Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-08-25
The East River Bridge.

The first cable was stretched over the
tall towers of the East River bridge
from Brooklyn to New York Yesterday.
The work was begun at nine o'clock.
The cable had been laid over the Brook
lyn tower, and the large drum, on which
was wound the wire, was on scow. The
steam tugs were made fast to the scow,
and at half-past nine they were started
across the river. The wire rope was
slowly paid out, sinking to the bottom of
the river, and within nine minutes was
taken to the New York side. A large
rope was then dropped from the tower
and made fast to the cable, the other end
being wound around the drum of
fifteen horsepower hoisting engine on
the wharf A cannon was fired as
signal for vessels not to cross the line
during the raising of the cable. More
than 5000 persons watched the raising
of the cable. The stringing of the pre-
liminary rope is the way by which all
the wires that go to make up the great
cable will be carried over the tower.
Another rope was stretched across be-
tween the towers before the days work
was done. Both ropes were spliced to-
gether and were run from the drums at
each anchorage, thus forming an endless
rope. This rope will bear a strain of
fourteen and a half tons. Attached to
it, at distances of about forty-five feet,
there will be pulleys with hooks fastened
beneath. The carrier-rope is one and
one-half inches in diameter. Through
the hooks a rope one and seven-eighths
inches in diameter is to be carried. The
end will be fastened to the working rope,
and thus it will be dragged over the
towers and across the river to the
anchorage on the New York side, where
it is to be made fast.
In all there will be ten temporary
cables put up. Four of these are to be two
and five-eighths inches in diameter, and
these are to support the cradles. There
is to be foot-bridge forty-eight feet
long and four wide, with hand-rail
about four feet high, all made of stout
oak and bolted together. That will be
called a cradle. At both ends there are
to be two posts connected by pieces at
the top which will support pulleys for
the carrying of the wire for the great
cables.
At 930 the bells of the tug sounded
to start, the lashings were cast off, and
the tug and scow slowly swung around.
With lever and fulcrum on the top
a rope was secured on the rim of the
drum, and in this way its action was
kept under perfect control. The tide
was running out, and as the boat pulled
out into the river the current carried them
down the stream. In the channel the
water is about sixty-five feet deep. At the
| Brooklyn tower it is about seventeen; and
at the New York tower it is about thirty
| five feet. At 9:36 the bulkhead of the
New York tower was reached, and about
! 1 ,470 feet of the cable had been paid out
into the river. The next thing was to
| get the cable over the New York tower.
A rope was passed from the hosting en-
gine in the yard over the towel, and it
hung on the outer face at the lower end
of the. great pile of masonry. 1t was
made fast to the wire cable. Mr.. Far
rington climbed to the top of the tower
and signaled All ready; go ahead, and
the hOisting engine was started. As the
wire left the wharf cannon was fired.
Within five minutes the wire was at the
top of the tower, and within five minutes
more the slack of the cable had been
hOisted in and reeled on the big drum in
the yard. There was long delay about
the raising Of the cable from the water,
because of the many passing vessels Al
1875 the gun was again fired, and sew
eral thousand persons on the piers and
ships saw the cable rise from the water
and link New York with Brooklyn. Later
the ends were taken to the New York
anchorage, and the last section was in
position. There was great cheering, anC
many thousands a few minutes afterward
wondrously gazed upon the wires,--N
Y. Sun.