The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-29
ROEBLING's GRE1T work.
The Engineer stricken Down ny mn Incurabie
Disease-Bu One View of the bridge.

The first strands Of tho four great cables
OF the East River Bridge have been completed
and lowered into their final positions by tho
interesting operations already described There
are yet eighteen moro strands for each cable TO
be made and the work upon the second OF Theses
Is to begin tomorrow. and TO be pushed ahead
rapidly. Tho workmcn have become skilled.
and they labor with marked zeal. Yesterday
they were oiling the wire and drumming II UP
ready for renewed operations this week. Tho
work on the bridge approaches has begun on
both sides Of the river The engineers have
been detailed I'm pairs 20 the two approaches
and TO the main work Tho spiral staircascs
on the anchorages have been removed. and on
the Brooklyn side the foundations for the APP
proach at the anchorage have been partly dug.
The EXCAVATION is To hc about twenty-five feet
deep; The earth ia carried To the Elst river on
q railroad. and dumped in scowH; Inc work on
mo approaches IL To bc done by the day, the
material to be pur,hased by the hsid;c com. com,
Charge OF tle work on the Brooklyn approach.
Lnglnc,r Probnsco, who was :, recently dis
Works. has been employed 10y Chief Engineer
l!oebling- and detailed 20 the work on the New
York approach. MIR. Harrington, the mnstcr
mechanic, has charge of the cable construction.
the grcnt bridge Is that its chief Engineer who
has conceived il in ali its details and has direct,
ed It's construction week by. week. and almost
daily. has seen less oi the bridge than any resi-
the ferry. Mr.. Eocbling hus not been near the
structure for three or four years. He IL a VIC
tim OF the caisson disease. which afflicted 10
many of the men employed in sinking the great
| caissons on which the bridge towers stand and
II is not expected that he will ever recover from
II. This malady IL defined rs being disease
depending upon increased atmospheric pres
sure. but il always devcopes after the pressure
is removed. The pressure in the New York
caisson. when il WINS about scycnty-ciRht fe<
deep. WIS thirty-sx pounds 10 the square inch.
TINS work being the most important OF all,
| Mr. Roebng. although knowing its perils.
| repeatedly visited the depths OF the
! caissons personally. The result is that
| he il stricken down for life with
disease which is practically incurnblc. In his
ease. besides the usual pain in the extrcmities
| Of the body. he has become paralyzed, and his
nervous. system is greatly impaired. Last fall.
when II became necessary 10 remove him from
his home in Trenton. \. j. to Fiitleth street. in
| this city. he was put in cannl boat and drawn
10y n tux TO the point nearest his residence. Ho
was unable to travel in any other way. few
| weeks ago he WIS removed 10 his residence mt
| 40 Columbia Heights. Brooklyn. in the same
way. lie was carried ON a stretchcr to tho
| canal boat. and placed on the deck. AS he was
| drawn up the East river bv the tug he saw tho
| completed towers and the temporary foot
bridge for the first time. "Ah.' he said. that 3
| Just az | expected to see it," He Is unable to
| leave hs residence. and his staff of engineers
| receive instructions almost daily from him.