[Welland Tribune, 14 May 1897]
Fonthill News
We regret to record this week the death of another aged resident of this place-that of Mrs. Lister, who passed peacefully away on Thursday, May 6th inst., in her 85th year. As far back as twenty-four years, since the death of her husband, deceased has not been very strong; especially the last few years she sat in her usual familiar chair, unable to go out very often. She will be greatly missed by her associates, and especially by those left in the same home, who so keenly feel the loss. Deceased came from Scotland while very young, and has resided in this country all her days. Two daughters and one son survive their departed mother. Services were conducted by Wm. Wetherald of the Friends’ church on Saturday, May 8th, assisted by revs. Rogers and St. Dalmas. Deceased was a member of the society of Friends’ meeting house, South Pelham, and interment in the burying ground adjoining.
[Welland Tribune, 14 May 1897]
The dime-novel writer finds his occupation gone. Yellow journalism gratifies the morbid taste of the young much better than yellow literature. It can bring before the public gaze at a trifling cost a daily ghoulish feast. It can dress up crime and criminal tendencies in effects that are worse than realistic, because so vilely suggested. It can poison a thousand imaginations where the old dime purveyor of distorted fiction could affect one.
The base justification of this policy by those who pursue it is that the people want it. Many journals of once honorable name have drifted downward with that argument until they have become a hissing and a reproach among those who wish to see all the social forces kept pure and clean. They do not realize their own degradation. Action and reaction are equal, and finally they are at a loss, to understand why the better elements of society, and self-respecting organisations generally, resent the audacious and shameless diurnal parade of all the more disgusting details which their muck-rakes have lifted from the pestilential sewers of crime and misery. If there was the same effort made to exalt virtue and set it as a beacon-light before the people that there is to magnify and intensity details of vice, the influence of journalism upon politics, upon social order, upon the education of youth and the healthful direction of youthful ambition, would be of incalculable value. But competition is at is most feverish heat upon the lower levels. Public opinion must make this a losing business. –Boston Transcript.
[Welland Tribune, 14 May 1897]
Several itinerant umbrella fixers have been hovering about our town the past week, and on Wednesday night one of them jumped into the canal, swam to the centre of the channel and sank to his death.
The facts of the case seem to be about as follows: James Lennard and his chum, Dorrissy, were walking along the canal bank opposite Tuft’s old hotel, M.C.R. Junction, about 10.30 p.m., when Lennard, said, “I’m going to swim in the canal.” Lennard, Dorrissy says, then plunged in and swam nearly to the centre sinking beneath the water. Dorrissy called for help three times and two men from the tower responded, who said that there was no boat at hand. Dorrissy then met two men, and with them came to Welland and notified police officer White, who in turn notified Coroner Cumines. The latter ordered the body grappled for, but it was not recovered till about 9 o’clock yesterday morning. Lennard is a man of about 5 ft. 6 in. in height, reddish hair, and Dorrissy says is 32 years of age. The two chums had been drinking heavily in Buffalo and had agreed to come to Canada, together to “sober up”-Lennard at least fully carrying out his part of the promise. Dorrissy does not think that Lennard intended to commit suicide, as he was not drunk at the time, but of course was suffering from the effects of a debauch.
Dorrissy says Lennard is American born, but that he has no relatives in Buffalo or anywhere else that he knows of. The deceased had been boarding at 11 Peacock street, Buffalo, and was said to have been a plumber by trade.
The facts were laid before County Attorney Cowper, who deemed an inquest quite proper, and the hour for holding the same was fixed at 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon by Coroner Cumines.
The inquest was begun at 2.30 before Coroner Cumines, with John R. Dowd as fireman of the jury, and resulted in the following verdict.
“That the deceased, James Lennard, came to his death on the 13th day of May, 1897, at the township of Crowland, in the Welland canal, by drowning, while under a fit of temporary insanity.”
It was evidently a case of delirium tremens, Lennard having repeatedly stated somebody was after him; and in fact jumped into a creek a day or two prior, and was pulled out by his chum. It is now said that he was a grain shoveler, not a plumber.
The body was not claimed, and will today be shipped to the school of anatomy, Toronto.
Bridgeburg News
[Welland Tribune, 30 April 1897]
After a long and painful illness I.H. Allen passed peacefully away on Tuesday morning. Deceased was born at New Bedford, Mass., January 9, 1824, and when 14 years of age came to Black Rock with his parents. He was first married in Buffalo in 1841 to Miss Marion Francis, and seven years later started business in Black Creek as general merchant and dealer in white oak piling. While there he lost his wife. In 1887 he was married in Boston to his cousin, Mary Annie Allen of New Bedford, who survives him; and the same year removed his business to Bridgeburg, where he dealt extensively in lumber for a number of years. Mr. Allen has always been an ardent and enthusiastic worker in the Anglican church, especially in the Sunday school, and in politics a staunch supporter of Liberal principles. He held the position of councillor for four successive years, and also that of vice council for the last seven years, under two successive consuls, which latter office he still held at the time of his death. He was a prominent citizen and held the highest place in the hearts of his fellowmen. He had four children, all by his first marriage-Mrs. C.H. Jenks of Black Creek, Miss Almira, at home; T.H. Allen of this place, and I.H. Allen, who died some years ago. The funeral on Thursday afternoon was very largely attended, Rev. P.W. Smith conducting the services. Interment at St. John’s church, Bertie.
