New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-05

in the roar of conflict, THEY found the
serenity Of death. A voice-"Gi0ry !
have one sentiment for the soldiers living
aud dead-cht ers for the living and tears
| for the dead.
l A Marvellous Spectacle-The Brooklyn
| Bridge Towers.
Numerous applications are made every
day for permission to ascend the great
| bridge tower st the foot of Roosevelt street.
| Very few are granted, and visitors are not
even admitted to the tower yard except
when on business. The top Of the to wer is
about sixteen feet higher than the cross on
the spire of Trinity Church, and more
thar one hundred feet above the highest
point to which visitors can be admitted up
| Trinity steeple. It ia eaid that about one
| third of those who have obtained permits
| sion TO ascend the tower never saw the top
! of it. They generally get as much as they
want before they are half way up The
frail, open stairc ase, which Is built upon
| the east eide of the tower, was not intended
| for the accommodation Of the timid sight
| seerf, but for that of the fearless workmen,
| who think no more of swinging between
| earth and heaven than of burrOwing at q
| depth of six or seven stories below the sur
face OF the ground when they were lay ing
| fhe foundation for the tower under the
| East river.
The first seven or eight flights are gen
orally ascended rapidly and with ease by
| any person making his fret trip. At that
height he is far above the roofs Of the near
| est buildings, and as he catches q glimpse
of the white back of q ferry boat apparently
directly beneath his feet, be is likely to feel
| the first symptoms of fear, slacken his gait
and hold on to the banhi.ters with q hrmer
| gIip. After leaving two or three more
| flights behind him he thinks he must be
| very near the top, but is astOnished to find
! at the next turn that he is only up to the
roadway level-less than one-half the dis
| lance up to the top. Here his courage is
put to a new test, fof he has to walk across
| sort of landing where there is little or
nothing to hold 90 to. aud his path is within
two or three feet Of the edge of the masonry
work. from which there 10 perpendicular
descent Of about l35 feet After one passes
this point it is best not to look down, but
that is almost unavoidable, tiLce the wind
ing staircase is perfectly open at the sides.
If one looks up he can see nothing but the
sky, and can torn no Judgment as to how
near he is to the top, for, being bis fret
trip, he does not know that the mum her of
the flights Of stairs is thirty, and that the
individual number of esch flight is painted
on the side of the tower before his eyes.
After rising about twenty hghts people
generally stop, and, if they are not TOO
dizzy, take look at the magnificent view
which opens up toward the north and east.
The view is quite cut off from the sooth
and vest by the side of the tower. Ten
flights, about 100 feet, remain to be accom-
plished before the journey is ended, and
before the top landing is reached one be-
gins to get weary and faint and almost dis
cOnra2ed. At the very top of the last
Il ght, when he is filed with fear. the
strongest test of his courage is offered, for,
before he Can reach the broad level of the
tower, he is obliged to walk along the edge
of the coping stones ut the dizzy height Of
S7S teet, with nothing but rope to hold on
to. He is brave man, indeed, who does
not hesitate before facing this ordeal, but
when the broad top is finally reached he
feels secure, and soon becomes accustomed
10 the position, especially if he does not 90
too near the edge. Awkward sensa ion 10
sometimes felt if one looks up at the clouds, |
for he imagines that it is they that are at
rest. and that the tower is falling
The view which opens up to the spectator |
from the top Of tue tower is amazing. Right |
over the city of Brooklyn ia to be eeen Fort |
LAFAYETTE, standing in the clear waters of |
the NarrOws. A low neck of land, which |
is at once recognized as COney island, ap- |
pears cutting off the extreme end of SANDY |
Hook; but all the rest of the New jersey |
shore, from the Highlands around to the |
mouth OF the Raritan river, where the visw |
is again cut of by the high bluffs of Staten |
leland, can be distinctly seen inclosipg the |
white waters Of the magnificent harbor,
To the west the view takes IN the New Jer. |
sey shore line, all covered with white cot |
taaes, comprising the villages of Comm. |
nipsw, Bergen Point, Elizabetbport. Bay-
onne, PAmrapo, and finally Jersey CITY.
Hoboken and Weehawken. BeGl,e's
island, out in the middle of the bay, in the |
direction of Elizabeth City, seems no larger
than an ordinary city lot. Around to the |
northward the mountainous ridges of Cen.
trail and Northern New Jersey are seen
dimiy in the far distance; and nearer by the
line Of the Palisades can be followed the
valley of the Hudson until the heights
make bold and sudden turn to
The westward. To the eastward the valley
If the Harlem is eeen, spaDned BY High
Bridge-a long, low streak line of white Or
gray across green valley, the bridge ap-
bearing to be about twelve or fourteen feet
high" Bringing the angle Of vision down
O as to take in Manhattan Island, the me-.
ropolis looks like toy city built Of blocks
My a few feet square. The only streets of
v hich an open view of the pavement can be
lad are Fourth avenue and Allen street.
hose appear to be about four feet wide, |
nd the roots Of the cars passing ND and |
own seem to be about the size of q mans
and. Looking down at the river the tons |
the ferry boats are at once likened to the
acks OF turtles, or rather their bellies. for | ,
he carapace is not familiar to those who
My see turtles after they are caught and
ut on exhibition IN front Of restaurants
one goes near enough to the edge of the 8
)wer and looks at man down on the pier I
Q sees q hat and toe end of pair of boots.
> if the owner had gone in bathing and left !
ls hat and boots on the dock. On the {
ther hand the men moving around on the I
~ Of the Brooklyn tower, 1920 feet distant, 6
ut on level with the spectator, appear to I
and out ag ,inst the southern sky. To I
limb the tower and descend it is q good
avs work for any one not accustomed to
lat kind Of exerion, but it we'll repays all | t
no are 80 fortunate as to be permitted to | c
y it. The two great bridge towers are the
swest and most impresslng sights of the i
etropolis. b
General Barnard. of the United States /
my, abiding to the East river bridge, in | 9
article written by him for Johnsons Cv- =
opndia, said shat the stupendous piers Fl
are wonderful monuments of a
% engineering skill of the age" The d
ers are built wholly of granite. Each h
ntalns over 900, GOO cubic feet, and weighs .
FER 10000 tons. The base of the pier r
vers IL ,OOO square feet, and it is estimated a
at the total weight of the bridge proper o
hen loaded with pedestrians, railway t,
ans, carriages and horses. will be about O.
90 tone, the pressure upward from the d
'se OF the pier will be only Q little over G
ar tons per square foot.-Ne,o York il
orld. r.
Some peoples Judgment il that of . blind
10 ct window. 10