The New York herald., 1877-01-14
SPANNING THE RIVER.
The Proposed Bridge Across Black
wells Island.
Past History and Present Condition OF
the Work.

WOTtny OF VI '~bS ~ SJ~S' -
longer mythical
BRIDGE PROJECT.
Thomas Pope. in 1870 proposed to erect what he
called a ssaying pendant BRIDGE between New York
and Brook Iyn to start iron point between the old Fly
Market (Aaiden anc) and Beekman street, then about
the most distant or s'up town" locality. He published
his plan In ls1l bat regarded by capitalists SIM
ply impractical theorst, ana the twooared
barges and single rnasted saboats used In communi-
cation between New York and Brooklyn were esteemed
lar more desirable than erection of bridge, even
upon Thomas Pope's plan.
EARLY NAVIGATION
The natboats were OF about twenty tons burden,
without other shelter and their landing place
at the old Fly Market slip He'll Gate was navi-
gated by large fal.bottomed scows, maneuvred by
Two men with sweeps. Staten island was reached by
two. .masted "bunkcr boats, - Of about twenty tons
capacity. Tho little encouragement given to Pope in
his bridge building scheme also duo to the fact
that Fultons steamboat idea just then promising
OF success and yet II somewhat hattcrlng TO the
memory OF his Idea that the present Brooklyn Bridge
within stones throw OF where Pope Intended h's
standing place" sixty SIX years ago.
THE BI.AcKwELL's ISLAND BRIDGE.
The project OF building the bridge to connect upper
New York with Long Island was originally started by
certain prominent politicians with sprnkltug OF mer-
capitalists, about ten years ago, under the
name OF the New York and Loug Island Bridge Com
pany."
The cnarter was passed April TO- 1867 the capital
stock being fixed at s2,ooo,ooo The corporators
appearing in tho charter Robert Bonner,
G. G. Rowland, John I. Conover, G.. Lee
KNAPP, H. Sanford Sponord, George S. Wright
william Turnbull, John B. Green, Archibald Bliss,
James Barclay, Stephen c. Walker, Augustus siman,
William f. Lalmbeer, II. vanderwater, Isaac d. Col
man, John L. Brown, b. S. Halsey, Henry Wooley. l..
d. Pettee Oliver Charlick, A. W. Lockwood, A. W.
Winants, John Mcbride Davidson, Herman I. Living
ston, George Clark, Daniel c. Duzenberry Thomas W.
Grifen, Charles Chamberlain, BENJAMIN Jones, Phiio
s. Ely, Charles W. Goddard, William Miner Jacob NJ.
Long George Wilkes and Phincas l.. Tyler
According the charter the work was TO have been
CONNIE need within Two years, but specific time
nxeu Tor its ultimate completion. An amendment to
TINS charter passed April II 1871, which empowered
the company 'acqure and lard under wafer Tor
piers &C, and to receive ''dcpaions" OF property,
winch they could dispose OF as they saw III tor the
benefit OF the company, ana 10 take and dispose oil all
land water rights. This amendment also fixed
time oetion OF the bridgethe lst Of June,
1879.
A NICE JOB SPOILED
The attempt was failure No plans were coEsd-
ered although several were submitted. and II is as.
serted by those who claim 10 know that the whole
thng simply job put up AT the instance Of Henry
Genet at whose instance the clause relating to do' u
tons OF property was inserted in tho amended char
for the purpose OF acquiring valuable yater irouts
and choice lots Tor the especial benefit or himself and
friends.
NEW CHAPTER.
In June. 1872, over i've years after the passage of
Gencl's charter another was granted the New York
aud Long Island Bridge Company but slightly dssitn-
liar to the amended charter issued TO the iormer
company. containing the same stpuatons rs TO nita-
ton ni time Tor the completion OF The bridge, 'dona-
tions' OF land, acquisition ot water fronts, &c
The corporaors of the present company are Prosper
NJ. Wetmorc, Bll lze L. Harsei George i. Carman, j.
Madison Blackwell, Thomas D. Robiuson Benjamin
w Hitclcock. A. Degraw. William Herrck.
Benjamin W. Downing, Walter Vens, Daniel Garrison,
James Jacks, Lenry N. onderdonk, William r. Dyer.
