New-York tribune., 1867-08-06
HOME IMPROVEMENTS.
EAST RIVER BRIDGE.

4
hrdpe in the world now or heretofore in existence will
compare with It, II Will probably cost about S6O0O0OO,
and the company who will erect 1t, TO build the bridge
and for other purposes must have capital Of not less
than SsOOOOOO. Between five and sx years time will be
reouircd to do the work To lay tho foundations alone
will take about year In point Of span and general
magnitude the Cincinnati Suspension Bridge will rank
next 10 the East River one The total cost of the Cncn
natl bridge was $7OOOOO. All the preliminary arrange
ments for erecting the East River bridge are progressing
rapidly and favOrably The three routes which nave
been surveyed by Mr.. John A. Roeblng the engineern
chief diverge from single point to the northward OF
the Fulton Ferry slip, the Brooklyn side The main
BROOKLYN entrance TO the bridge will be at the ntersec
ton OF Sands and FuOnsts. The first ana n0rherhmosi
route terminates at the intersection OF the BOWery ana
Canalsts the second and middle route az Chathaul-
square and the third and sou hernmoSt route Known
especially as the Park line, at the City Hall Park OPP
The iastnained route considered the best Of ALL and
will probably be the one adopted 1t VIII involve n tn9
longest central span the three lines named, but II VIII
he by far the most profitable one on account or us Oc
tion. still another great advantage OF he Palk iouIo 10
that it Will the appraisement of less valuable prop
erty than either the middle or northern lne' be,Weeh
Wiamst aud Franklinsqnare very few valuable oe Rula
figures as a very valuable building and tlat escapes the
bridge line by considerable distance. IT the PARK Inc
is adopted then the whole length Of the bridge, from end
end will be 5,S52 feet lt VIII run ltue Oblquty
either side for length of feet the width will be 100
feet 1t then contracts to so feet This Of course VII
Of 20 feet in the referred to- will DE appropriated
for walks to regulate the movements Of passengers NOV
ing in opposite directions The bridge VIII be divided
into roadways of 10 feet each in the clear one for the
".gong" and the other for the coming
| movements Of passengers. These II must
be borne in mind are only two special divisions OF the
bridge There VIII be Two oer uiIoS, vi ~ Co.. tbn
in the clear that will comprise railroad tracks iol thc
running Of passenger cars by wire ropes prOpeleI Dy
stationary engines located at one ehd oi thc Dge, Noo
trains OF passenger cars capable Of transporting lO0
people each way, simultaneously, Will make tllps every
five minutes IL is calculated that three mlnutes-rnh-
ming time-wll be consumed IN one Oh tnese ls auo
remaining two minutes will afford time Tor one ser OF pas
scngers 10 get off and another to get on hoycl ar
raugcment Is proposed with the most rgld rules 10 make
II effective to keep the passengers always moving rSsm
getting on and on the ferry yboals ana stres{tat' mn III m
cases the ingess and egres 10 the cars VIII DO through
the sides, thus aiong means 10 load and un
bin at Tho HIGHEST rate of speed II necessary be
made in safety aud without INJURY TO the structure; out
There is s anoti. r division Of the bridge which Is
pectcd to be the most fashionable ana attractive OF an
This fifth division will form promenade OF sixteen rect
in width elevated that the promenaders overlook
e fonr d sons of the structure beneath well the
river and the adjacent territory The most conspicuous
parts Of the bridge VIII be the two towers located at
distance of 1000 feet from center TO center The sht o
these towers Will be l5O feet above the roadWay ana i
feet above high tide clear elevation IN Tue center o thc
space lJO feet Both towers Will be located INSIDE Oi the
pier lines cstabshcdby law Tho Brooklyn tower VIII
north OF the Fulton fcffy sup the Ne"hoik one w ~
Per No. Both Brooklyn and this city al the
streets between the entrances ANA the anchorage VIII De
crossed bv iron gir,r, The anchorage In NewYorc viii
be located In the nelgbOrhoOd OF Cherry ana WhcrsH
II Is proposed to utilize all the ground ON both sides
! of the river over which The general bridge passes
by making stores and warehouses. u has been suggest
lN,
whole space ought to be- thrown into handsome Market
Hall The l0caiion FOR such purpose would be cNceeht
that street Boz opened. to be- known a. Bridge
It, In the plan of the bridge care VIII be taken 80 hat
avoiding the necessity Of travelling 70 the main entrance
! Already preparatory work has commenced upon the
iriigr fiw days ago three wor'.mcn made their np
Itaruuce adjacent 10 the Fulton Ferry slips on the
ilrooiyu side and under the immediate direction ~ Mr.
