Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-06-07

the center section is the footway. The
latter measures 10 feet seven inches la
width, and is elevated so that an unob-
structed view is obtained, while tele-
graph wires and pipes for various pur-
poses occupy the space beneath. The
cars are TO run across the bridge an the
principle recently applied to the trac-
ton OF city passenger cars in Chicago
and dclphla-namely. that of at
taching them at will to II continuously
moving wire rope. The speed of this
rope Will be maintained st about ten
miles an hour. 1t is intended to run
cars st intervals of one to two minutes.
The estimated time of crossing the
bridge on the cars is five minutes. The
open spaces IN the anchorsges and
under the many arches of the sp-
proaches leading to them will be utilized
as warehouses. The distance between
the terminl is :, $3.50 feet. The approach
es FROM the street level to the anchor
ages are built of masonry, and the
grade Is comparatively slight, beingsonly
81 feet IN 100 feet, or somewhat less
than that on Wall street between
Broadway and Nassau street. At each
erminus is a large and ornamental de-
DOT, built of iron, through which the
foot passengers get access to the bridge.
and IN which the cars will receive and
discharge their passengers. The toll
for foot passengers will he one cent.
For the present, 5 cent fares will be
charged in the cars, except during GER
tain hours of the night and morning,
when the fare will be 2 cents.
The weight of the central span is
GAO tons, and the estimated weight CT
g crowded bridge, carts, people and
all is l $50 tons. These supporting ca
ales must therefore be capable of hold
ing up s 100 tons, ard it is calculated
that the lengthwise pull In the cables
becomes about II, 900 tons. The ex-
IRENE strength of the cables is IS coo
tons, or nearly four times the greatest
estimated strain that will be put upon
them. AS the weight Of the bridge it.
self Is i've times that of the greatest
transient loads, the breaking strain OF
the cables could not be reached until
the transient load Is over twenty times
the greatest expected amount.
A CHANGE OF ORGANIZATION
was effected IN 1874, when the original
stock company was bought cut by the
cities of New York and BrookIyn, and
the completion Of the bridge was
placed IN the hands of board Of 90
trustees, the mayors and comptrollers
OF the two cities being of the number.
The original estimate of the cost was
set down at about 81 100000 exclusive
OF the necessary real estate, which was
q OF 0D0 i
and 1t was expected to have the bridge
finished IN about five years. But I'M
forseen difficulties, as well IS many
changes IN the design which suggested
themselves from time to time and have
now brought about far more useful
and substantial bridge than the one
origin ally intended, have raised the
actual cost TO nearly $15 600 600.
The enterprise has not been brought
to triumphant completion without
the sacrifice of some lives. Twenty
men have been killed outright or ia
tally injured on and about the works.
John A. R0ebllng, the great engineer
who planned the work, WAC the first
victim. He died from lock Jaw, result
ing from the crushing OF his foot in
the summer of 1869 while superintend-
ing the works. His son and partner,
Washington A. Roebllng, succeeded
him. He contl acted the caisson dis
ease, and has been All invalid since
1871, and except for a brief trip to
Europe he has not been able to leave
his residence. But he has been the
controlling and managing spirit of the
enterprise, has kept all the details in
mind, has solved one after another the
new and intricate problems that from
time to time arose, and has inspired
his professional assistants with his own
zeal In the WORK.
The bridge has not been built with
out disputes among the trustees, and
various charges of incompetency and
dishonesty. People thought som etimes
that the bridge would never be fin
ished. But al the perpiexities and the
wranglingo are forgotten now in the
gel eral JOY that the bridge is here at
last. 1t Is thing of beauty, thing
of utility, and was built to last, and few
public works have been so fairly and
honestly carried on to completion. Of
all New York's attactions the E bst
river bridge is the grandest and the
one best worth seeing, and if it was Is
years building it cost after all little
more than Boss Twaed's famous court
house IL Chan. bers street.