San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-10-09

tide. A commission was appointed
by Congress to ascertain by actual
survey the fact OF the matter, and
found no violation Of the terms.
The central and two side spans
will be suspended from four cables Of
steel wire, each 16 inches in diameter.
Each cable is composed Of between
5000 and 6000 wires, and every wire
was thrown across the river singly.
These wires, more than 10000 in oil,
were regulated as to tension, and
placed singly, and, Notwithstanding
the four enormous cables into which
thoy have been bound, have a span Of
nearly 34OO feet from anchorage to
anchorage, the total variation from
exact level that the Government
Commission found in the four cables
is only quarter Of an inch. These
cables have a DETECTION OF 125 feet
between the towers,
Each tower rests Immediately up
on caisson sunk to the rocks be
meath the river, which on the Brook
lyn side is 45 feet, and on the New
York side. from 80 to 90 feet below
the surface of the water, The tow.
ers erected upon these foundations are
1874 feet in length by SO feet in
width at the water line; below the
upper corice at the top these dimen
sions are reduced, by sloped offsets
at intervals, to 12O feet by 40. The
total height above high water OF
each tower is 26S feet. AT the an
chorages, each of the four cables after
passing over the towers, enters the
anchor walls at an elevation Of near.
ly 800 feet above high water, and
pass through the solid masonry q
distance of 20 feet, at which point q
connection is formed with the anchor
chains. Each anchorage contains
about $4,000 cubic yards Of masonry.
The spans from the anchorages to
the towers will be suspended to the
cables and carried over the roofs oi
the houses underneath. The Brook
lyn terminus, at Sands st. is 6S feet
above high water; that ut Chatham
st. New York, is Ga feet above high
water mark.
The work on the approaches to
the structure are of massive masonry;
that on the Brooklyn side is nearly
completed. On the New, York mp
proach the archess are completed to
William st. From Chatham st. to
the centre of the bridge, the inclina-
ton will be 81 to the 100 feet OF
roadway; from thence to Sands st.
in Brooklyn the inclination will be
2a feet to the 100.
The New York approach is sue
cession Of magnificent arches; near
ly every arch covers about the space
occupied by an ordinary three story
house of 25 K 100 feet in dimensions.
These spaces are mortised for beams
that may be inserted by the lesses OF
Of the warehouses, the spaces under
the arches being intended for ware
house purposes. These warehouses;
Will be absolutely fire-proof, the
walls being six feet thick, laid in ce
ment. On the New York side there
will be over 20, and on the Brooklyn
II of them.
Many historic buildings have been
destroyed upon the New York side to
make way for the approaches; a good
work has been done in clearing out
this portion of the swamp" as it
is called, for nearly every building
back of Chatham st. had gained no
teriety by reason Of some murder or
other dark crime committed therein.
Many newspaper offices have disap-
peared, and only the News remains
in the path, this too, to disappear in
few days, it having been purchased
for $4,000.
The original cost Of the bridge
was to be $4,000, 900; it has already
cost $14,O0O,0OO, and the end is moi
yet. The builders propose to open
the bridge for travel July 4th 1882.
In tbeaccount of the recent great races
Of ST. Julian and Msud =. At the Ro
chester Driving Park there is very con
fdent dealing with those exceedingly
small portions Of time known ss quarter
seconds, when zen. Of thousands Of do
lars change hands a. at Rochester
aud as elsewhere on eighths oi