The New York herald., 1872-11-18
Facts and Fancies About the
East River Bridge.
A Glimpse from the Top OF
the Tower.
How the Future New Yorker Will "Take the
Air"-something About the Stones the
Wires and the Workmen-The
Peppers Paradise.


stagger whir, gasp and plunge to death
down through l4o feet OF space and two seconds
oil time. The caution came from a rough Irish
labotcr on the summit OF the East River Bridge
tower on the Brooklyn side and was addressed
TO HERALD reporter, who, in the opinion OF the
workman, had too much confidence In himself o
rare (P) thing, by the way. among reporters in
these modest days, when men are never "nter-
viewed" !" nor anything.
The wind was blowing at the rate OF twenty-five
miles an hour, and 1t was not only difficult to stand
in an exposed position on the tower, but 1t was
dinicuit matter to breathe when facing It, and next
to impossible to speak. The workmen all wore
caps or soft felt hats drawn down over their ears
with one or two coats buttoned to the neck and in
many instances couple Of pairs of pants. Every
thing on the tower was armored against the wind,
and there was evident care that nothing should be
carried away by the flying Boreas. workman's
jacket lying on the coping was kept in place by
heavy beam OF timber, and a bucket, having no
water In 1t, was filled with odds and ends
OF iron for fear 1t might be whisked away And SO
at this great elevation the work Of building the
tower goes on with considerable confusion OF
sounds but little o. tongues, for nobody cares to
talk where 1t is SO dncult speak and so doubtful
whether it win be heard
There is 'clinkl clinkl clinkp Of the drills in
u
creaking Of the great derricks and rumble OF the
truck wheels, and at the rate Of about foot day
the pile OF masonry crawis up into the air, and
overtops everything about it. An iron pulley
wheel rev0lves under the tension OF a
wire rope, and in ten seconds squared
mass-seven tons-Of rock, gray, speckled
and gliterng, rides to the top and is re sted on
truck which is rolled under it. Another minute
and enginerys giant claws have clutched it. and
great iron arm swings IL into place with the ap-
parent ease that marks the wave of a lady's fan.
There are stone cutters and masons, drillers and
laborers at work. but there appears to be little
physical labor required, Tor machinery and steam
power are made available Us lar AS practicable.
This tower Is now SO far advanced toward COM
peton that 1t affords very lair idea OF what the
finished structure will be, and from its summit a
good idea may be obtained or
THE VIEW OF THE FUTURE
when the wires OF the bridge are stretched like a
vast cobweb, high in air. and crowds OF people will
MT across It to admire the scenery OF the rivers
the bay and the trio OF cities From its present
l4O feet OF elevation splendid panorama unrolls
itself at the observers feet. Naturally enough the
tense curiosity to know what blrd's-eye view OF
New York will be- and, sngularlY enough, too, this
As Of New S YerH h9s sa
I,,oaa, CITY can ans De seen "a. and to- the north,
Ii limited. This Is owing to the elevated nature OF
certain portions Of the ctys surface In these al
recti0ns, which obstructs the view OF distant
parts. But look to the west, southwest and south,
IN any event the most varied and attractive points,
and there is every desirable feature OF land and
aoseoPs @ . cease TO bear the dignity
the river front on the Brooklyn shore look like
splendid areas OF red-painted iron. Fulton
street crawlS slnuousy away up the hill
and is lost IN confusion OF brick walls,
gables and cornices, and Furman street looks ike
OF canal boats, so nat and depressed DO they ap-
pear. Looking more closely to the base OF the
DECKS OF HUNDRED SHIPS
lay so near apparently, that one might toss
chesnnt into the galley fires, and the Navy Yard,
OF hundred yards along the docks. In 'front.' rolls
the river, eddying foaming, swirling in the brisk
seem but an arms reach below as she scuds
with spray under her bows, past the granite monu-
%en the dopns tG ns s BY ss
In and out OF the ''slps" picking their way
through the neets Of tugboats. yachts .yawis
barges schOOners canal boats, steamers and punts,
that ply with ccaseless change OF position the
surface OF the water. Away down to the west Gov
that roll up with the tide through Buttermilk
Channel and dash their white caps along the Bat
MORE PLEASING VIEW
OF Governors Island has ever been found than that
afforded from the tower. or course there is no
clear cut rearing outline Of fort and foliage against
the sky, Dut there is brown ring Of shore lying
the blue surface OF the harbor, and filled
in with great emerald OF grass and trees,
streaKed here and there with the neat gray lines or
barracks and the ridges OF earthwOrks Of Fort
Johnson and in the not remote distance those two
smaller islets, Bedloe's and EllIs' seem almost to
float about and change position, SO lightly do they
rest among the rpples. The Jersey shore lies low
and blue along the near horizon and crawls away
down the XIII Won Kull to hide itself behind the
wooded crests of the Staten Island hills and seems
POETRY OF THE PICTURE.
first rest lies the heart OF the great me.
tr0poiis, with all the prominent buildings below
s Of It's 81
and spars, seems like cherd,tx de nise along the
shore, the most noticeable break in the line being
Its dun-c0ored obelisk from the water's verge.
Behind this is the maze Of masonry which goes to
poas windows, gables, front walls, rear walls, OF
wood, iron, brick, stone and marble, seem crushed
Is whether there really are any streets and
materials. Just over the tops Of all these .
pleasing relief to so sombrc conglomerat!on
yer s!a lins Of A' the North ' sveI na ,nsn the the
dark rich background OF the Bergen Heights pleas
antly dotted with white suburban homes. 1t Is but
narrow streak Of the North RIVER ,llat G IS visible;
monotony OF the vista, and marks with great dis.
tnctness the tongue OF land that lies In the rivers,
mouths aud bears on It's surface the Empire City Of
the Western World There is
STRANGE MURKY AIR
hanging over all these houses which even the pre-.
yailing strong wind seems unable to bear away,
doubtless because the causes which bring about.
that murkiness are always operating.
But time Is coming-and, judging from the
way ia which work is being pushed, 1t Is coming
fast-when New Workers Will be able to take run
across the bridge to see the city and the bay and
to get fresh air and estimate to their own satslac-
ton all the beauties OF scenery which the city pre-
scnts when the observer Is not too close to wtness
the deormities. And to one class especially the
bridge promises to be a rare luxury-to. wit, the
class who take pleasure In peeping into their
neighbors' windows AMI tack yards. The prospect
TO these will be truly delightful.
IT is not at all difficult now, even for persons
with less lively imaginations than the modern
| newspaper (errOuGOuSlyl
possess, to imagine the
SIXTEEN HUNDRED FRET OF WIRE THREADwoRK
which will constitute the 'bridge," already
stretched across the river 90 the airy height OF lis
feet TO the r0adbed. Passengers by the ferry to
Brooklyn will have noticed the deep cuts betwec n
the faaks OF the towers which are to form the
rcadways, and hundreds no doubt fancy that these
passages are rather narrow, but they only need TO
stand In them to De convinced thai they are really
broad traffic In