
the world, but this is the first
time it has been recognized
in Perth County. It can be
destructive. In one field in
the Niagara area, it caused a
• 5 to 2S per cent reduction.
The losses in Perth County
have 'been less than 1% in
any field, '
To date, it has been
positively identified on one
• company's hybrid. There are
reports that it is on, other
companies' hybrids, but
these have not been " con-
firmed. •
We have, two types of
smut. The first is commOn
sr ',kb we have every
• ',ears •as the black
h 4 can occur almost,
a vhece on the, corn plant.
It cioes not cause a significant
• yield reduction. However,
head, smut can cause a
reduction in yield. •It
develops on the cob. The
• whole cob is replaced by
sntut 0211s. There is no grain
on the cob. There is very
little known about this
disease in our area. It is
thought that the disease is
introduced to this area by
seed. The biggest question
• we have, to know is, did it
occur on all corn hybrids in
• 1979? Wetope to havethese
answers before spring. We
will have an update on this
disease at the Perth County
4oet
Sterling Silver
CHARMS
0'
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Now is the time to add to your charm bracelet or pick, a
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OPEN ALL DAY 'WEDSTESDAV
Free Gift Wrapping
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11 Albert St. • 203 Durham E. 284 Main St
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