spangcr comutnced operations preparatory to boring
20 determine the character of the ubsstatum On Friday
| last boring commenced. ly noon on Saturday
depth 81 ~ had been reached In going through
this II feet Of cinders were marked Then someihns
Ike hard pan reached After this cemencd boudeis
! were struck The borugs viii now go on steadily.
record viii. Of course bo kept Of each days work H. -
assumed that NOT less than 20 feet VII De me d,h OF he
burug.; and is further assumed th" th'y va" hni De
@ n59s is 10 ~ y,,Isr % @sin ii un ~ sS tS 66d
should Dc struck aud Ae 6olnes indicate thJt oAy
the foundations u the bridge viii rest on the boudcs.
n the bOudcrs do not prove thick and are not strongly
only hard pan clay is found then pug Will have 10
BE- done. on which. with the addition of careful and
Eycly reasonable effort wnl hq made 70 reach
! the solid rock. on ibis eide OF tho river
/ similar boring, Will bo made M Pier no DO To do
! this work The operators have siN horse stationary
engine with which 10 work The drill and sand pump the
latter being used 10 clear out the debris Mr. koobug
aud hi, asssant{ have been busy ~ seeking Information
u regard to horug made in New York aud Brooklyn IN
made by The English and others singularly compar-
o the surveys made by the English win te present.
! shore embracing the Fulton Ferry slips, shows that
| the tide and other causes have made hardly any
rcrrcptblr change TIL, indicates that there must be
| something yrry solid in the subsraum at the point
Gppen i Is in the form ~ LAYER Of cemeucd boulles
il Il believed that the layer OF bOulders struck by the
bor,rs ON saturday extends up the NayyYard. II s
said that year, ago work some Kind commenced
at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which IN measure
determined the character OF the sub,rann; that the
parties engaged then struck layer OF boudes,
few feet from the surface and that having penetrated
these they found nothing else but clay mixed ~ times
with sand There l. another report tAt Wen was sunk
In the uegborhood OF the United states Hotel corner OF
Fuon and Water ss this city, and that rock was found
| al from ls0 10 2UU feet.
The boulder which the borers struck on Saturday after
last proved TO be only ten inches through Under
! It they found hard pan. Al l5o p M Yesterday they
reached 2s est Here they struck heaN DuuI, - anu
were pounding INTO these as thty let on
scSS %SIS Of the boring was Visited by many DISTINGUISHED
| gentlemen Mr. ROcbliug was there, having come from
Trenton to mp facts FOR his report Mr. g. w Pimp
ton of the brooklyn Polytechnic Institute also there
taking notes Mr. llmpton Will Keep an exact record VI
n seems 10 bc the general Impression that the solid
rock cannot be found in that ncghborhood short OF $50
| feet.
Until recently there general disrust in sspen-
don bridges. The accident 10 the Rochester Bfidgc,
preston aud enduring effect That bridge was barely
able 10 sustain ne ana @hch y I'D pe,
attributed O t1e faulty construction Of the whole work
I'm the matter OF safety OF course the cables OF asus-
pension bridge the main dependence. The wires
posing the cables In the the East River Bridge Will be laid
same relative position throughout the whole length Mr.
Roebng thinks that the Importance OF TINS arrangement
can be easily seen lie says cable may contain great
number Of wires but II these wires do not all bear each
Inappropriate share Of the strain their aggregate strength
may be far below what IL theoretically should be. In or
der insure equal and uniform tension OF the wires,
their parallel position must 10 first secured lie says
that at first sight this appears easy 10 accomplish but
that In truth ts task attended with numerous dicul
ties In the Cincinnati Suspension Bridge The floor is sS
pended from two cables Eighteen feet Of the wire used
there weigh pound and 90 OF tho wires have agrc
gate metal section Of square inch Mr.. Roebllng
holds that any attempt To manufacture l2nch cable In
one process no matter what ts length, would result IN
complete failure and that any cable exceeding five Inches
In diameter must be made In parts. His method Is Ia
make one stand ut time and when finished to place
| I'm DOsitiOu