Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge

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The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was promoted by User:SandyGeorgia 00:32, 5 October 2008 [1].

Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge[edit]

Nominator(s): Jappalang (talk)
Peer review: [1]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to your attention an article on the one and only railway suspension bridge, the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge! Thousands of trains trundled across it safely from 1855 to 1897. Although it no longer stands over the Niagara River, the bridge has embedded itself into North America's history!

  • Unlike other suspension bridges, its first line was laid across the river by a kite!
  • Engineers dissed the bridge; those who supported a railway suspension bridge even fought among themselves to build it!
  • It was part of the Underground Railroad, helping slaves in United States flee to freedom in Canada.
  • It was a symbol of triumph, hope, and inspiration to the United States after the Civil War.
  • It launched John A. Roebling's career, which culminated with the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Please look through this comprehensive illustrated article on the history of one of Canada and United States's historic structure, and evaluate if it is eligible to be featured. Thank you all! Jappalang (talk) 03:51, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments from Giggy

  • I must say I love the nomination :-)
  • The infobox image caption doesn't need to include the image credit
  • Other images check out fine.
  • Linkchecker gave some results that I'm not sure what to make of. Ealdgyth will probably know, if you are in the same boat as me.
  • "(the bridge was built slightly away from the towns, which later expanded to the bridge)" - the towns expanded onto the bridge? Or is rewording needed?
  • "it was also known as the International Suspension Bridge for its American company." - um... might be easier if you name the company
  • "in the histories of the Niagara region and the two countries" - the Niagra region is part of both countries. I'd change to "in the history of the Niagara region." and leave it at that
  • "and they were integrated into the Niagara Falls cities" - cut the "they", it's clear what you're referring to
  • "and they were replaced" - same again

Giggy (talk) 09:26, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I removed the credit from the infobox image. I chose not to name the American company as it would be pretty much stating "International Suspension Bridge" twice in the same sentence (repetition); instead, I rewrote the sentence. The bracketed phrase was also reworded. The bridge's role was not restricted to the Niagara region. It was a national symbol for the United States (and part of Merritt's transportation vision for Canada). Hence, it is not exact to simply state its significance for the Niagara region alone. I believe that cutting out the "they"s would result in violations of the parallel structure. Nonetheless, the sentences do seem a bit awkward as they are, and I have reworded them. I hope the concerns are addressed. Jappalang (talk) 11:33, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

  • Note that the Buck ref is not self-published, according to the Google Books link, it appears to have been published by the Niagra Falls Suspension Bridge Company. Title Page
Otherwise sources look okay, links check out with the link checker tool. Ealdgyth - Talk 14:02, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you, I have corrected Buck's publisher. Jappalang (talk) 22:21, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Support - I read through this article during it's peer review and I think it meets the criteria. I cannot see any problems with the images and, apart from Ealdgyth's comment above, the sources. It is a fascinating account that is well-written and well researched. Graham Colm Talk 16:37, 28 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments:

    • Merritt's dream would lead to the creation of a man-made structure, a railway suspension bridge, that spanned the Niagara River alongside the river's acclaimed natural feature, the Niagara Falls. - unsourced
    • Roebling would, however, achieve other honors in building his Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge. - unsourced
    • As a result many slaves crossed the Suspension Bridge to freedom before the United States was engulfed in civil war. - unsourced
    • Add the name of the Suspensiob Bridge to the infobox.

Otherwise, a very well done article.Mitch32(UP) 00:04, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The first two (Merritt's dream, Roebling's honors) are chronicled in the text that follows. In other words, Merritt dreamt of a bridge, the bridge is built. Roebling, though missed out building the first permanent bridge across the Niagara, built the first working railroad suspension bridge that was acclaimed in both engineering and social circles. The statements are summations of the information in the sources. The same goes for the slaves, though their story was told earlier before the statement. As for the infobox, it is titled "Suspension Bridge" by its common name. Jappalang (talk) 00:25, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, but it should still be re-sourced, in my opinion - because others may bring it up.Mitch32(UP) 00:28, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I have resourced for Roebling. For Merritt, I shifted the preceding source to the end of the paragraph as the same source explains his dream and the parts that comprise it (including the bridge). For the slaves, Switala served the role. Jappalang (talk) 00:59, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Support - Thanks. Problems solved.Mitch32(UP) 01:01, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Impressive article. Other than wishing there was a map, I have one quibble; under "Engineering", the third paragraph begins:

From the United States, side, the New York and Erie Rail Road's Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad and New York Central Railroad's Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad crossed over the bridge and reached into Ontario and Quebec.

Quebec really? It's a he** of a long way to Quebec from Niagara Falls, and there has to have been more direct crossings. There's also an extraneous comma in the first 5 words of this quote. PKT 01:58, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Regarding the sentence pointed out, I have corrected the commas ("side" was redundant and left in on oversight). I have also removed Quebec as it would likely be indirect connections as you have pointed out. Jappalang (talk) 03:01, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
response to Jappalang's question on my talk page regarding a map: ideally, a map could indicate where the bridge was located over the river/gorge, and vis-a-vis the towns at the time or alternatively compared to the locations of the current towns. PKT 13:28, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Added a map—took me several hours and several uploads (darn SVG!!!), but I got one up. Jappalang (talk) 13:41, 29 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Support That's just about what I had in mind. PKT 00:27, 30 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

  • Support. Giggy (talk) 12:46, 1 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support. I do have a minor question about the names by which the bridge is known. I get the impression from the article Niagra Falls that the footbridge was know by the name "Niagra Suspension Bridge" and the Roebling bridge was known by the name "Niagra Falls Suspension Bridge". I've seen many references to the Roebling bridge as the "Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge". Clearly, the earlier bridge was never called that. Do you know what the most common name was for the earlier bridge? If that could be made clear in the article, it would help. What ever that name was, it should redirect to the section of this article about the earlier bridge. Overall, this is an excellent addition to the articles about bridges. -- ☑ SamuelWantman 02:24, 4 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for your support. The bridge was known by several names. The most common was simply the Suspension Bridge (a proper noun and stated in the Infobox and the first paragraph of the lead). Note though that regardless of whatever name it took, there are sources that mix up "Suspension Bridge", "Niagara Suspension Bridge" or "Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge" between this railway bridge and the Falls View Suspension Bridge (by Keefer); however, when most sources (and the accounts they quote) mention "Suspension Bridge", it is about Ellet's and Robeling's bridge. Jappalang (talk) 02:37, 4 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Your response has helped me understand my issue with the article and the redirects. You have equated Ellet's and Robeling's bridges. They are two separate structures, albeit closely related. I'd suggest making the differences between the bridges clearer. There have been many articles about bridges that mention the ancestor bridge(s) in the same location. Sometimes (like with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge) they eventually get divided into separate articles. That is not an inconceivable possibility with this article. It wouldn't take many changes to make it clearer that this was an earlier structure. As it is now, the 1848 bridge is mentioned in the section on Ellet. Perhaps all that is needed is to divide that section and make a heading for the 1848 bridge. -- ☑ SamuelWantman 20:35, 4 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I reworded Ellet's and Roebling's section headers to include the structure. Does that help? Jappalang (talk) 23:00, 4 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.
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