The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-06-23

1hiek, INC ahcbOrages Oelng SoU Ieet lnlauc- q
The distance between the towers is l.5953 feet,
and the height Of the graduated roadway at the {
centre is l35 l9e:. The total suspended weight II
Is 6, 749 tons and the strength of each II. 200 o
tons. Fourteen years of labor and SI5, 900 900 Il
OF money went to the completion of the struc- 5
tuTe, and the life Of one engineer and all he a
health and vigor of another. These RoebIings, c
father and son by whose skill and brains and q
courage the bridge has been planned and finished I
are wonderfully interesting figures, and the sue
cess Ut their work makes all the world want 10 {
know about them. IL Is just to New England to /
say that the first faint stTesks Of the dawn of the
bridge project is found chronicled in the Lowell.
Massachusetts, Mercury Of Nov. IA, 1929. 1t
reads as follows: "A project has been set on
foot in New York to unite that city with Long
Island by the erection Of a bridge across the
East River to Brooklyn But the Roeblings
Of Trenton, New jersey were the only engineers
IN America who had a practical knowledge OF
the suspension system OF bridging, therefore
not unnaturally when the charter Tor the bridge
was obtained he drew the first plans and made
the first surveys. The cost of the bridge was
then limited to 50, 900 900, one third to be fur
nished by New York and two thirds by Brook
Ign because Brooklyn was supposed to be the
greater gain. When the elder ROebiing had
been chief engineer Of the bridge for Two years,
he was standing one day on a string piece OF 4o
dock fixing a location for the BrooklXov
when a ferry-boat, entering The - ,na
tenders against& JOHNSG6[ ,.had NJ. fan,
had sinonIaN & Tery great engineer but he
- tTGoof Crews on Commissions. He went to
= ns .otel and placed his foot under a faucet Of
running ater-cold-became overchilled and
died of lockjaw in a fortnight His son, Colonel
Washington A. Roebling, who had superintendent
the construction of the bridge over the OHIO at
Cincinnati, succeeded him as cbiet engineer and
is the builder Of the whole work from founda-
, ton to flagstaff. The soundings had already in
Dictated difficulty in securing foundations for the
great piers of the bridge and Colonel Roebling
went to England, France and Germany to collect
the latest scientific information on pneumatic
foundations. He studied in Europe a year, re-
!" turned to America in 1869 and at once turned all
his energy toward the completion Of the bridge
for which his fathers death had left him in a
manner responsible. His greatest anxiety was
: about the sinking of the caissons for the great
towers. These caissons are huge wooden diving
bells on which the solid walls of masonry were
- ldu HHOsc Weight SIduedhJ Suuh IN SdiSoOh "
lite resting place where the foundation was t
:, be laid on the level prepared for i
by men inside the great box, who will
al the aid of machinery hauled up stone and eartl
:. till the final rest was in order. Col. Roeblin.
~ was at the work going on under water day ant
=, night, and one afternoon was brought up out o
the New York caisson almost insensible. Tn
:, continued exposure had shattered his health, tina
-.-L. - 10000 20 IL H.. ,fI,oa buu
=. ever, and against his physicians advice wen
-. back to his work about which he had not cease
49, to rave during his illness. He was to wea
% to work under water any more, but he super
-, intended operations untiringly. He had a Ion
;,b strain of anxiety upon him after the sinking
M the New York caisson which was found to rest u
-. q bed of boiling quicksand above an irreguls
his ledge Of rock var, ing in thickness. To level
ara would have cost hundreds Of lives, another ha
per million of money and a years time: Col. Ro
lar bling took the bold step of stopping within
,eI lew feet of the bed rock and leaving an interVe
Mr. ing cushion of sand to distribute The pressure
IVY He feared an uneven settling of the New Yol
INST tower, but nothing of the kind has occurred. |
Me- became more i'll. was obliged to keep his roo
IN and occupied himself with drawing and writi
ress always for the bridge. In his weak state
DIS health this application ruined his eyes and
nerves. Tie was obliged to leave the scene OF
roy Dor and go abroad, leaving Instructions in ed
rim department with special corps of engineers W
by never deviated from his plans. lie is call
in paralytic, but his illness is not PARALYSIS. |
mr. mind Is vigorous and he has iull control of eve
:, of part of his body and can walk about
,unt house, but he can only talk or listen for
date very short time. Mental fatigue prostrates hi
His house is on a high ridge, and at the wind
can of the top story Of the extension OF his house,
ion. has had his easy chair placed where he commaI
any a view of nearly the whole structure OF his Bird
any His sick-room has been for ten years the he
it," quarters of the corps Of engineers. tie was
! in able to attend the opening, but only viewed
procession from this window. A pretty story
OF told Of Mrs. Roebling's proficiency in the pl
N of tisces of her husband : profession, how W
, an some new patterns Ut steel and iron work S
ford as no mill Vas making were needed tor the brio
!, the and representatives Of the mllls desiring TO
hos for the work went to New York to consult v
nm Col. ROebling, Madame greatly surprised &
=, 70 by joining the group and BY her ~knowiedg'
,r,bt engineering she helped them with their patti
- his and cleared away their difficulties
,urch The actual opening OF the bridge was ma
fact gala days in both cities, there were car
mat salutes. steamer whistles and much applause,
,blip. President of the United States and his Cab
action the Governor OF the State of New York ant
where staff, Senators and representatives, the Ma
Pope OF both cities aud an innumeraole crown l
N in was a prayer by Bishop Littlejohn, aud
William c. Kingsley, acting President Of
ME to Board Ut Trustees, formerly presented The 81
ricau- to the people OF New York and Brooklyn.
while respective Mayors made II speech OF accepts
In the evening the bridge was illuminated
that attracted even greater throngs. The bridge
. the formally opened to the public at midnight a
ss, are 3 IN the morning ten thousauu persons d a.