Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-10
The Top of Brooklyn Bridge.
Appleten's journal.

| Appleton's journal.
Before We set off across the river. stor
for little quiet enjoyment Of the mar
velous picture spread out beneath oul
view this pleasant summer afternoon. II
you have ever doubted the correctness Of
the bird's-eye view Of cities and the like, sc
common in the print shops, here at least is
an assurance that such things are possible
Brooklyn lies displayed at our feet, with
its fringe of warehouses, docks. and slips
perpendicularly under us. How differ
ent is the comparative newness of the
sister city, and how marked a contrast
offered by its bushy greenery marking
out the streets like colored lines on plan
as compared with the densely packed
dark, imposing mass of architecture over
the river!
The bay, sparkling silver and golden in
the sunlig ut, and dotted with its many is
lands, is visible clear beyond the Mar.
rows and down to Sandy Hook Fal
eastward we can almost pick out the sand
hills Of Rockaway and Coney Island, with
the blue sea-line beyond, and to the west
under the sinking sun, the picture is
framed in with the purple of the High
lands, Neversink, and the jersey hills.
Look at that terry-boat just starting
from the Fulton-street slip, packed with
heads Gall we can see), and notice the odd
effect of the dots Of white faces turned up
to watch us, interesting as we are not by
our individuality, but by our position.
We can fancy them repeating Pope's
lines on the fly in amber:
"Not that the thing itselfis rich or rare
The wonder is, how the ID it got theren'
AS for ourselves. proud of our momen-
tary elevation, and drunk with the keen,
sweet, salt air, and the gorgeous prospect,
one is reminded of the man who, on the
ladder ready to be hanged, when mad
bull caused dire confusion in the crowd
below, said, in thoughtless exultation to
his companion rogue: GLOW lucky it is
we're up here!'
And now down the steep slope of the
river span, digging our heels we'll into
the Stats, and checking our momentum by
the side ropes till we stand where few
years ago no mortal ever expected to
stand--two hundred feet over the channel
OF the East Rive, with all its varied traffic
flowing beneath us. Hurry Just here l
want to get plumb over the Bristol as she
sails majestically up stream, and enjoy
the small vanity of doing what no one but
the shipbuilders ever did before-look
squarely down her smoke-stack into her
fire. box
Notice her exquisite, fsh-like lines
seen thus in plan, and the way in which
the narrow hull is marked off from the
guards by the timber work of the cabins.
Phew what racket! Bristol, Massa-
chusetts, Stonington boats, all as they pass
under the bridge salute US with whistle,
while ferry-boats, tugs, and all the small
fry, salute them, till the whole air is
vocal with one great treble Of demonic
howl and screech, set off by the deep bass
hum of toll and traffic, the grand diapason
of labor supplied by the two great cities.
AS noble steamers pass on up the river,
notice the beautiful, divergent lines of
waves from their paddles like a double
tail Of comet! You remember the same
effect, only more distant, feathery, and
fairy-like, as we looked down in the
early morning from the Rigi-top on the
dark polished surface Of the Lake of the
Four Cantons.