New-York tribune., 1876-05-06
THE EAST RIVER BELDGE

UFFICULTIEs IN THE WAY OF HGHrtSING THE
BRIDGE AND LESGHESINj TnE APPROACHES
ExACGEEATED STATEMENTS TX REGARD 20 THE
TXsINsE or PASSING BEHEATH H.
Thc prospect that the bridge which Is to
cnnusct New-York with Brooklyn Ia De- completed In
the no. remote future has attracted much attention 10
the probable eject Of the upon the commerce
of the two cities. IL has been claimed that vessels or
large s.o viii be driven from the E.st River aog ther
as l,fy t-ts mn. bo lowered In order pass boleat
tie bridge. ana the expense % ti3 has aroused fears
among shipowuer, well among the propretors oi
stogca manufacturers Re- situated near the river Many
%! tns statements which have ioand their mo pint.
however are exaggerated. and the expense % lowering
TIE mast. Of q vessel been oysrestma,ed There Is
lille rouud for bclef that change viii ce made IN
the plans Of bridge e5cr by raising tho roadway or
lengtheIing the approaches.
The length ~ tno bridge NJ pier TO pier H. 800 feet
aud ,p floor win form On arc or circ, ~ large radius
The ascent either and To toe middle P"irt IS 3-'oo
ca IN 100 feet Tho Hight or the highest part VIII be
I3J 5,o fee above tho hlh water warh. tho dnocnro
eeseeu Eigh aud low tide being about five feet The
hish o: the bridge at the towers = li@2co feet above
high water. The Of The approach on tue New
Yoik side tnc terminus ~ winch Ia 10 De IN the vicinity
Of the a, Of Eccords VIII he 900 feet 20 every 100
cc-the same TIE ascent OF the bridge itseli and
IN .u,, .sU also De maintained tie Brooklyn sdo
a. far 81, the anchorage, Just below 1orhst hut from
this point the terminus. near the Junction Of Sands
and W,4hnfont, the sloio viii be $50 feet IN each
100 ccct Tic ground IN Brooklyn being higher than
that on the NewYork side. the ascent is rendered some
what easier although ~ the ors nal plan 10 WAS intended
ina, tho incline on tho ErooAin eide should De- 11Ioo
fect i'm 100 feet throughout. The bridge viewed trans
yercly Will not present entirely symmetrical appear
! ancc.
Enormous difficulties lie in the way of increasing he
night ~ tie bridge. The plans al made after care
fu cou-idtratioi and All objections dniy weighed
The tow both of which are nearly completed. in
tended for bridge l31 irct high ANA OF course uE
suitable IN strength and hight for !oisieI structure.
The cables which are 10 he used would bo insufficient in
strougth to sappOr; tic bridge II placed at higher
point and completed towers would not allow heavier
cil, 30 be employed Changes in the masonry would
also be necessary although dcuit Of pishont.
Perhaps the objection Of al would be the
increased slope of the approaches, which would De
! inevable II q change were made This could uos 20
obyiatod to any great extent by lensbcuEg t.e Il-
! p.uachos on The New -Yorh ,do higher ground can
reached matter how far the approach may be cX-
tended Moreover It's extension would blockade Of
the streets which 1, prohibited by the charter Of the
Bridge Company, although tho Company is allowed to
close a street running tho direction the ap
| proach IL II should be
The tsrmm, according 10 the present pans, arc AZ
! such a distance from the river to compel many
wagons trucks. &c. desiring to cross % make consid
erable detour order reach the bridge and IL tho ap
! proachcs further extended the Inconvenience
resulting would be- much increased aud the usefulness ~
the structure ~ a public horoushfare would he dimn
ishcd No estimate has been made by the engineers OF
the ccst of Increasing the hight any change IN the
well maurcd plans ia considered impratcable Bat II
such project entertained the great expense would
no dodb deter the directors from undertaking IT, The
engineers say that-suppos.ng II possioeto increase the
hight by much feet would not remove the ojec-
tons made by shipovncrs and In order that all
vessels might pass beneath IL without ronGlc tee bridge
| id IN ha rl- feet ai,O va
| Expense Oh LOWERING ToPMAsTs.
| Many shpowncrs, shipmascrs and owners Of prop
ery front Ing Og the East River mai in that
the bridge viii seriously interfere with the commerce Of
the two cities account OF the expense OF lowering the
trpna ss o many vessels which wi he necessary la or
der that they may nss mp the river The statements
this pint yory widely; claim that the cost of low
rpg the stas - a. much a 5000, while others posi-
tive that the expense viii not exceed five shllings The
middle bridge being 3j feet above the water. every
vessel tie mass % which exc that hight VIII have Ia
strike Of It's sparg In passing It, ii safe to say
that asts over 130 feet IN hight cannot pass in safety
otherSisc they would have pass uIlor TIE mathentt
cal center Of the roadway. 1t IL the opinion OF Pilot
Commissioner Bldnt that the OF not than
ih.r tc vessels Of all sorts which pass M tho East
Ryet exceed l3D feet In hight Few ships Of 200 tons
nave high aud Mr.. Blunt shows that the hight
ships mast o lob tons ~ generally l32 feet; tn't
o class or schOOnerS Is 100 feet and that OF tine
abpf-war Pcnnsy lyani, OF 3lOi TONS Is SO feet from
/ tie water line.
the tOpgalantrasts done by the ships crew. there wall
be- trouble. delay. and expense. rhat II can be
snps after entering the lower bay Is
affirmed by Old and experienced sLipmasters In tho
case Of meB-oiwar difficulty win arise rs the crew Is
always large III 20 40 the work But " rggers were
hired for che purpose 10 Is stated good authority that
six men could house the topgalantmiss 9i vessel u
three hours and NJ OF $50 possibly So The
cost OF raising them again would be nearly twice rs much
Yesterday, while Hugh Mclnerny was paying
of his men, ne ole ed Of them some SILVER. Now
phwats that, dunno" It's silver specie payment