The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-08-18
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rnc Grsss s.sreccssss. nr 80. s :.s
The towers and anchorages Of the
East River bridge are now about COM
pleted, and the work Of constructing
the bridge proper win shortly begin.
The plan Of operations, as given by
the engineer, il as follows: A steel
rope, three f6urths Of an inch in diam
eter, will he temporarily fastened to
the New York anchorage, thence con-
vcycd over the top Of the tower and
the coil conveyed to Brooklyn by
means Of scow. The rope will then
be passed over the Brooklyn tower and
to the anchorage, but will be left slack
and under water until late at night or
early in the morning, when few vessels
are pas ing. when It will be pulled taut.
This steel rope will be also temporarily
secured to the Brooklyn anchorage and
the coil borne back to New York by
the scow, and the ends connected, thus
forming an endless rope, working on
pulleys at each anchorage and on each
tower, and worked by machinery on
the Brooklyn side. by means of this
endless rope other similar ones will be
put up as required for the further con-
struction Of the bridge. First, two
steel wire ropes, p inches in diameter,
will be carried across and made secure
to temporary f,stenings at each an.
chorage. These will be 81 feet apart,
and placed little to the south of the
middle of the tower, running over the
, top. They will be used for the con
, struction of temporary bridge for the
use Of the workmen. Oak planks, "a
inches in thickness, will be laid upon
= the ropes, with spaces Of about halt an
, inch, both for the purposes Of econo
MIXING material and TO lessen the effecI
of the wind upon it. They will be
fastened by strips running lengthwis'
= across the ends, which will be boltec
, to the ropes by U-shaped clamps.
The bridge will be completed by
stretching small ropes Oh each side
, about 8 feet above the flooring and
, secured to every ten feet. 1t will b
/, rendered firm by guys.
Three other steel ropes, of the SAINT
:, magnitude as those used in the con
struction of the foot bridge, will b
stretched across the river over the top
t, of the towers-one % feet south Of tn,
, foot bridge at the edges of the piers
, one over the north edges, and one mid
way between the north rope and tn
foot bridge, with a space between tn
north and south ropes Of 81 feet. TIL
object of these aforementioned ropes
,, to support small cross bridges, tech
nically called cradles, and necessar!
for the construction of the ether por
tons Of the bridge.
>, There will be five Of these cradles
;, one in each land span between eacl
!. tower and its anchorage, and three a
;. equal distances in the river span
q They will project 10 feet beyond tn
outside cable, and will support pulley
for the endless ropes. The whole TEN
porary structure will be 200 feet abov,
high water at its center and loves
point, so that no water craft will b
interrupted by it. After this work j
;. completed, the construction Of tn
: bridge proper will be proceeded with
: and the first step will be the stretching
of the main cables, which will be pu
up at the same elevation as the tempo
:. rary bridge and lowered. These cable
I will be composed of nineteen strands
$ each strand being made up of 33t
o wires, No. gage-that is little mor'
!. than l of an inch in diameter. Tht
material used will be the best quality
3 of steel wire. The ropes of the tenn
q porary bridge will not be taken down
but finally Incorporated into the super
r structure of the bridge. -[ScientifC
American