In the spring of 1901, the bridges were complete and had to be subject to static test loading. It seems like the entire company roster has been brought out for the task. Seen from this angle, it's clear that the girders are very lightweight - a frugality that came to haunt the line during its entire lifetime.

An interesting photo indeed with lots of small details. Just look at the worker balancing on his head at the highest point, showing off for the camera. Not exactly in accordance today's safety standards...

Most likely, the man with the theodolite on a tripod measures the vertical deflection under load. Usually, a government inspector would have the final say before a bridge could be opened for traffic.

A fair guess is that the man with the bowler hat by the land side is a company strongman, the Big Boss maybe ? I just wonder what he thought about the stunt man when he finally saw the resulting photograph...

Note the guys in the small boat by the pillar - a team of log drivers, with one of them standing on a boom, watching the show from below. The river was extensively used for log driving until it finally ceased in 1970