The Quebec Bridge is a riveted steel truss structure and is 987 m (3,238 ft) long, 29 m (95 ft) wide, and 104 m (341 ft) high. [8] Laurier was MP for Quebec East riding, while the president of the QBRC, Simon-Napoleon Parent, simultaneously was Premier of Quebec from 1900 to 1905, and was Quebec City's mayor from 1894 to 1906. Quebec Bridge is a railroad (railway) bridge, cantilever truss bridge and steel bridge that was built from 1904 until 1907. Information Relevant to the Iron Ring Ceremony, "Kahnawake Mohawks mark 1907 Quebec bridge disaster", "Mohawks join memorial for 75 who died in 1907 Quebec Bridge collapse", "Why Bridges Have Failed Throughout History", Article on "Bridge Collapse Cases/Quebec Bridge" at MatDL, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quebec_Bridge&oldid=975704023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 August 2020, at 23:37. Frants Lichtenberg's letter to his son Steen Lichtenberg in 1954, describing the construction of the Quebec Bridge. The Quebec Bridge structure plunged over 150 feet taking with it the lives of 75 workers. A more experienced engineer might have telegraphed Cooper, but McLure wrote him a letter, and then went to New York to meet with him on August 29, 1907. Cooper then agreed that the issue was serious, and promptly telegraphed to the Phoenix Bridge Company: "Add no more load to bridge till after due consideration of facts." A cantilever bridge was proposed as the most feasible design to bridge the harsh, icy waters of the St. Lawrence River. Summer Activities; Winter Activities; Events; Customize Your Trip. Living History; Vibrant Culture; Outdoors Nearby; Shopping; Family Fun; See All . The bridge accommodates three highway lanes (none until 1929, one until 1949, two until 1993), one rail line (two until 1949), and a pedestrian walkway (originally two); at one time it also carried a streetcar line. The Quebec Bridge was declared a historic monument in 1987 by the Canadian and American Society of Civil Engineers, and on January 24, 1996, the bridge was declared a National Historic Site. [20][21][verification needed] Immediately, fears of German sabotage were reported but it was soon clear that another tragic construction accident had befallen the structure (a problem with the hoisting devices). A bridge at Diamond Harbor would, it estimated, cost at least eight millions. Source: Quebec Bridge Report of the Government Board of Engineers, Vol. The bridge has been featured on two commemorative postage stamps, one issued by the Post Office Department in 1929[22], and another by Canada Post in 1995.[23]. As one result, Galbraith and others formed around 1925 what are now recognized as organizations of Professional Engineers. The Quebec Bridge was designated a National Historic Site in 1995.[2]. Re-construction began almost immediately after the accident and special permission granted for the bridge builders to acquire the steel that was in high demand because of the War effort. [15] The chief engineer was made aware of the problem six weeks before the collapse by the engineer that was responsible for the construction of the centre section, Frants Lichtenberg. However, preliminary calculations made early in the planning stages were never properly checked when the design was finalized, and the actual weight of the bridge was far in excess of its carrying capacity. 10 Best Things to Do in Old Québec View. [18] It is presumed that Szlapka escaped as well. Construction was ultimately completed in August 1919, at a total cost of $23 million and 88 bridgeworkers' lives. Its centre span of 549 metres (1800 ft) remains the longest cantilevered bridge span in the world and is considered[by whom?] They are made up of more than 12,500 steel wires which, placed end to end, would circle three-quarters of the globe. a major engineering feat. Restaurants. The Quebec Bridge was the longest cantilever structure attempted until that time. Thereafter, QBRC consulting engineer Theodore Cooper was completely in charge of the works,[13] and on July 1, 1905,[10] Schreiber was demoted and replaced as deputy minister and chief engineer by MJ Butler. [7] An Act of Parliament the same year was necessary to guarantee the bonds by the public purse. The bridge is now illuminated at night. The new design was again for a bridge with a single long cantilever span, but a much more massive one. The Royal Commission, which was granted by Edward VII by advice of his Governor General, Albert Grey, on August 31, 1907, consisted of three members, who were all engineers of good standing: Mr. Henry Holgate, of Montreal, Mr. JGG Kerry, of Campbellford, Ontario also an instructor at McGill University, and Professor John Galbraith, then dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. Designated as a national historic site by the minister of Canadian Heritage and an international historic monument of civil engineering by the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Category:Quebec Bridge. The Quebec Bridge Company did contract with William Davis & Sons to build the substructure on August 22, 1899. [citation needed], However, the message had not been passed on to Quebec before it was too late. It is considered the longest cantilever bridge in the world. Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day, 75 were killed and the rest were injured,[15] making it the world's worst bridge construction disaster. The Commissioners also found that: (k) The failure on the part of the Quebec Bridge and Railway Company to appoint an experienced bridge engineer to the position of chief engineer was a mistake. Right beside it stands the Pierre-Laporte Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Canada, which took four years to build and opened in 1970. "Theodore Cooper Dies at 81" New York Times obituary. Before the Quebec Bridge was built, the only way to travel from the south shore of the St. Lawrence in Lévis to the north shore at Quebec City was to take a ferry or use the winter-time ice bridge. (It was the all-categories longest span in the world until the Ambassador Bridge was completed in 1929.) The Commissioners presented their Report in full on February 20, 1908, issued 15 conclusions, and included the hindsight work of consulting bridge engineer C.C. Armed soldiers, and later Dominion Police, guarded the structure and checked passes until the end of the War. Do you really want to delete this item from your favorites? It would be very nice to have, with its double track, electric car track, and roads for vehicles and pedestrians, and would no doubt create a goodly traffic between the two towns, and be one of the show works of the continent. In 2015, the Quebec bridge was included in a list of the 10 most endangered historic sites in Canada by the National Trust of Canada due to long overdue paint and repair work. After years of construction, the bridge was finally opened to railway traffic in 1917. The Quebec Bridge Company was first incorporated by Act of Parliament under the government of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1887,[3] later revived in 1891,[4] once again revived for good in 1897 by the government of Wilfrid Laurier,[5] who granted them an extension of time in 1900. All data contained herein is subject to change and is provided without warranties. To date, CN Rail has not agreed to match this amount. (d) This design was examined and officially approved by Mr. Theodore Cooper, consulting engineer of the Quebec Bridge and Railway Company. General guidelines include that an engineer must pass an ethical examination, be able to show good character through the use of character witnesses, and have applicable engineering experience (in Canada this constitutes a minimum of four years' practice under a certified Professional Engineer). The bridge project was financially troubled from the beginning. 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