On Wed, 26 May 2010 12:02:52 -0700, MNRebecca wrote:

On May 26, 12:31Â*pm, Ann wrote:

Courtesy of Google, it looks like what's referred to as a pony truss
bridge. In the early 1900s, they were the cheapest bridge design for
short spans and a number of companies made them. By the time the
depression and WWII were over, highway departments had moved on to
newer designs (than steel truss). Â*Example of one still in use:

http://bridgehunter.com/in/gibson/2600283/

Consider the possibility that "your" bridge was repurposed from its
original use/location. Â*As those bridges were phased out, some were
probably free for the taking.

I am LOVING the idea that the reason my tough ol' great great grandma
had $5,000 to give each grandchild in the 1920s (money that disappeared
in 1929, of course) was because she looked out over the tributary ditch
one day and said, "You know, if I took one of those bridges they're
giving away and put it across the ditch, I could rig up a pumping system
to better irrigate my fields!" But would there have been ditches
WITHOUT such bridges in the first place? How did you get the water out
of the ditch and onto the field without the bridge/pump system?

You mentioned in your op that the ditch is along/on the property line.
It would seem that to irrigate farm A, it would have been simpler to put
the pump on the bank and run an intake pipe up from the ditch. But say
both farm A and farm B wanted to irrigate. The bridge and a single pump
might have been the more frugal solution.

(Yes, I know that's a stretch.)

MNRebecca wrote:
Thanks for all the input, everybody. I've sent an inquiry to the
local historical society. I'd love to know when this was built. WPA
project? Did they have this technology when my family owned the farm
(1903ish to 1925ish)? I'll be in the area again for Memorial Day
Weekend to decorate the graves of family members and will try to take
more pictures then. Didn't get a single one straight across the
traveling path of the bridge!

The object in the forground of one of the pictures looks like an old pump
previously used to pump water from the canal at the bridge. Is there another one
installed on the bridge?

I am LOVING the idea that the reason my tough ol' great great grandma
had $5,000 to give each grandchild in the 1920s (money that
disappeared in 1929, of course) was because she looked out over the
tributary ditch one day and said, "You know, if I took one of those
bridges they're giving away and put it across the ditch, I could rig
up a pumping system to better irrigate my fields!" But would there
have been ditches WITHOUT such bridges in the first place? How did
you get the water out of the ditch and onto the field without the
bridge/pump system?

Flood irrigation. A system where you divert the stream into a series of
irrigation ditches that water the fields passively without the use of
pumps. In Phoenix AZ, some people have their lawns done this way
instead of using city water. The system was developed by the Anasazi
who no longer inhabit the region. The only down side to that are the
stinking minnows that wind up in the yards.

"John Gilmer" wrote in message
"Bob Noble" wrote in message
...
It looks more to me like that is a bridge used to support a big pump for
some kind of irrigation. Note the pump in the middle with the overhead
to rise the pump.


I suspect that the "bridge" served to hold a "hydralic ram" which uses the
velocity of the water to pump a small portion of the water to the level of
the surrounding fields.

Nope. Hydraulic rams need a head of water above the pump so that the water
drops into the ram. - its the action of the water falling into the ram that
makes the pumping happen.

"MNRebecca" wrote in message

But would there
have been ditches WITHOUT such bridges in the first place? How did
you get the water out of the ditch and onto the field without the
bridge/pump system?

Of course there would have been. Watering can be moved out of the ditch by
hand very easily using a simple syphon method and that is common enough even
today. See pic on this cite:
http://www.pump-zone.com/piping/pipi...ing-sound.html

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 07:02:43 -0700, MNRebecca wrote:

Thanks for all the input, everybody. I've sent an inquiry to the local
historical society. I'd love to know when this was built. WPA project?
Did they have this technology when my family owned the farm (1903ish to
1925ish)? I'll be in the area again for Memorial Day Weekend to
decorate the graves of family members and will try to take more pictures
then. Didn't get a single one straight across the traveling path of the
bridge!

R.

Courtesy of Google, it looks like what's referred to as a pony truss
bridge. In the early 1900s, they were the cheapest bridge design for
short spans and a number of companies made them. By the time the
depression and WWII were over, highway departments had moved on to newer
designs (than steel truss). Example of one still in use:

http://bridgehunter.com/in/gibson/2600283/


Here is a very large one I travel on a couple days a week. All 20 pics
are this same bridge. It's a very unique design.

http://bridgehunter.com/tn/jefferson/bh37371/

I don't know why part of it is concrete? The highest steel span is also
wider, it looks as if it were made for large sail boats but I don't
think the lake is deep enough for a boat that large. Being so old and
carrying a lot of traffic, it under goes an inspection every year and it
is closed for the day of the inspection.


