The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-06-16
H Z BRIDGE.

The opening to public travel on
Thursday of the bridge connecting
the cities of New York and Brook
Ign may almost be said to be an
event of Nationalimportance. Ger
tainly, there was therein signalized
a triumph OF American enterprise,
persistence and skill which chal-
lerges well nigh universal admira-
ton. Indeed, with the crossing of
the Mensi Straits excepted, it may
be claimed that in the magnitude
of the difficulties to be overcome in
its construction and the importance
of the interests subserved in Its use,
the Brooklyn bridge has no supe-
rior in the world. The so-called
East River, by it %spanned, is really
an arm of the sea and its waters at
that point are deep enough to float
the largest vessels. Thous-
ands of such vessels annually pass
through those waters on their en-
frances upon II return from voya-
ges which extend to every port in
'Christendom. That great artery
of Commerce there traversed separ-
ates two of Americas most notable
cities, which were, indeed, long
ago really one but for the constant
ebb and flow of the tidal currents
over which it was once supposed
no human skill could suffice to con-
struct an abidingconnection. But,
the task so long deemed impossible
has been accomplished, after more
than thirteen years Of industrious
labor.
The construction of the bridge
was formally begun on January Sd,
1870, and the first wire was run
out on May Goth, 1877; the bridge
being built on the suspension plan.
The following are some Of the prin-
cipal dimensions appertaining to
the structure:
Depth of tower foundation below
high water, New York, 70 feet.
Depth of tower foundation below
high water, Brooklyn, As feet.
Total height of towers above
high water, 278 feet.
Height oftowers abovorOadway,
159 feet.
Clear height of bridge in center Of
river span above high water, at 90
degrees Fahrenheit, 1876 feet.
Length of river span, 1905 feet
6 inches.
Length of each land span, $50
feet, 1860 feet.
Length Of Brooklyn approach,
971 feet.
Length OF New York approach,
/, 1872 feet 6 inches.
Total length OF bridge, $3.50
feet.
Width of bridge, IS feet
Grade Of roadway, st feet in 100
feet.
Number of cables, 4.
Diameter of each cable, 158
inches.
Length of wire in + cables, ex-
elusive of wrapping wire, IA, 361
miles.
Length of each single wire in
cables, 3 ,579 feet,
Weight of four cables, inclusive
o wrapping wire, 3,58SB tons.
The demand from which has
sprung the construction ofthe great
bridge had its birth more than
half century since. But, definite
shape was not given to the thought
until 1860, when on April 14th,
Mr.. John A. Roebling outlined his
project for a bridge in an article
published in The architects and
MechauicS' Journal. Yet, it was
not until March I'd, 1869, hat the
needed authorization of q Congress
sional enactment in favor of the
bridge was placed on it's passage
by a vote of the Houue. Mr. John
A. Roebling was the engineer Of
the Cincinnati bridge. Under the
vigorous support of Mr.. Thomas
Kinsella, of Brooklyn, who is by
the New York Herald designated
as the "father of ''the bridge" to
gether with the aid of Mr.. Henry