NIAGARA’S FIRST BRIDGE

A WIRE CABLE THAT CARRIED AN IRON BASKET-WOMEN PASSENGERS

Buffalo Courier

[Welland Telegraph, 15 May 1891]

In the historical society’s rooms in the library building stands an iron basket of latticed and riveted iron strips, painted red, with room for two persons to sit vis a vis on a wooden bottom-altogether a rough and ancient looking contrivance. It was used in years long past to convey human freight across Niagara’s gorge, and in imagination one can see the queer-looking object on grooved wheels running on the small cable above, shoot down the cable’s deflection till the centre was reached, then climb the opposite incline and by other aid finally reach the Canadian bank.

The basket has an interesting history, as the following letter in the possession of the secretary of the society will show. It was written by Judge Hulett of Niagara Falls, and has never before been published.

“George F. Barnum, secretary Buffalo historical society. Dear Sir: It gives me much pleasure to be enabled to furnish you the history of the ‘iron basket’ which was a preliminary means in the construction of the great railroad suspension bridge that now spans the Niagara River, the admiration of the world. The dates I will give you were taken from a diary kept by me during the work.

During the winter of 1847 the State of New York granted a charter to the International Bridge company to build a suspension bridge across the river, and the same winter a similar charter was granted in Canada to the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge company for a like purpose. Those two corporations formed a joint board of directors and entered into a contract with Charles Ellet, jr., a noted engineer and bridge builder of Philadelphia, to build a wire railroad bridge across the Niagara river about two miles below the falls.

“In the later part of January, 1847, the engineer arrived at the village of Niagara Falls. The inhabitants were all astir on learning of his arrival and flocked about the Eagle tavern, where Mr. Ellet was stopping, eager to hear the news. I was among the number, and while there was chosen by the engineer to take charge of the iron part of the structure, he being unable to be present all the time. He then stated that some immediate means of communication across the gorge without the trouble of going to Lewiston, seven miles below, must be established. He planned the erection of wooden tower on either side, twenty-five feet in height. Over these towers he proposed to stretch a thirty-six strand wire cable, with a deflection of 25 feet. On the cable he would place a saddle or yoke with two grooved wheels, and suspended therefrom a car or basket large enough to carry two persons with their necessary tools. The basket was to be propelled from the bank on either side by means of a drum geared to a crank shaft. The thing to be considered now was what kind of a basket could be constructed that would have sufficient strength and be of the least possible weight. He showed me a sketch of one constructed of wood that he thought would weigh not to exceed 150 pounds. I suggested iron instead of wood for its structure, and as an outcome each of us constructed a basket of our favorite material, when it was found that my basket weighed ten pounds less that his. This basket cable was a preliminary structure to another that was to precede the main structure of the bridge. The second preliminary was the erection of two wooden towers on either bank of the gorge, seventy-five feet in height and the chasm fifty feet apart. Two cables were thrown across the chasm, resting on these towers, and across them, at intervals of six feet, were placed strips of pine, 3 x 2 inches in size. Below these strips of wood, in wire loops, were placed light needle beams, on which were laid a flooring of one-inch pine boards.

When these two independent bridges were finished they were drawn together, giving the cables a lateral course of about fifteen feet on either side, and forming a platform from which the railroad was built.

It was while these temporary platforms were being constructed that an incident occurred that can but give this iron basket precedence as a life-saving device. The north platform has been finished and hung to the two cables-four feet in width-without any side railings. It was being used by some venturesome persons. Four men had carried the south platform out about 200 feet from the cliff where it swung, a sudden gale of wind struck it, and to the horrified onlookers from the shore seemed to tear the unfinished structure into shreds, throwing the platform over and across the little basket cable that hung in the centre. This destruction was the work of but a moment. The four workmen were caught in the wreck, and hung to the slender wires with no foot rest save the shifting debris of the shattered flooring, while 150 feet below them darted the angry water. So the men hung until the violence of the gale had subsided, when the writer made inquiry for a volunteer to go out in the basket and rescue the men. A brave young man named William Ellis stepped forward, saying, “I am your man.” He was told to take off one man at a time but one man at a time, as the amount of weight resting on the little cable could not be estimated. But when he had reached the men he could not withstand the desire to afford the unfortunates immediate relief, and the four men were taken off safely at first trip, though the exhibition was paralyzing to those witnesses seeing it from shore. This occurred on Oct.10, 1848.

It is a curious fact that of the thousands of persons crossing the gorge I the little basket, three-fourths or more were ladies. It was intended to seat comfortably two persons, though four were sometimes crowded in. The first passage was made in the spring of 1848 by Engineer Ellet.

The preliminary means of hauling over the first cable were by means of a kite string. The writer offered $10 to the boy who would get a kite string of sufficient strength to haul a clothes line across the river. This offer brought a regiment of kite-flyers into the field, and finally a boy named Homan Walsh was successful, and received the prize. From this small beginning the greatest suspension bridge on earth has resulted. There are but few of the original actors in the above described enterprise still living. Engineer Ellet was “Gen. Ellet,” who conceived and constructed the famous ram boats on the Mississippi river during the rebellion, and who was killed by a flying splinter while his boat was passing a rebel battery. Yours truly.

Theodore Graves Hulett