It must be a part of the great TVA (Tennessee valley authority) project
because they built the dam that made this bridge necessary. In the
winter when there isn't a lot of rain they use all the water for
hydro-electric and the lake becomes a river again. Some people bought
Lake Front houses during the summer, then in the winter it's dirt and
mud for hundreds of yards until they can reach the river. Some bitch,
some buy 4 wheelers to take advantage of the wintertime fun.

"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
u...
"MNRebecca" wrote in message

But would there
have been ditches WITHOUT such bridges in the first place? How did
you get the water out of the ditch and onto the field without the
bridge/pump system?

Of course there would have been. Watering can be moved out of the ditch
by hand very easily using a simple syphon method and that is common enough
even today. See pic on this cite:
http://www.pump-zone.com/piping/pipi...ing-sound.html


only if you turn the whole world on its head. Siphoning from a lower to a
higher point sounds like a perpetual motion machine. Are you trolling?

On Wed, 26 May 2010 22:06:33 -0400, Tony wrote:

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 07:02:43 -0700, MNRebecca wrote:

Thanks for all the input, everybody. I've sent an inquiry to the
local historical society. I'd love to know when this was built. WPA
project?
Did they have this technology when my family owned the farm (1903ish
to
1925ish)? I'll be in the area again for Memorial Day Weekend to
decorate the graves of family members and will try to take more
pictures then. Didn't get a single one straight across the traveling
path of the bridge!

R.

Courtesy of Google, it looks like what's referred to as a pony truss
bridge. In the early 1900s, they were the cheapest bridge design for
short spans and a number of companies made them. By the time the
depression and WWII were over, highway departments had moved on to
newer designs (than steel truss). Example of one still in use:

http://bridgehunter.com/in/gibson/2600283/


Here is a very large one I travel on a couple days a week. All 20 pics
are this same bridge. It's a very unique design.

http://bridgehunter.com/tn/jefferson/bh37371/

I don't know why part of it is concrete? The highest steel span is also
wider, it looks as if it were made for large sail boats but I don't
think the lake is deep enough for a boat that large. Being so old and
carrying a lot of traffic, it under goes an inspection every year and it
is closed for the day of the inspection.

It must be a part of the great TVA (Tennessee valley authority) project
because they built the dam that made this bridge necessary. In the
winter when there isn't a lot of rain they use all the water for
hydro-electric and the lake becomes a river again. Some people bought
Lake Front houses during the summer, then in the winter it's dirt and
mud for hundreds of yards until they can reach the river. Some bitch,
some buy 4 wheelers to take advantage of the wintertime fun.

Nifty bridge, actually several bridges strung together. Is it possible
they put it so high to allow for raising the level of the lake? The COE
constructed two flood control dams (3 impounds) in my county in PA. They
later raised one dam/impound to store additional water for downstream
nuclear plants cooling.

Here is "my" niftiest bridge:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1608

When the Rockville bridge was built across the Susquehanna River (PA) in
1900-1902, it was described as the longest stone arch bridge (3,280') in
the world. (Not entirely true because it was concrete filled.)

In article , says...

When the Rockville bridge was built across the Susquehanna River (PA)
in
1900-1902, it was described as the longest stone arch bridge (3,280') in
the world. (Not entirely true because it was concrete filled.)

There's a stone arch bridge across the river entering Merida, Spain,
that was constructed by the Romans and is still carrying 2-lane highway
traffic, including trucks. It's been a while since I was there, but I
don't think it's quite as long as yours. I also remember that one arch
looked like it had collapsed and been repaired. The later stone work
was not as high quality as the Roman masonry.

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 22:06:33 -0400, Tony wrote:

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 07:02:43 -0700, MNRebecca wrote:

Thanks for all the input, everybody. I've sent an inquiry to the
local historical society. I'd love to know when this was built. WPA
project?
Did they have this technology when my family owned the farm (1903ish
to
1925ish)? I'll be in the area again for Memorial Day Weekend to
decorate the graves of family members and will try to take more
pictures then. Didn't get a single one straight across the traveling
path of the bridge!

