The New Suspension Bridge
One eighth of a mile below the falls there was a carriage and foot bridge that was built by the Americans and the Canadians. This bridge was often referred to as "the new suspension bridge". The bridge was constructed of iron and wood, completed in 1868, and opened on January 2, 1869. The bridge had a wooden roadway which was ten feet wide. Traffic could only go one way at a time so there were often line-ups for people wanting to travel in the opposite direction. The towers were built of wood and had guy wires attached to anchors in the gorge. This was supposed to prevent the bridge from swaying. Over the next fifteen years, the floors and towers were reinforced with steel.
In 1887, it was obvious that the bridge had to be completely updated. The span of the bridge was widened to seventeen feet so that traffic could pass both ways at the same time. The bridge was never very stable during high winds despite the guy wires and on January 9, 1889, a gale ravaged the area with winds as high as 100 miles per hour.
Doctor John Hodge was the very last person to cross the bridge. On the evening of January 9, the American doctor was returning from visiting a patient on the Canadian side of the river. He made it past the Canadian tower when he became aware that the swaying of the bridge was perilous. He got onto his hands and knees and crawled. He was afraid of being flung over the railing. The doctor clung on for his life as he was pelted by snow and sleet. He was completely soaked by the time his journey was over, but grateful to be alive.
At 3:20 on the morning of the tenth, the bridge succumbed to the wind. It descended into the gorge with no lives lost. Most of the wreck lay beneath 150 feet of water. The bridge was immediately rebuilt.
New Suspension Bridge - 1268 feet
New Suspension Bridge showing the Falls
Elevator tower - An Otis passenger elevator was installed in the Canadian tower. For a cost of ten cents, you could ride to the top to see the view. This was not lucrative, and was abandoned a few years after it was built.
Suspension Bridge Tower