<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3N8MHE_0vj3FGls00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3N8MHE_0vj3FGls00" width="1200" height="704" ><figcaption>Photo courtesy DCNR</figcaption></figure>The ancient world had 7 wonders: The Colossus of Rhodes, The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Lighthouse at Alexandria, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and The Great Wall of China. For a long time the 8th was in our backyard – The Kinzua Bridge.I can’t even begin to imagine how such a structure was erected so fast in 1882. Most of today’s equipment and techniques were science fiction back then! But the bridge, over 300 feet tall, over 2,000 feet long. built of wrought iron, was up and handling train traffic in less than 6 months. In 1900 it was determined that steel would be better so the viaduct was rebuilt!The railroads that used it read like a who’s who in rail history. The last to use it can be traced back to one man. A guy named Sloan Corrnell.Cornell owned a couple excursion-type railroad systems. He personally brought his love of historic preservation and railroads together with the help of many volunteers to put Mt. Jewett on the map. The trip that the train took was about 48 miles long from Marienville, and took passengers over the Kinzua Bridge. Some passengers opted to get off rather than to take the trip across the 300 foot tall structure. The last train to cross was in 2002.Talk of reconstructing the 8th wonder after an F-1 tornado took down a huge portion of it just never went beyond wishful thinking. Some local leaders with vision still saw tourist-potential in the remains and opened park around it. Until the fall of this year the bridge was available for walking tours off and on. A huge viewing window allowed people to look directly downward at the valley floor. For the near future anyhow, the remaining structure will close to foot traffic for maintenance.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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Pieces of the Past — 8th Wonder

The ancient world had 7 wonders: The Colossus of Rhodes, The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Lighthouse at Alexandria, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and The Great Wall of China. For a long time...