R.
Courtesy of Google, it looks like what's referred to as a pony truss
bridge. In the early 1900s, they were the cheapest bridge design for
short spans and a number of companies made them. By the time the
depression and WWII were over, highway departments had moved on to
newer designs (than steel truss). Example of one still in use:

http://bridgehunter.com/in/gibson/2600283/

Here is a very large one I travel on a couple days a week. All 20 pics
are this same bridge. It's a very unique design.

http://bridgehunter.com/tn/jefferson/bh37371/

I don't know why part of it is concrete? The highest steel span is also
wider, it looks as if it were made for large sail boats but I don't
think the lake is deep enough for a boat that large. Being so old and
carrying a lot of traffic, it under goes an inspection every year and it
is closed for the day of the inspection.

It must be a part of the great TVA (Tennessee valley authority) project
because they built the dam that made this bridge necessary. In the
winter when there isn't a lot of rain they use all the water for
hydro-electric and the lake becomes a river again. Some people bought
Lake Front houses during the summer, then in the winter it's dirt and
mud for hundreds of yards until they can reach the river. Some bitch,
some buy 4 wheelers to take advantage of the wintertime fun.

Nifty bridge, actually several bridges strung together. Is it possible
they put it so high to allow for raising the level of the lake? The COE
constructed two flood control dams (3 impounds) in my county in PA. They
later raised one dam/impound to store additional water for downstream
nuclear plants cooling.

Here is "my" niftiest bridge:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1608

When the Rockville bridge was built across the Susquehanna River (PA) in
1900-1902, it was described as the longest stone arch bridge (3,280') in
the world. (Not entirely true because it was concrete filled.)

That is a nifty bridge indeed! I've never heard of stone bridge being
filled with concrete, but then again, I don't know much of anything on
that subject. I'm from PA so I wanted to see were it was and found
these pics:

http://www.steamphotos.com/Railroad-...31852985_Gtcrs

I'll bet that's a heck of a photo op when an old steam loco takes a
pleasure ride. I also read it was built in only 2 years! It would
probably take 6 years to build the same exact bridge today. :-(

In article ,
"Wallace" wrote:

"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
u...
"MNRebecca" wrote in message

But would there
have been ditches WITHOUT such bridges in the first place? How did
you get the water out of the ditch and onto the field without the
bridge/pump system?

Of course there would have been. Watering can be moved out of the ditch
by hand very easily using a simple syphon method and that is common enough
even today. See pic on this cite:
http://www.pump-zone.com/piping/pipi...effect-that-su
cking-sound.html


only if you turn the whole world on its head. Siphoning from a lower to a
higher point sounds like a perpetual motion machine. Are you trolling?

You are obviously in misc.rural, FarmI has been posting in rec.gardens
for many years and is a valuable source of information to us.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 22:06:33 -0400, Tony wrote:

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 07:02:43 -0700, MNRebecca wrote:

Thanks for all the input, everybody. I've sent an inquiry to the
local historical society. I'd love to know when this was built. WPA
project?
Did they have this technology when my family owned the farm (1903ish
to
1925ish)? I'll be in the area again for Memorial Day Weekend to
decorate the graves of family members and will try to take more
pictures then. Didn't get a single one straight across the traveling
path of the bridge!

R.
Courtesy of Google, it looks like what's referred to as a pony truss
bridge. In the early 1900s, they were the cheapest bridge design for
short spans and a number of companies made them. By the time the
depression and WWII were over, highway departments had moved on to
newer designs (than steel truss). Example of one still in use:

http://bridgehunter.com/in/gibson/2600283/

Here is a very large one I travel on a couple days a week. All 20 pics
are this same bridge. It's a very unique design.

http://bridgehunter.com/tn/jefferson/bh37371/

I don't know why part of it is concrete? The highest steel span is also
wider, it looks as if it were made for large sail boats but I don't
think the lake is deep enough for a boat that large. Being so old and
carrying a lot of traffic, it under goes an inspection every year and it
is closed for the day of the inspection.

It must be a part of the great TVA (Tennessee valley authority) project
because they built the dam that made this bridge necessary. In the
winter when there isn't a lot of rain they use all the water for
hydro-electric and the lake becomes a river again. Some people bought
Lake Front houses during the summer, then in the winter it's dirt and
mud for hundreds of yards until they can reach the river. Some bitch,
some buy 4 wheelers to take advantage of the wintertime fun.

Nifty bridge, actually several bridges strung together. Is it possible
they put it so high to allow for raising the level of the lake?


