Substitute For Swing Bridge

At the mouth of the river Xerviou, which flows into the Bay of Eiscay between Portugalete and Las Arenas, a. cv.rious engineering' strueture has been ereeted within the last few 3'ears to transport passengers, cattle and vehieles without interfering with the river traffie. It consists, says the Manchester Guardian, of a eouple of towers 200 f eet high, one on eaeh bank; f rom these a bridge is suspended by chains at a height sufficient to clear the rnasts of vessels - that is, nearly 150 feet abovo the water level of the spring tides. This bridge carries a "line of rails oa v.hich a trolley is pulled to and fr ' by au engine on the Las Arenas or northern sffle. With it goes a car, hung by steel cables, in which the passengers take their seats. This is not wound up to the top, but stays at the level of the quays. Thus the transit is effected quickly and regularly, without the delay inseparable from a swing bridge. A similar "pont transbordeur" is to be set up over the Seine near Eouen by a Freneh company. In general appearance it will resemble the Spanish one, and if equally snocessful will probably lead to the application of the principie elsewhere. It seerus odd that for such a simple and useful devic engineers should have to go to Spain.