The Quebec Bridge Disaster:
The Titanic of Bridges

The collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907 (a component of the Canadian Transcontinental Railway Project) was a big event in both Quebec and Canadian history, with 76 deaths and a great let down for this was to be the world's greatest bridge. (A foreshadowing of the Titanic disaster, one might say.) With respect to 'the Nicholson Family Saga' it likely put an important spin on things. Although the event is not mentioned in the letters, Norman went to work on the railway in September 1907 (coincidence?) and Margaret's fears for his safety were likely increased greatly by the event. It also impacted on them in another way. It affected the Quebec Budget for 1912. It is not likely they knew any of the Mohawk men who died in the accident.

The World's Greatest Bridge in Ruins
.By H G Hunting

Technical World Magazine October 1907 (another example of that magazine's excellent and compelling journalism).

When the huge uncompleted span of the St Lawrence cantilever bridge near Quebec fell into the river on August 29^th last, one of the greatest engineering undertakings of the century became a disastrous failure and its awful collapse cost the lives of nearly 100 of its builders..
For some six years this enormous bridge has been under construction and the progress made upon it being watched with wonder by the whole engineering world, for some of the features of its design were of such remarkable character as to be the subject of universal discussion.  The design of the bridge specified a total length of 3,000 feet between the anchorage piers and included two five hundred foot anchor spans, extending from the anchor piers to the main piers of the towers, and the two five hundred and sixty foot cantilever arms, reaching out to hold between them the tremendous central suspected span, six hundred and seventy feet long.
This central span, described as the longest of its kind ever attempted, was to complete the crossing of the river, with its supporting arms exceeded in length the total extent of the longest cantilever ever, at Edinburgh.  When the St Lawrence bridge fell, some eight hundred feet of its length had been constructed and hung out over the river like a long arm of steel extended to grasp the hand of its fellow reaching over from the opposite shore.  Day by day for years it had been slowly pushing its way out and up, adding tons of weight to tons of weight at the extremity of its reach, its builders working with perfect faith in their design and plan.  Day by day the awful stress upon piers and anchorages increased, while girder and beam and pin and bar went into place, each contributing its mite to the stupendous burden itself must help to carry, til on the fatal day, the figures of the engineers were exceeded, some forgotten or uncalculated weakness developed, or some unlooked for or neglected factor in the great problem brought its inevitable result, and the whole great creation went down to terrific ruin. …..
Right: Bridge as it was to look completed;
2) bridge as it was before collapse  3) bridge after collapse.