The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-05
The Great East River Bridge.
The Structure Towering Above Sur
rounding ObJeets--ForrIgn Engineers
Taking M Interest In the Work.


being pushed forward with renewed
vigor, and the working force has been
doubled on both sides Of theriver. The
tower on the Brooklyn side is completed
to height OF about 100 feet, and the
men are working on the three towers
which rise from the main body on q
level with the roadway of the structure.
These towers IRE now twenty-five feet
above the level of the roadway, and are
being added to ut the rate of foot II
day. Nearly all the work is being done
by stonm. A steam derrick hoists n
vast block of stone from the pier to the
top OF the tower. 1t is then placed on
car, which moves on what is termed q
travelling crane, in other words track
fixed on n movable road bed, and from
this position it moves by means Of n
balance derrick, also worked by steam,
to its appropriate place on the tower.
The outer upper towers on the Brook
lyn side are Shy q feet ut the base,
and MS they ascend there arc what en-
gineers term "sloping ofIsets"-that is
to say, the tower rs it nears completion
becomes narrower, but without assum-
ing the shape Of a cone or an Egyptian
pyramid. This the engineer in charge
mfr. O. O. Martini says gives u relief to
the gloomy heaviness Of the structure,
for wherever there is M "oi1set' the
stone is smooth-cut, instead Of being
left in rough iaggqdness. This is also
the case with the main tower, whose
dark outlines are much relieved by oc-
casionRl narrow streaks Of cut stone,
contrasting strinkingly with tho rough
surface of the other portions of the
work, By graduating the structure in
this way great saving Of material is
effected, whiletle strength of thetowers
remains about the same us though they
were built in solid form. The centre
tower is As by 15i feet at the base.
As the Brooklyn tower makes its slow
but sure ascent, it is wonderful how it
dwaris tho buildings in its neighbor-
hood. Once tho Aour.mill ut Fulton
ferry doomed up as an immense strnc-
ture, but now It shrinks into compar-
alive insignifcance beside its more lofty
neighbor. The new ferry house, when
it was'built, had an imposing appear
ance ms tothe height OF its towers, but
now even, the golden ball which tips it's
flagstaff Is far below the bridge tower.
As for the stores and dwellings on Full.
ton street, they have sunk below notice.
Compared TO tho tower they look rs in
significant as though they were old-fash.
Toned watch boxes placed beside the
new Court House, or East river oyster
sloops ranged alongside the Great
Eastern. Looking from the street ut
the men at work on the tower, they ap-
pear like dwafs, while on them the pass
ers.by below have the appearance Of
lilliputians.
The Brooklyn tower now employs only
80 men, including carpenters, masons,
blacksmiths, and engineers, but 10 have
been engaged for some time past in the
excavations for the anchorage tower,
which is to be erected in James street,
above Front, near the old market. The
excavation will be 100 by ITO feet, and
% feet deep. So far the work has been
easy and rapid, the soil being light
sand, well suited forbuilding purposes.
Mr.. Martin says that this is worth Sl.2G
per cubic yard, and us he expects to
take ut least u, 900 yards nom the ex-
cavation, worth s1b,OOt, the building
sand will pay all the working expenses.
In this work, also, steam is employed
wherever practicable. The sand is
shoyelled by men into box holding two
cubic yards and steam engine hoists
the box and dumps its contents into O
cart. The foundation for the anchorage
will be timber platform, and it will
contain $1,000 yards OF masonry. Its
height will be 50 feet above the level OF
tho river. The excavation will be COM
pleted early in Nay, and the masons
will probably begin wsrk on the anchor
age tower in June.
On tho New York side the force, in.
Guiding masons, carpenters, and black
smiths, is fifty men. Col. Payne, the
engineer in charge, says that the pro-
gress made is equal to two feet in three
days. The tower is sixty feet high, and
it Is expected that by the end of the
season II will bo r,lised to the height OF
the roadway-110 feet. The premises
belonging to the Bridge Company IRE
those formerly occupied by the vii.
liamsburg ferry. The yard contains
carpenter, machine and blacksmith
shops, storehouses, machinery for mix.
ing cement, and four engines for hoist
ing purposes. Little tramways inter-
sect It al various points, and al mater
ial is conveyed to tic works in small
cars.
Late i'll the fall or chrly nextseasonthe
excavation Of the site for the New York
anchorage tower will be begun. This
tower will be Of the same dimensions as
that on the Brooklyn side. II will be
situated n few feet west Of Water street,
md north OF Dover street. The mp.
proaches to the New York terminus OF
the bridge will begin ut Chatham street,
and byan easy grade ascend to the height
of the tower, being supported ut convcn.
lent distances by iron girders and trus.
SEES, together with small piers OF mason
nv or iron columns built within tho
blocks of building which will be cross
cd and occupied.
Col. Payne says that OF all the visitors
who have inspected the caissons, which
are regarded rs the most successful OF
the kind in the world, small per cent
age only were from this city. But
French, English, German, and Austrian
engineers have visited and thoroughly
inspected the works, which have been
honored also by the presence Of several
delegations OF Chinese md Japanese
magnates, whohNve expressed unbound
cd admiration and surprise at the ease
with which vast masses Of granite are
raised from the ground and placed in
noaition.