Robert u. q. Graham, John ). Marcy, Oliver Ctarck
(since dcceased), j. Lawrence Smith, Henry o. Plat,
Charles Hole, Lyman b. smith, j. Henry Perkins and
others Who these "others" are the charter oocs not
specify
New York and Queens counties are gwen the privi-
ege OF purchasing the bridge by paying the corporation
the and thiriythrce and onehrd per cent IN ad-
diton, providing the bridge thrown open free to the
public.
The Board of Consulting Engineers located tho site
Board consists General j. G. Barnard, General A.
Gilmore. and civil engineer o. Chanute with Mr. T. T.
Schneider rs assistant To the Board.
Tho proposed site for the bridge, as decided by the
engineers, Is IRON the loot ecveEtyscventn Sew
eniy eighth street East River to Ravenswood, tho
Long Island shore, short distance below the westerly
point Of Hnletrs Cove the landing place OF the Har-
lem aud New York Navigation Company.
The total englh oi the bridge VIII be ,532 feet On
the New York shore 1t will begin ut Fourth avenue,
connecting with the tracks OF the Harlem Railroad by IA
tunnel 900 eet long, Ia the vicinity OF Seventythrd
street. to the crossing OF Lexington avenue Here az iron
structure Is TO erected which will curve the
ire OF the blocks Letwean seventysixh and seventy
seventh streets whence VIII continue eastward to
the west bank OF the western channel OF tho East
RIVER The actual length OF the approach on the New
York side Will be 4, $50 feet Wherever the surface
approach to the bridge crosses an avenue spans OF 100
feet clear are TO be provided, SO that no INTERRUPT
ton TO trailc is apprchenced
The plan provides for single span across the west
channel tirom the New York shore TO Blackwelfs
lsand) oi s34 feet, while the structure across the
Island viii be about 700 eet long There VIII also be
single span across the east channel 10 the Long Is
land city terminus the bridge 6ls feet long
clear, wEile the approach 10 the bridge on the Long
Island slde Will be $500 Ieet long about tbreequarters
OF mile There TO be Two doubic steam elevators
Tor loot passengers possible TO the tcrmina
ton ol the long span.
The bridge Is designed to accommodate u singlo
track railway extending over It's entire length, which
VIII occupy width Of fourteen ioet but provision Is
To be nude Tor a second track, wthou. materially IN
tcriering with the current use OF the bridge. Two
roadways or carriages are to extend from Third ave-
nnc to the high ground the Long Island side, each
ten feet wide, and also two sidewalks, each vc feet
wide to extend either alongside or overhead OF the
main carriage ways or the railway
The maximum grade OF the brdgo Is to be 2-10 feet
per 00 or li0 feet mile on the approaches on both
the New York and Long lslanJ sides, ana level across
Blackwcls Island, the centre point In each Of the
long spans the lowest part OF the bridge VIII be 1856
feet clear above mean high TIDE ut the middle OF the
river 1hs height Is the same that PROVIDED In the
Brooklyn Bridge. The towers oi the bridge across
Blackwcils Island VIII be considerably less above the
roadway than It's sister structure 10 connect New York
aud Brooklyn
Across the long spans and along Blackwell's Island
.he roadway for carriages Will be on the same oor ms
the railway, which nccesstacs total available width
OF roadway OF thirty-iour ieci.
The loundations of the abutments are consist of
mnsonry from the bed rock to height OF at least
feet above high water Above this rs at pres
ent uncertain whether the mason work VIII be con-
rnued towers OF iron. wrought IRON miIIcd
iron used.
THE PLANS.
The plans submitted to the consideration OF tho
Board OF Engineers arc nno IN number and their de-
sIgners, with the nature Of their plans are as iol-
lows
Willard 5. Pope, Of Detroit, for the Detroit (Mch.)
Iron Works--StccI wire suspension bridge.
Clarke, Reeves ~ Co. Phadelphia-Hingcd arch
Captain James Is. Eads patentl
Henry Fad Il Co., ST. Louis-Derrick bridge.
A. Lucius, New York--rruss bridge.
Waiter J. Morris, New york-Rgid suspension
bridge.
T. W. Scrrc Il Son. New York--Suspcnsion bridge,
cables CON posed Of wrought IRON links
Charles Macdonald, for the Delaware Bridge Com
papy---Canti lever bridge.
q. A. Karwisc, Philadclphia--iIingcd arch.
l.. W. Wright Brooklyn-Lattice bridge.