Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-03-01
On the Brooklyn Bridge.
From the New York Times.l

The desire to visit high places, or to go
to spots that are not frequented by most
people, has induced several thousand
persons to climb the interminable spiral
stairway leading to the tops of the
Brooklyn bridge piers, and cross East
River on the narrow foot-bridge. This
was thought something of feat year
or two ago, but it has grown too COM
mon. Before the foot-bridge was laid,
when a crossing was made in very airy
conveyance, technically called "bug-
gy," drawn across on pulleys, the jour
ney required good deal of nerve. The
first man that crossed in this alarming
machine Except the bridge builders) was
reporter, SO of course, he made the
journey safely. He went across to
"write up the sensations" and 1t is said
his sensations were so much ahead of the
facility of his pen that he has never been
able to do them Justice. The towers are
| 268 feet above the Underwater, and are
reached by upwards of 400 iron steps,
winding around narrow iron cylinder
by the side of the tower. What it is to
climb 400 steps without any adequate
rest only those who have climbed the
bridge towers or who have Offices in a
ten-story building without an elevator
can know. It is equal to walking to the
top of a sixteen-story building, and, for
amusement, it is not quite equal to the
jolly practice of pulling heavy sled to
the top of high hill for the fun of rid
ing down. But in the case of the steps,
going down is almost as hard as going
up, for there is always some fear of trip
C40 10 fob a
care. The bridge towers do not reach as
high as Trinity steeple within is feet,
and when allowances made for the COM
paratively high ground on which Trinity
stands, they are not nearl y as good
points of observation But there is a
little danger in making the journey of
the bridge, and this adds spice to it and
is one of it's greatest attractions. 1t
is a good half-hour's walk from one tow
er to the other on the foot-bridge. The
first half of the journey, from the tower
to the center of the bridge, seems like
going straight down hill. It looks like
a gentle incline from the river; but, seen
from the top of one of the towers, the
path is a perfect letter V. Going down
is here much harder than going up, for
the pedestrian must hold himself care
fully back, or his own weight will force
him into run, which, at such a height,
is not to be thought of. The walk is
only four feet wide, with rope at each
side. When visitors were first allowed
to cross it there were ten times as many
applicants for permits as could well be
granted. Several hundred persons had
gone over the bridge without an acct
dent, when one man came so near MAX
ing dive into the river, that 40 more
permits were given for some time. He
had nearly reached the center of the
bridge, when he fell into an epileptic tit,
supposed to have been brought on by
the excitement of the situation. Fortu-
nately for the man, some workmen were
near and they hurried to his assistance.
When they reached him he was lying on
his face on the narrow walk and in an
other minute would have wriggled him
self off. This single accident caused a
falling off of more than 80 per cent. In
the requests for permission to cross, and
for several weeks none but the wOrkmen,
for whom the footway was laid, were al
| lowed to use 1t.