The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-27
BRIDGING THE AVENUES
HOW We Are to Travel from
the Battery to Harlem.
HE AGE OF IRON
Descriptions of Projects Before The Rapid
Transit Commission.

elevated rapid transit railroad, submitted for
the consideration Of the commission by nven-
tors, engineers and constructors The illustra.
tions accompanying these descriptions will assist
the reader in forming Judgment as TO the merits
or the respective propositions. The multipcity
OF the projects thus far filed WILL no doubt entail
large amount OF labor on the Commissioners, but
the subject Of construction Is acknowledged to be
Of sun1cient importance to warrant careful ex-
animation OF oil. Those published to-day, seven
In number, are the Williams ana Catherwood,
which combines the truss and suspension prlnc-
pies; the Meyers and WIdmayer, the model OF
which has attracted so mucn attention az the
once OF the Commission the Evans, which
comprises series OF iron bridges from span TO
span, combined with wire cables; the Ehler
arcade scheme, which proposes railroad over
the whole sidewalk, opposite the present second
noors OF the buildings, the road TO be brldged
over strongly enough 10 allow The upper stories
TO be extended 10 its outer limits the MOTIFS de-
pressed road, which contemplates an open cut
somewhat after the style OF the Fourth ave
nue. Improvement, and two iron column
projects intended to occupy the centre OF The
road, one Of them contemplating q surface
track for freight cars. There are a number OF
other plans now before the committee that de-
serve ate ton, and others are In preparation by
engineers who prefer to wait until the bulk OF
fhen competitors have submitted theIr PROPOSE
lions, SO that the commissioners win have an
ample field out OF which 10 make their ectlon.
Ut Is probable that the time for the reception OF
plans will be fixed by the Commissioners this
Week.
PLAN.
The theory OF the construction OF this Plan OF
elevated rapid transit viaduct is 70 combine the
"truss" and "suspensionu principles In sucn =
way that the towers and Ordinary nxed ground
anchorage OF the cables Is rendered unnecessary,
and the advantage OF the economy aud little oo.
etructlon OF the suspension principle Is secured
Dy com oining the stnness OF the .russed primer.
mat the rigldIty and weight OF the structure Is
substituted Tor tae ordinary anchorage-that Is TO
HaJ, that wnen the load Is upon any one span the
rigidIty (stinness OF the two adjoining spans to-
gether with their weight aud Ine strength Of the
truss Is sufficient anchorage for the caoles upon
the span sustaining the load or strain.
1t will be evident thai, with the advantages OF
this construction. continuous suspensoa via
Duct Of any length can be construcled without
anchorage, except perhaps, trinlng anchorage
OF .ne asS spans at tne .ernai Od 'ne .srnlnai
10 avoid any anchorage. Iae improvements In
volved In this construction OF suspension bridges
are new and original ana very valuable; and, In
effect, make a rapid transit suspension Viaanc"
practicable, with absolutely no actual obstruction
5ght, &C., except in the case or wide
streets; and in them, not more than Eve or
aen per cent OF obstruction, when other plans OF
columns at short intervals piers, arches OF ma
sonry or iron, &c. would amount to fifty or sew
6nty -0VR cent obstruction, Auu TO the
necessary strength, the great strength of the sus
pension principle Is too well known 10 admit o!
argument upon that point; either as to carrying
light rapid transit tralnsn OF three or four small
cars, with light locomotive or dummy engine,
or The heavier trains and engines OF the ordinary
surface railroads where II IL desirable TO BRING
them into the city limits, the structure being
necessarily heavier and stronger in the latter
case.
