Devil's Bridge

Devil's Bridge, a popular name in most mountainous countries for bridges built over wild chasms. The most notable are (1) a bridge over the Reuss, in the Swiss canton of Uri, 1½ mile W. of Andernatt, on the St Gothard Road, where the river, 4593 feet above sea-level, forms a picturesque cascade of 100 feet. The new granite structure, built in 1830, spanning the stream with a single arch of 26 feet, fell in in August 1888, and traffic was for a time resumed on the old moss-grown bridge 20 feet below, which witnessed some severe fighting between the French and the Austrians and Russians in 1799. (2) A double bridge in Cardigan-shire (sometimes called Pont-y-Mynach), 10 miles ESE. of Aberystwith, across a gorge, 114 feet deep, and over a mile long, traversed by the Mynach, which makes within a short distance four falls of from 18 to 110 feet. The lower bridge was constructed by the monks of Strata Florida in the 11th century, the upper (20 feet over it) in 1753.