The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-08-14
The Great Bridge. it.I. EST 81.
ROW TIE CABLES ARE TO BE sTRsTcHEp fRos


The Great Bridge. y.afl
now THE CABLES ARE TO BE srRETeHEp FROM
80 sssssS PEER TO PIER. y ts''ifA's:s,
Il The first cables Of the. East River bridge
were hoisted into position Thursday to the
great qualification OF throngs OF spectators,
who assembled on either shore and crowded
the boats OF the Fulton ferry. These cables,
technically known as ssworking-ropes,
are no part OF th ebridge proper, being used
merely to hoist the wires composing the great
cables across the river. When in their
place and ready to begin to operate they Will
extend from the Brooklyn anchorage to the
top-most part OF the tower on that side the
river, thence across to eatop OF the Ne"
York tower, and SO on down to the anchor.
age on the New York side. The ENDS OF
the ropes will work around large drums or
rollers made fast in the anchorages and at'
the tops OF the towers; other rollers VIII
be fixed to facilitate the running OF the end
less working ropes. The wire Tor the cap:e''
now spinning at the mills at Trenton, n. D.;
will be delivered on the Brooklyn side, ana
when everything is ready the work OF carry
ing II across will begin. The END OF
the wire being attached to the working rope,
mt the BROOKLYN anchorage, the engine VIII
be started and the wire carried up over the
first tower and thence across the river until
the end Is made fast ut the bottom OF inc
New York anchorage. These small steer
wires must first be twisted into strands to
make up the great cables OF sixteen lnches
diameter which are to support the roadway
of the bridge.
The working ropes are three-quartrs q
an inch in diameter, and made OF Tine steel
wire. They are each 5000 feet long, and
weigh 3,150 pounds, or seven-eishths OF a
pound to the foot. 1t will be no small task,
therefore, to put them into working posi-
ton, and this is the task that was begun
YESTERDAY. The two ropes were hoisted to
the top OF the Brooklyn tower by means OF
Strawberries, and the ends carried down
on the other sides towards the land. To-Day
these ends will be taken up and carried
back to the anchorage, where they will be
made fast AS soon as the New York tower
is ready to receive them, which will be IN
two or three days. the other ends OF the
ropes will be taken up and carried across
the river on a scow to the foot OF the New
York tower. The ropes will be paid out IN
the river as the boat passes over, In order
not to interfere with navigation, and When
the ends have been hoisted to the top OIL
the tower they will be hoisted UP into
position and the ends made fast to the
rollers at the New York anchorage. Inc
first work to be done by the endless
ropes will be to haul over several
others OF the same kind. These will be
stretched at proper distances apart and
temporary bridge made by connecting them.
The great cables, it is said, will have to le
made on line nearly level with the tops oil
the towers, and when finished they will be
lowered in the middle to the level OF the
roadway Of the bridge. 1t is also said thai
none but sailors will lie employed to WORK
on this narrow platform placed at such
dizzy height above the water, and every
precaution will be taken to prevent accl'
dents.
The California packet-ship Three Bro
theirs, formerly the side-wheel steamship
Vanderbilt, and said to be the largest sail.
ing-yessel in the world, pissed up the East
river the other day in full rig, and Mr.. Mar
tin, Of the bridge engineer corps, took the
altitude OF her masts as compared with the
level of the roadway Of the new bridge. He
reported that her topmasts passed ten feet
short of the bridge level. The space around
the foot OF the Brooklyn tower being va
Gated, it will hereafter be used as stone
ward, and tue supply Of stone now at Red
Hook will be brought up and prepared Tor
constructing the approaches to the bridge