[Welland Tribune, 23 April 1897]
The messenger of death issued a third summons within a few weeks among the elderly residents of this vicinity-the late Joseph Reavely, Mrs. Elizabeth Robertson, and on Tuesday morning Mrs. Elizabeth Jordan quietly passed away about 7 o’clock, at the advanced age of 80 years, 5 months. The funeral took place from her late residence to the St. Paul’s church burying ground yesterday. Her name will be remembered among the early events of this section, and classed among the landmarks. Three sons and three daughters survive her: Wm. Jordan of this village, George and John Jordan and Mrs. D. Hughes of Port Colborne, Mrs. Capt. Jackson and Mrs. McCracken of Toronto. Deceased was born in Ireland, and came to this section when a young girl. Her husband was buried at Port Robinson 44 years ago last New Year’s day.
[Welland Tribune, 23 April 1897]
SPANNING the noisy torrent of Niagara’s famous gorge, there are now three distinct types of bridges- suspension, cantilever and arch. Of the three the arch bridge now in course of erection is, perhaps, the most interesting, because it is a radical change from the ordinary methods of modern bridge-building. The imagination must supply the bold ingenuity of the designers and the fearlessness of the workmen who have been engaged in bolting the hug structure together, For each side of the arch was only held from plunging into the river by a unique anchorage system. Had one of these anchors by accident given way the disaster would have meant great loss of life-for no man could hope to come out of those rapids alive-and serious money loss to the contractors.
The new bridge is being built to replace the old railway suspension bridge at Suspension Bridge, the first structure ever thrown across the Niagara gorge, and is designed to accommodate the immense traffic, constantly increasing, between the West and the East. As R.S. Buck, the engineer in charge says, “This point is the neck of the bottle. It chokes back the immense quantities of freight to the injury of consignor and consignee, and we propose to relieve the situation by building a double track structure of greater carrying capacity, which will be sufficient to care for the needs of traffic for many years, if not for all time to come.”
The old suspension bridge carried but one railway track, with a passage for carriages and pedestrians underneath. The new structure will carry double tracks on its upper deck and a road below for carriages, street railway and pedestrians. The old bridge, built by John A. Roebling in 1854-6, was originally designed with a maximum carrying capacity of 200 tons. The builders then were of the impression that the requirements would never be greater than that. But a very few short years showed them that they had greatly miscalculated the attractions of quick transportation between the west and east and in the 70s’ Engineer L.L. Buck was employed to reinforce the anchorages of the bridge and put in a stiffening truss so as to increase the sustaining strength of the structure to 350 tons, or nearly double its former requirements. Trains and engines, however, continued to increase in weight and these extra provisions were soon exhausted. It was conceded years ago that a new bridge was a necessity but the great cost of a new structure delayed its construction. Work finally began in April 1896, and has continued uninterruptedly until the present time. It is believed that the finishing touches will have been added to the bridge long before the heavy autumn traffic begins. Built to maximum requirement of 4,000 tons, more than ten times the capacity of the bridge which is being replaced, it ought to relieve all congestion.
The new bridge is being built around the old structure without any interruption to railway traffic. The grades of the upper and lower floors will not be materially changed. This will facilitate the removal of the old structure as soon as the contractors are ready to lay the tracks on the upper deck of the new bridge. The old bridge will be removed by sections and the new tracks are laid and the engineers are confident of being able to substitute the one for the other, with very slight interruption to traffic. It is one of the engineering feats of the century, and interest will not decline as long as work upon it continues.
The arch rests on massive masonry abutments built against the solid rock. A great steel shoe rests against the abutments and from its arms extend the first sections or panels of the arch. These panels are 34 feet long and four feet thick and the main ribs weigh about 32 tons. The two arms of the arch were built out like cantilevers until they met in the centre of the span, being held back on both sides by in ingenious system of anchors. These anchors are imbedded 20 feet below the surface of solid rock. In shape they resemble an inverted T and ten times the weight of the arms of the arch would not pull them out of their rocky bed. The anchors are connected to one end of an immense diamond-shaped adjusting link, from the other end of which the anchorage connection is attached to the arch, holding it firmly in place. The intermediate joints of the diamond are connected by a huge screw which widens or narrows it at will and correspondingly contracts or relaxes the supporting chain. Certain control is thus gained over the arms, which is necessary when the last panels are put in place as the practical keystone of this arch. As soon as the final sections are in position the usefulness of the anchors is gone. The sidewalk brackets of the permanent structure are used to carry out the material used for erection. At the end of the tramway the heavy panels were carried by these great travelling derricks and deposited in position with remarkable precision. The connecting panels were put in their places on Sunday, March 28th last, but there is much yet to be done before the bridge is ready for trains.
