Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-07-31
The Hudson River Bridge.
The Money Raised for its Construc ton.
Description OF tho Proposed Bridge.

The Money Raised for its Construc tom
Description OF the Proposed Bridge.
The directors of the Hudson Suspen-
sion Bridge and New England Railroad
Company have held frequent meetings,
during the past few weeks, in relation
to the offer OF combination of railroad
officials, who propose to furnish the
necessary amount of money to build the
bridge. The bridge, it will be remem-
bered, was projected about six years
ago, and charter was granted by the
Legislature of 1859. The Board of
Engineers, among whom were Gems.
George B. Mcclellan, Edward W. Ser
rell, Quincy A. Gilmore, and Horatio
Allen, determined upon the site from
Anthony's Nose across to Fort Clinton
as the most feasible one. and the plan
offered bv General Serrell was adopt
ed. The location of the bridge will
necessitate the building of a branch
road from Turner's, on the Erie Rail
way, running in an easterly direction,
and also another branch road from
Anthony's Nose to Lake Mahopac or
Brewster's, to connect with the New
England and other railroads. Both of
these branch roads have been surveyed,
but the route has not been definitely
settled. By the aid of these branches
and the Hudson Suspension Bridge, the
Erie Railway, and the combination of
railroads known as the New York, Bos-
ton and Montreal Railroad, will be in
direct connection, giving an unbroken
line between the East West, North,
and South. There will be connections
with the Hudson River and New York
Central, the Harlem, New York and
New England, New York and New
Haven and Danbury and Norwslk,
Housatonic and Northern, New Haven,
Hartford and Springfield, New Haven
and Northampton, Connecticut River,
Boston, Clinton end Fitchburg, Provi-
dence and Worcester, Boston and Provi-
dence, and the railroads of Canada. On
the western shore of the Hudson there
will be connections with the Jersey
City and Albany, the Erie branch lines,
and through these lines to all principal
roads running through to the coal
regions of Pennsylvania. Approaching
the value this bridge, if constructed,
would confer on the traffic of the two
railroads which it would cause to form
a continuous connection, the Erie Rail.
way Company and the New York, Bos-
ton and Montreal Railway Company
have combined in offering the Hudson
Suspension Bridge Company the sum
of $4,000, 900 as loan for the construc-
ton of the bridge. The offer has been
accepted, but the details of the terms
of agreement have not yet been COM
pleted. The greater part of this sum
will probably be obtained from the
English capitalists who are supporting
the New York, Boston and Montreal
combination. 1t has not yet been de-
cided how or when the loan is to be re-
paid, but therepayment will probably be
made from the tolls received at the
bridge for crossing.
The officers of the company have late
ly been making estimates of the COM
parative cost of building the enormous
piers of iron or masonry, and are of the
opinion that iron will be much cheaper,
as the piers of this material can be
much more quickly constructed, and
can be worked upon at all times of the
year. The estimated cost of the bridge
is over S3,000,000. The design of the
bridge is the combination truss and
catenary single span. The main cables
will consist of two series, the upper and
the lower, the former being hung from
the towers ON each side, and the latter
being anchored in the rocks near the
base of the towers. There are to be
twenty-four cables fourteen inches in
diameter each, and divided into four
systems. The body of the bridge will
be constructed of combination of steel
and iron wire-work. There will be two
decks-one for the accommodation Of
foot passengers, and the other for rail-
road trains. The length of clear span
of the bridge is to be 1,660 feet, which,
with the length of the approaches, will
give total length of 2, ,450 feet. It will
be elevated above high-water level at
least $50 feet. 1t is estimated that
there will be required to construct this
bridge 10000 miles of wire, 1900 tons
of iron and steel, and 10000 yards of
masonry