habs

LOC: There is no apostrophe in the town name, Buzzards Bay.

The 8-mile long, sea-level Cape Cod Canal opened on July 29, 1914.

>> There is no apostrophe in the town name ... Some Yankees are possessive about their apostrophes ;) The Gray Lady has written the words Buzzard’s Bay for over 150 years ... President Cleveland had a summer home at Gray Gables mansion in Buzzard’s Bay (located about a mile and a half from the site of the railroad bridge pictured above). Bain News got it right methinks.      

This was the first railroad bridge built to cross the new Cape Cod Canal. It was a single-span bascule drawbridge. The 160-foot bridge was completed in 1910, and, as technogeo said, the grand opening of the Cape Cod Canal was July 29, 1914, [1]

"The bridge was able to pivot and a double track ran across it. Because of the anticipated heavy loads, the bridge itself had the [an] immense weight of 1200 tons. Only two, 65-horsepower electric motors were needed to open and close the bridge in only one minute." [2]

Unfortunately the original 100-foot wide canal was hopelessly too narrow and too shallow, and did little but lose money for its investors. As a result, the Cape Cod Canal was purchased by the U.S. Government in 1928. The canal was widened and deepened to nearly 500 feet wide and 32 feet deep.

A new 544-foot wide vertical lift bridge, known as the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge (also known as the Buzzard's Bay Railroad Bridge), was completed in 1935, and is in use to this day.[3]   The new bridge weighs in at almost twice the weight of the old: 2,050 tons.

A 1987 photo by photographer Martin Stupich of the "new" vertical lift bridge, from the collection of The Library of Congress, is shown below:
 
"General View of Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge" by The Library of Congress

 

"Unfortunately the original...canal was hopelessly too narrow and too shallow...." This seems to be the case with every canal ever built.

Great idea--the coloring--and fabulous to see the inner construction of the historic mill. Thanks for bringing the HABS collections to new audiences. This mill has v. interesting unique features!

I'd have to think--- but is that a rare Whale weather vane on top of it ?? My eye went to that immediately .

because of the whale, it would have to be the Northeastern part of the country. I thought New England but I see its Long Island -water- in which the whale theme makes sense. Beautiful image.

You didn't mention that vane but as for identifying the locale that is a real clue ... Whales are uniquely rare and the image always id's water surroundings American history wise. (Do I get credit for mentioning that :^)! Marianne Kuzmen--

please post more !