The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-26
THE EAST RIVER BRIDGE.
The Creates, Project of the age.

The project of MIR. Roebling, the famous en-
rineer and suspension bridge builder, for unit
ing New York and Brooklyn by spanning The
East River, has been approved by the commits
sion appointed to examine it, and it is saii
that the work will be at once commenced.
The first operations will be upon the Brook.
]yn side near the Fulton Ferry, where excava-
tions will be made, ninety-seVen feet, down to
tha rocl, moon which the foundations OF the
ahutnlent towers will be laid. Digging on
the New York side will Immediately follow, near
Pier No. 20, East River. Kock is there found
at one hundred and seven feet. The new bridge
will be a striking and graceful feature Of
the surrounding scenery. Its proportions will
he col ossal The entire length will be 1862 feet,
or about a mile and one ninth; but these figures
NAV vary slightly when tho ternnini become
settled. The New York terminus will either be
on Chatham-street, opposite the Registers
Office. or in Chatham Square. The terminus
in Brtt oklyn will be near the junction of Main
and Fulton-streets. The structure will thus
overtop many houses when are situated upon
the slope towards the river on each side. It
will be suspended in three openings, two of
which will be on land, ind one, of 1860 feet.
over the water, The floor will be both fire and
water proof, and will serve as roof to the houses
and stores beneath. Its width will be eighty
feet within the the ratings, equal to Broadway,
and will be divided into five spaces, marked by
six lines of iron trusses independently ola side
walk OF six feet on each side.
As the new bridge will weigh S483 tons, being
far more than twice as heavy and wide as any
other structure of the kind in existence. the
lar upon it will be scarcely perceptible, and the
ymoIt violent winds will be powerless against it..
IFS weight in the daytime will be perpeually
augmented BY more or less cars, carts, animals,
and human beings. The maximum weight of
these, if covering the entire surface, would be
1870 tons, but an AVERAGE OF about 400 tons
may be calculated on. Two passenger tt ANS
of cars upon eteel rails will run backward and
forward over the bridge alternately. They
will be attached to all endless wire rope,
nropelled by stationary engine on the
Brooklyn side. Their speed may be at
twenty or thirty miles an hour without injury
to the structure. The heigth OF the bridge
above high tide will be one hundred and thirty
feet, and vessels, the upper masts of which
exceed that measurement, WIN be required 10
lower them on passing, which con be easily
done. Prominent features OF the work will be
the towers on each side Of the river. Their
Length at the base will be one hundred and
thir Y-four feet, and extreme width ffty-six
feet. Their heigth to the roof will be two hum
dred and sixty-eight feet, at which point the
length will be reduced TO ene hundred and
twenty 1eot, aQQ Vu0 Hlupu w lOLey iCCt'
The estimated cost Of the bridge is to be
Sc 675 S57, without the purchase of real estate
on either side It will, perhaps, be nearer
81 600 GOO. or this S., ,OOO, 900 have been raised
s3, 1000, 600 by the Brooklyn Common Council,
s1,5Oo,O 900 by that Of New York, and $500, 900 by
private subscription. When the work will have
become far advanced, through the expenditure
Of the $1,000 ,OoO it will be easy to issue bonds
for the remaining sum needed.
The Union Ferry Company are now trans
porting 40, ,000, 900 persons annually across the
East River.