What is that? Guide to Common Canal Structures 11/12
	Click images to go to page   Lock   Power House   Gate Cabinet Lift Bridge   Movable Dam   Guard Gate Historic Lock   Aqueduct   Restored Aqueduct Dry Dock   Bowstring Truss Bridge   Lock Operator			Bowstring truss bridge   Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve, Vischer Ferry   Bowstring truss bridges were commonly used in the 1800s to carry roads over the canal. Cast iron arches form a bow over the deck and are held together by wrought iron tension members that stretch across the bottom like the string of an archer’s bow. These bridges are also commonly known as "Whipple Bridges," named for Squire Whipple, a New York engineer who perfected and patented the design in 1840.