The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-09-18

The fHHpenhion HrtdkeH. The blncRWtiFs
Island Bridge, and the Tunuel--Bridzo
IEcldeuts.
The New York Sun says: The two
days adventures on the wires that have
been thrown over the East river recall
to the engineers some OF the dangers in
making other bridges. Engireer Far
rington, who helped build the Niagara
bridge, says that while there wore three
cables reaching across the river, hang
ing loose, one Sunday workman named
Bennett, while under the influence OF
liquor, walked across from tower to
tower upon ono OF these cables, holding
another cable by his hands. A high
wind blew, and rs the man neared the
middle the cables swayed fGariully, and
those on shore expected to SEQ him fall.
Tho cable upon which ho was walking
sagged considerably at the middle Of the
span, so tint ho could hardly reach tho
one above, his hold OF which his life de-,
pended upon. The cables swayed in
opposite directions, SO that the man was
often thrown from his balance. Then
hc held on by feet and hands, strctchoii
from QUE cablo toauother in almost o
horizontal position. But he clupg to
tho cables, and by little less than mira
clio got safely to tho opposite shore.
While the Cincinnati bridge was in
process Of construction, in tho Pres
dency OF Andrew johnson, the PreSi-
don't, cabinet, and army officers took an
excursion up tho Ohio. ChieE Engineer
Roeblfng conceived planof saluting
the party. He genta q workman named
Carroll to tho middle Of the span upon
boatswain's chair, with m American Tag
and bottle OF wine. When the steamer
was directly beneath, Carroll was to
wave his flag and drink the health OF
the President and his companions, Car
roll reached the desired point safely
with flag and bottle, mud, as the steamer
approached, filled o glass that, he had
taken along in order to do tie thing in
Il proper manner. But the glass, the
bottle, and tho flag were more than he
could manage, mud the bottle slipped
from his grasp, ind falling, struck the
deck OF the steamer within few feet Of
where the party stood.
Tho, proposed Hudson river bridge
at AnthOny's Nose, above Peekskill, is
to bo 1865 feet between towers, ard is
to be 155 feet above the river surface.
II is to be suspended by twenty, cables,
nude OF &c, ,302miies Of steel wire, and
will be strtng enough to uphold 1000
tons. The towers are 10 be wrought
Iron, with granite foundation piers; tho
cables and backstays Of the best steel,
in liuks and pins, not wires. Tho rest
OF tile work is 10 be OF wrought iron OF
tho best quality. The anchorage and
foundations are in solid rock. The
bridge will not encroach upon the water
way Of the river at all, and cannot for n
moment interfere with navigation.
Work is soon to be begun on it.
The Blackwell's island bridge is to be
fifty feet wide, and the structure, with
It's approaches, will extend from Third
Hve,ue to corresponding distance on
tho other side Of the river. The road
way will DO continued across Black
wells island at height Of about 14O
feet above the present level. The. height
of the stone piers above high water to
the lcvel is to be 1856 feet, and the
height OF the towers above tho piers
will be about 150 feet. The span Of the
east channel is to be 600 feet, and that
Of the west channel will be 670 feet.
On the Astoria side tho approach will be
carried along the ccntct Of pu Ayonug
$50 feet wide.
The Hudson river tunnel and its mp.
proaches, to bo built by company with
$40, 900, 900 capital, from Jersey City to
New York, in to be 12,000 feet long.
The greatest depth Of water under
which the tunnel is 10 be bored is little
over sixty feet. The borings show that
the soil through which tho tunnel will
paRs is favorable for tunnel construction.
Tho tunnel walls will DO constructed
Of hard hrick aud cement, three feet il
thickness. circular in form, twonty-siz
feet IN width, aud twenty-forr feet il
height, with double track railroad.
The Brooklyn bridge is to have the
longest single span Of any bridge in the
world. Tho span between the rivei
abutmonts is 1000 feet. In "Murray'f
Hand Book OF France" q bridge is no
ticed crossing tho Dordogno at Cubsac,
on the road between Tours and Bordeaux,
having single span between abut
mentI Of 1,640 feet. In other respects
however, the French bridge bears NJ