BRIDGES, ETC.-1. Wooden bridges. 2. Double lattice-bridge. 3. Trestle-bridge. 4, 10. Bridge ove straits. 9. Pontoon-bridge over the Rhine. 11, 12. Method of constructing arches. 13. Float

over the Kinzig (Baden). 5, 6, 7. Details of lattice-bridges. 8. Britannia and Conway bridges, Menai oating-bridge. 14. Sliding-bridge.

orders, and the members wore as their badge or insignia a pick-hammer on the breast. In France, they labored very actively, but were absorbed into the order of St. John.

BRIDGE-HEAD, or TETE-DU-PONT, in military engineering, is a fortified post intended to defend the passage of a river over a bridge. It is a field-work, open at the gorge or in the rear, and having its two flanks on the banks of the river. The most favorable position is at a re-entering sinuosity of the river, where the guns can work better with the supporting batteries opposite. Bridge-heads are usually temporary works, hastily constructed. Their most frequent use is to aid a retiring army to cross the river in good order, and to check an enemy pressing upon it. Openings are left to allow the retiring army, with guns and carriages, to file through without confusion; and parapets are so disposed as to flank and defend these openings. See illus., FORTIFICATION, vol. VI., p. 158, fig. 48.

BRIDGENORTH, a t. of Salop or Shropshire, on both sides of the Severn. 20 m. s.e. of Shrewsbury. It consists of an upper and lower town, connected by a bridge over the Severn. The larger part of the town is on the right bank, and is built on a sandstone rock rising 60 ft. above the river. Pop. 1880, 7216. It returns one member to parliament. The navigation of the Severn formerly employed many of the inhabitants, but the traffic has been greatly injured by the introduction of railways. The town, which was at one time called Bruges or Brug, is said to be of Saxon origin. In the beginning of the 12th c., the earl of Shrewsbury defended the town unsuccessfully against Henry I. It was besieged in the same century by Henry II.; and during the civil wars it resisted the parliamentary forces for three weeks. A great portion of the town was on this occasion destroyed by fire. It has carpet and worsted manufactories. Bishop Percy was born here. BRIDGE OF ALLAN. SEE ALLAN.

BRIDGE OF SIGHS, the covered passage which connects the doge's palace in Venice with the prison, over which prisoners of state were taken to confinement or to execution. BRIDGEPORT, port of entry, and a county seat of Fairfield co., Conn.; on B. harbor, an arm of Long Island sound, and on both sides of Pequonnock river; lat. 41° 10′ n.; long. 73° 11' w.; 18 m. s.w. of New Haven; 56 n.e. of New York. The first settlement was made in 1670, and as Fairfield village, Stratfield, and Newfield, successively, B. formed part of Fairfield, and in 1800 it became the borough of B., but was attached to Stratford till 1821. It was incorporated as a city in 1836, and in 1870 a part of Fairfield was annexed. West Stratford is practically part of B. The harbor, including that of Black Rock, is landlocked and safe, and the channel is from 9 to 10 ft. deep at low tide. Daily steamboats run to New York and to Port Jefferson, L. I., and the New York, New Haven and Hartford, Housatonic, and Naugatuck railroads intersect. The city has an area of about 5 square m., and is mainly built on a plain. Its western part, Golden hill, has an elevation of 70 ft., and is covered with fine residences. There are several parks, one of which, Seaside park, of 100 acres, contains a soldiers' monument and a statue of Elias Howe. The winter quarters of Barnum's circus and menagerie comprise 12 acres. The court-house, government building, high school, public library, and armory building are conspicuous structures.

The manufactures include sewing machines (Wheeler and Wilson, Howe, etc.), corsets, saddlery and harness, brass, iron and steel goods, machinery, metallic cartridges, plated ware, acids and chemicals, leather, paper, carriages, carpets, lumber, furniture, cutlery, flour, hats and shirts; capital invested 1887, $13,154,176; value product, $15,366,767. B. is the port of entry for Fairfield district; estimated value cargoes received 1887, $40,500,000; shipped, $41,500,000; vessels entered, 8361, including 4700 coast wise steamers; departed, 8350; aggregate tonnage, 1,250,000. The oyster trade is important. There are 5 national banks; cap. stock, $1,207,850; 4 savings banks, with deposits, Oct. 1, 1887, of $7,131,733; 4 private banks. There are 20 school buildings, with an average daily attendance of 5000 pupils; 25 churches, a hospital, Protestant orphan asylum, widows' home, Seaside institute for working women, etc., a public library with 18,000 vols. daily and 4 weekly newspapers are published. Assessed value of property 1887-88, Mar. 1, $15,286,864; city debt, $796,821.93; receipts, $239,659.52; expenditures, $252,090.28. The water supply is obtained from the Pequonnock. Population 1810, 1089; 1860, 13,299; 1870 (a part of Fairfield was annexed), 18,969; 1880, 27,643-7439 foreign born; 1888, 40,000.

Six

BRIDGER'S PASS, a defile in the Rocky mountains, in s. Wyoming, through which the overland stages went before the opening of the Pacific railroad. It is several miles long, and in most places has perpendicular side walls from 1000 to 2500 ft. high.

BRIDGET, SAINT (or, more properly, Birgit or Brigitte), a famous Roman Catholic saint, was b. in Sweden about the year 1302. Her father was a prince of the blood-royal of Sweden. When only sixteen, she married Ulf Gudmarson, prince of Nericia, a stripling of eighteen, by whom she had eight children, the youngest of whom, named Catherine, born in 1336, died in 1381, became par excellence the female saint of Sweden. Her husband and she now solemnly vowed to spend the remainder of their lives in a state of continence, and, to obtain strength to carry out their severe resolution, made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Jago de Compostella in Spain. On their return, Ulf died in 1844, and B. founded about the same time the monastery of Wadstena, in East Goth