Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill
Coordinates: 40 ° 0 ′ 23 " N , 75 ° 11 ′ 34" W.
| Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill | ||
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| Official name | Chain Bridge at the Falls of Schuylkill | |
| use | Road bridge | |
| Crossing of | Schuylkill River | |
| place | Philadelphia | |
| construction | Chain bridge | |
| width | 5.50 m | |
| Number of openings | two | |
| Longest span | 61 m | |
| completion | 1808 | |
| planner | James Finley | |
| closure | 1816 | |
| location | ||
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The chain bridge at Falls of Schuylkill was a chain bridge over the Schuylkill River near the falls, now in north Philadelphia . It was built in 1808 according to the subsequently patented plans of the farmer, politician and justice of the peace James Finley and was thus the third real suspension bridge in which two support chains are guided over pylons and the horizontally running bridge deck is attached to the support chains with hangers. At the same time, it was the third suspension bridge that could be used by vehicles.
The bridge had a pair of wooden pylons on the brick abutments on the bank and on a pillar in the river, so that there was a main span of 61 m and one of 30.5 m. The two wrought iron suspension chains were led over the pylons and anchored in the banks. In accordance with the system that Finley has used several times, they extend below the bridge deck, so that the 5.50 m wide carriageway is partly carried by the chains and partly suspended from them. The suspension also consisted of vertical, wrought-iron chains, which were connected to the beams reaching under the wooden bridge deck.
The bridge collapsed in 1816 under a heavy snow load.
Finley described the bridge and the basic ideas behind its design in his 1809 patent.
Individual evidence
- ↑ James Finley: Finley's Chain Bridge in The Port Folio, Vol. III , pp. 440-453