The suspension bridge principle has been pro-
posed In several plans, out always Involving cum
6ersome and obstructive towers at comparatively
tlonable, making the structure very Obstructive
ms well as unslgntly. Ihis construction oovlates
these object. ons-ol the obstruction and insight
uness-as IL Is wholly non-obstruotive and SYM
metrlcal and architectural IN appearance; the
the little obstruction OF the suspension principle
without any towers except simply wrought IRON
columns or arches st the long intervals OF the
corners OF the In iersectng streets inside OF the
curb; or, II the street Is wlde in the diagonals OF
The intersections 80 as not TO be obstructive;
trussed together with strong trussed or other
Rlrders In such way as TO make an iron tower
capable OF sustaining the weight and strain OF the
cables, which Will not only not be obstructive,
but need not be very high Tor the spans required
between the intersectIng streets VI 230 feet 10
200 ieet on the avenues,
Colunns or arches Of the towers only Mt the IN
tersections OF the lateral streets, when the dis
tances between the intersections are NOT unu-
Bualy great, lnelde OF the curbnR II the street is
narrow or in or near she diag0nals OF the inter-
sections If the street is wide In the least obsrue
tive position, In what may be termed the "neu-
tral pontsn as to obstruction spans OF she trusses
hbodt City feet Or Lesser they may be Oullt con
tinuously-well braced vertically ana lateraily at
tne joining OF the sections or spans, II quilt in
'fSadsiesn for the cables on the Orders OF the
columns or arches to ADMIT OF slight movement
OF tns cables, to take the drawing strain OF the
columBs or arches II adopted In place OF columns,
no that they will have only the vertical stress 10
support; though there IL little DOUBT but
that the trussed wrought lren columns or arches
placed in TIE disgonas OF tue lntersecting streets,
- shown, would themselves sustain the drawing
strain OF any load which would be required In
rapid transit traflo, upon the spans of the length
proposed, She total strain being divided by two.
between the adjoining towers or trusssd columns,
Trusses and track timDers ana Orders 80 con-
structed and ofaced as to give the greatest rigid
ity 70 the upward or anchorlng strain OF tho
cables NJ well as to resist tue downward stress OF
she load aud Also 10 give hrmer resistance TO
lateral detection.
IL ID confidently believed that the track tmbers
and iron track girders can be 80 combined ana
stlnened At their joints and In combination with
the moor girders as 10 make the trusses for the
trackwaya unnecessary for the llght trains ana
engines or uummles OF rapid transit railway.
II trusses are adopted the simplest and most
economical form should be usee which will give
the greatest rIgldlty to the vertical and lateral
stress with the minimum OF material and work IN
the construction and raising.
the estimated cost is 100000 per mile. Mr.
Catherw0od declares that he would give bonds to
build 1t Tor tnts sum- and II his plan DE adopted
be can supply the capital at once.
Mr.. W. }. Morris, Ctvil Engineer, thus describes
his plan Il propose TO censtruct an ordinary
steam locomotive railway of three tracks, de-
pressed, open. daylight road-to be constructed
through the centres OF any streets or avenues.
The rOaabed IS 10 10 depressed below the surface
OF any streets from ten TO twelve or more ieet
so not TO interfere with the drainage OF the
sewers, which are at minimum deptR OF thlr.
teen, and thirteen feet six inches below the grade
Of the street. The gauge or the tracks - to be
four feet elghS and q half inches cars seven ieet
wlde outside and seven feet SIX inches nigh IN
SIDE engines from ten TO twelve tons weignt.
The roadoed II to be from twenty EIGHT to thirty
lOur leet wide, AZ may be advisable, so az not 10
INTERFERE with the water ana gas pipes, Wnlch are
about eight end three feat, respectively rom the
"curDs." On streets ether than the avenues the
n Al n
OF Lhls roadbed are to be constructed walls Of
stone OF brick, rising nearly TO the surface Of the
street, iron Orders, three and four feet or more
apart, are placed upon ana from wall TO wall
i Sstwesn 'hese grdsrs are placed "buckled
over, excepting ten feet immedIately over the
centre OF the roadbea In the centre OF the street.
rms space is lett entirely open for light and ven
tnatlon throughout tne entire length of the read,
excepting at the crossings OF the streets, where
the roadbed is covered entirely over. The orders
are 80 placed and paved over that the present
Erados OF the aLLasta womb not hn channnd-