An evidence of the contractors’ confidence in the stability of the new structure is given in their plans for the removal of the old bridge, which will be taken off the supporting cables section by section and permitted to rest its weight on the new arch, trains running over the whole at the same time. As a whole the construction of this new bridge is a marvelous piece of engineering and ranks with other work of Chief-Engineer L.L. Buck, whose reconstruction of the old bridge in former years without disturbing the railway time tables stamped him as a man of high standing in his profession.
The old bridge was 18 1/2 feet wide. The new bridge is 47 ½ feet wide in the lower floor. The roadway on the lower floor will be 25 ½ feet wide with a single trolley track in the centre, and there will be walks on each side eleven feet in width. The arch span from pier to pier is 550 feet. The rise of the arch is 114 feet and the distance from the water to the top floor of the new structure will be about 240 feet. End spans 115 feet long connect with the top of the bluff and there are plate-girder approaches at each end 145 feet long, making a total length of new bridge of 1.070 feet. Seven million pounds of steel have been used in the building of this wonderful arch and it will cost the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge company a round $500,000.
This company is an amalgamation of two companies, one composed entirely of Canadians and the other wholly of Americans. The Canadian board is composed of Thos. R. Merritt, St. Catharines, Ont., president; William Hamilton Merritt, Toronto; John L. Rannie, Toronto; Charles Riordon, Merritton; Judge E.J. Senkler, St. Catharines; J.G. Riordon and D.R. Wilkie of Toronto..
The American board is composed as follows: George L. Burrows, Saginaw, Mich., president; Lorenzo Burrows; Ezra G. Coann, Albion; A.C. Burrows, Albion; Charles C. Morse, Rochester.
The members of these boards form the joint board of directors, of which Thos. R. Merritt of the Canadian board is the present president.
The chief engineer, L.L. Buck, ranks as one of the foremost bridge engineers in the world. He designed and built several large bridges for South American railroads among which the Verrugas cantilever was the most celebrated. He also built a number of bridges for the Northern Pacific railroad, and designed and built the Driving Park Avenue and Plattstreet bridges in Rochester. His most celebrated work, however, was in connection with the old railway suspension bridge now being replaced. He reinforced the anchorages, replaced the old wooden stiffening truss with one of metal and the old stone towers with towers of iron, all without suspending traffic. He designed the 840 foot arch intended to replace the upper suspension bridge, near the Falls, which will be built, doubtless, in the not distant future. He is now chief engineer of the suspension bridge in course of erection across East river between New York and Brooklyn.
IRENE KRAUS
[Welland Tribune, 23 April 1897]
Mrs. Charles Kraus, a former of Ramey’s Bend, died at New Germany last week after long suffering with cancer. She leaves a husband and one daughter, Mrs. Louis Eckhart. The remains were interred in the R.C. cemetery at New Germany on Sunday.
[Welland Tribune, 23 April 1897]
Mrs. Blake, relict of the late John Blake and mother of Mrs. D.E. Macfarland, died at the home of her daughter here on Friday last, at the advanced age of 84 years. The remains were taken to old Niagara on Monday. Deceased’s husband was a well-known merchant of Niagara-on-the-lake back in the thirties, being one of the firm of Blake & Rogers, wholesale dealers. Mrs. Blake was born in Niagara in 1812, and had resided there all her life prior to coming to her daughter’s about four years ago. Death was largely the result of old age. The only surviving members of the family are John A. Blake of Niagara and Mrs. D.E. Macfarland of this place. Interment took place on Tuesday, the remains being buried beside the body of her brother, John Rogers. The following gentlemen acted as bearers at Port Colborne: Edward Armstrong, T.J. O’Neal, T.R. Secord, A.K. Scholfield, John Scolfield and David Fortier.
[Welland Tribune, 23 April 1897]
Mrs. Dorn, wife of the Rev. Mr. Dorn of the Lutheran church, died on Saturday last, after a lingering illness. The remains were interred on Wednesday, at the German cemetery, lakeshore. Deceased leaves a husband, three sons and two daughters to mourn the death of a kind, loving, Christian wife and mother. The community esteemed the deceased very highly, and sympathize deeply with the bereaved ones. The Rev. Mr. Weinbach, president of the Missouri synod, Canadian district, conducted the funeral service.
[Welland Tribune, 23 April 1897]
Mrs. John Bracht, after a long illness, died on Thursday of last week. Deceased leaves a husband and one daughter, Mrs. Wm. Bauer of Belle River, Ont. Mrs. Bracht was a daughter of the late Jonas Michener. She was born on the Wyveli farm at the Basswoods, Humberstone, her father having emigrated to this country from Pennsylvania in the forepart of the present century. Mr. Bracht is very grateful to the friends for kindnesses during his wife’s illness. The remains were buried on Sunday last at Overholt’s, Bishop Near officiating.
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