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| The Rainbow Bridge took place of the Honeymoon Bridge, courtesy of Bridges Over Niagara Falls. |
Leffert L. Buck graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1868 with a Civil Engineering Degree. He was awarded the Norman Medal of Excellence by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1881. Leffert Buck had a unique method when it came to replacing bridges. He was able to replace the bridge without interrupting railroad traffic. Leaving the cables and anchors as the only original element, Buck replaced the wooden truss with iron and steel and the stone towers with steel. Completed in 1898, the Falls View Bridge, a steel truss arch designed by Buck, was one of the longest span bridges of its type. The Williamsburg in New York City “was his final and largest construction project, opened in 1903. It is the first all metal suspension bridge structure, and spans 1600 ft.”(3) Leffert Buck died in 1909, but three of his bridges still stand today: Pont de Rennes, Rochester, NY; Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, Niagara Falls, NY; and the Williamsburg Bridge, NY, NY(3).
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| The Falls View Bridge, also known as the Honeymoon Bridge, and the ice that destroyed it, courtesy of History of the Honeymoon Bridge. |
Bridge Background
The Falls View Bridge, popularly known as the Honeymoon Bridge, was built 500 feet north of the America Falls by the Pencoyd Bridge Company of Philadelphia. This was the fourth bridge at this gorge of the Niagara Falls. This bridge was built only 14 feet away from the suspension bridge it was replacing. The Honeymoon was a two hinged steel arch with a latticed rib. The 840 foot span reached across the gorge to the top of the shore lines. The suspension bridge was dismantled and re-erected in Queenston, just up the river. Subject to high winds, many cars and pedestrians were blown off the Honeymoon Bridge. The bridge, having a wooden floor, was very slippery when wet. A motorcyclist applied his brakes when the bridge was wet; he unfortunately plunged to his death over the side of the bridge(1).
Failure and Aftermath
Tremendous amounts of ice flowing from Lake Erie and collecting around the abutments in 1899 was the first sign of disaster. The ice accumulated on the abutment up to 80 feet high causing some bending. “Men on both sides of the border were employed to blast the ice away from the abutments. They were successful in 1899 and during the summer months a series of protective walls were built around the abutments to further protect them from the onslaught of winter ice.”(1) These methods worked until January 23, 1938, when Lake Erie dumped an enormous amount of ice down the falls. The force of the ice was great enough this time to cause severe structural damage. The bridge was closed because of the inevitable collapse. At 4:20 PM on January 27, 1938, the Falls View Bridge, Honeymoon Bridge, collapsed forming a “W” shape on top of the ice. Once the ice melted, the bridge sunk to the bottom of the gorge. Moved 550 feet north, the Rainbow Bridge, still standing today, replaced the Falls View Bridge on November 1, 1941.
2. History of the Honeymoon Bridge. Accessed on April 25, 2001 at 6:00PM. InfoNiagara.
3. Teichman, A. Leffert L. Buck, Biography. 1999. Accessed on April 25, 2001 at 6:45 PM. Leffert Buck Bio.
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