In Theodore Burr’s innovative design for the Schenectady bridge, the deck was suspended from three large wooden “cables” strung in a series of graceful arches. “It is a curiosity in bridge construction,” wrote American civil engineer Theodore Cooper. “It is a suspension bridge of wood.” The combined length of the four spans was 687 feet. (“American Railroad Bridges,” 1889. Snell Library, Northeastern University via Internet Archive)