The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-08-24
THE GREAT BRIDGE.
How the Gables are to be Stretched from Pier to
Pier.

New York World: The first cables
! OF the East River bridge were hoisted
lnto position yesterday to the great graf
/ lncaUlon of throngs of spectators, who
| assembled on either shore ard crowded
| ihe boats of the Fnlton Ferry. These
cables, technically known as 'sworlline-
! 10: ies. are no part Of the bridge proper,
being used merely TO hoist the wires
composing the great cables across the
river When i'll their place al d ready
70 begin to operate they will extend Fl ON
| The Brooklyn anchorage to the topmost
Part of the tower on that side Of the
river, thence across to the top of the
New York tower, and SO on down to the
anchorage on the New York side. Tie
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ages and al the tops CT the towers; other
rollers viii be fixed to facilitate the run
ming of the endless working ropes. The
wire for the cables, now spinning at the
mills at Trenton, New Jersey, VIII be
delivered OIL the Brooklyn side, and
when everything Is ready the work OF
carrying it across will begin. The end
Of the wire being attacited to the work
ing rope ut the Brooklyn anchorage, the
engine will be started and the wire car
ried mp over the first tower, and then
across the river until the end is made
fast ut the bottom OF the New York an
chOrage. These small steel wires must
first be twisted into strands to make up
the great cable Of sixteen inches dame
ter which are to support the roadway OF
the bridge.
The working ropes are three quarters
of an inch in diameter, and made Of fine
steel vine. They are each 5000 feet long
and weigh 1850 pounds, or seven -eights
Of pound to the foot. It Will be no
small task, therefore, to put them il.
working position, and tliis is the task
that was begun yesterday. The two
ropes were hoistcd to the top of the
Brooklyn tower by means of steam der
ricks, and the ends carried down to the
other sides towards the land. To-day
these ends viii be taken no 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 ready in two or three days, the
other ends of the ropes will be taken up
and carried across The river Oh a scoW TO
the foot Of the New York tower. The
ropes viii be paid out III the river as the
boat passes over, i'll order not to inter
fere with navigation, and when the ends
have been hoisted to the top of the tow
er they will be hoi;ted up into position,
and the ends made fast to the rollers at
the New York anchorage. The 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 be made on
lire nearly level with the tops of the
towers, and when finished they will be
lowered in the middle to the level of the
roadway of the bridge. II is said that
none but sailors will be employed to
work on this narrow platform, placed at
such dizzy height above the water, and
every precaution viii be taken to pre-
vent accidents.