I don't think it's possible for it to rise anywhere near that high... on
second look at the pictures I did just notice the high water marks that
do go very high! I sometimes go boating there (there is a public boat
ramp at the south end) and I'll have to take notice how much room is
under the bridge from its highest water marks.

Larry wrote:
In article , says...

When the Rockville bridge was built across the Susquehanna River (PA)
in
1900-1902, it was described as the longest stone arch bridge (3,280') in
the world. (Not entirely true because it was concrete filled.)

There's a stone arch bridge across the river entering Merida, Spain,
that was constructed by the Romans and is still carrying 2-lane highway
traffic, including trucks. It's been a while since I was there, but I
don't think it's quite as long as yours. I also remember that one arch
looked like it had collapsed and been repaired. The later stone work
was not as high quality as the Roman masonry.

It probably fell during an earthquake. Barring that Keystone arches are
some of the strongest structures you can build with stone.

On Thu, 27 May 2010 07:01:28 -0700, Larry wrote:

In article , says...

When the Rockville bridge was built across the Susquehanna River (PA)
in
1900-1902, it was described as the longest stone arch bridge (3,280')
in the world. (Not entirely true because it was concrete filled.)

There's a stone arch bridge across the river entering Merida, Spain,
that was constructed by the Romans and is still carrying 2-lane highway
traffic, including trucks. It's been a while since I was there, but I
don't think it's quite as long as yours. I also remember that one arch
looked like it had collapsed and been repaired. The later stone work
was not as high quality as the Roman masonry.

The Rockville bridge's claim to fame is its length/mass. But the span of
the individual arches is short, relative to stone arch bridges that are
considered engineering accomplishments.

On Thu, 27 May 2010 10:57:42 -0400, Tony wrote:

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 22:06:33 -0400, Tony wrote:

Ann wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2010 07:02:43 -0700, MNRebecca wrote:

Thanks for all the input, everybody. I've sent an inquiry to the
local historical society. I'd love to know when this was built.
WPA project?
Did they have this technology when my family owned the farm
(1903ish to
1925ish)? I'll be in the area again for Memorial Day Weekend to
decorate the graves of family members and will try to take more
pictures then. Didn't get a single one straight across the
traveling path of the bridge!

R.
Courtesy of Google, it looks like what's referred to as a pony truss
bridge. In the early 1900s, they were the cheapest bridge design for
short spans and a number of companies made them. By the time the
depression and WWII were over, highway departments had moved on to
newer designs (than steel truss). Example of one still in use:

http://bridgehunter.com/in/gibson/2600283/

Here is a very large one I travel on a couple days a week. All 20
pics are this same bridge. It's a very unique design.

http://bridgehunter.com/tn/jefferson/bh37371/

I don't know why part of it is concrete? The highest steel span is
also wider, it looks as if it were made for large sail boats but I
don't think the lake is deep enough for a boat that large. Being so
old and carrying a lot of traffic, it under goes an inspection every
year and it is closed for the day of the inspection.

It must be a part of the great TVA (Tennessee valley authority)
project because they built the dam that made this bridge necessary.
In the winter when there isn't a lot of rain they use all the water
for hydro-electric and the lake becomes a river again. Some people
bought Lake Front houses during the summer, then in the winter it's
dirt and mud for hundreds of yards until they can reach the river.
Some bitch, some buy 4 wheelers to take advantage of the wintertime
fun.

Nifty bridge, actually several bridges strung together. Is it possible
they put it so high to allow for raising the level of the lake? The
COE constructed two flood control dams (3 impounds) in my county in PA.
They later raised one dam/impound to store additional water for
downstream nuclear plants cooling.

Here is "my" niftiest bridge:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1608

When the Rockville bridge was built across the Susquehanna River (PA)
in 1900-1902, it was described as the longest stone arch bridge
(3,280') in the world. (Not entirely true because it was concrete
filled.)

That is a nifty bridge indeed! I've never heard of stone bridge being
filled with concrete, but then again, I don't know much of anything on
that subject. I'm from PA so I wanted to see were it was and found
these pics:

http://www.steamphotos.com/Railroad-...kville-Bridge-
Harrisburg/3405975_DzATG#231852985_Gtcrs

I'll bet that's a heck of a photo op when an old steam loco takes a
pleasure ride. I also read it was built in only 2 years! It would
probably take 6 years to build the same exact bridge today. :-(

Imagine the task of taking it down. I doubt they could just blow it up
because of all the sediment that would put into the river - and
ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay.