Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-05-30
span as rigid as granite" F"

do you think of the action of the trns
tees in establishing system OF tolls
even for foot passengers"
"I'm very glad they had so mucl
good sense, and dared oppose popula
clamor so. OF course, l believe in
free bridge, eventually, except for pas
sengers in the cars But at first, W,
need tolls, to make the bridge unpopu
| lar"
unpopular ?"
Yes; to keep people away from it
Now, if the bridge was thrown open
free to every one, what would be it:
condition on the opening day? Why
q mob of 100, ,0G0 persons would crowo
upon it from the Brooklyn end and 9
mob of 100000 from the New Yorl
end, and they would meet like two
tidal waves. For days there would be
such throng of idlers upon the bridge
that no one could cross it with any de-
gree of comfort, if at all. Do you re-
member how that mob of young hood.
lums acted the other Sunday when
they got the upper hand of the gate.
keepers? Well, if that bridge was
made free at the outset, such scenes
would be repeated for days; but if a
fee of cent is charged, it will act as a
check upon them, and only those will
cross who wish TO do so as route Of
travel or who take enough interest in
it to pay for the privilege. Then after
the bridge has been open for few
weeks or months, the novelty will have
worn off and people crossing it will not
be annoyed by crowds of riotous
vandals"
1.-The cable system of cars, of course,
meets with your approval z"
"I think that is the only system the
trustees should allow. Not that il
would be unsafe to use locomotives
The bridge is strong enough to bear
anything you can get on it. and train
of three cars and small engine, such
as run on the elevated roads, could
cross it as safely as Mrs. Roebling's
carriage did"
"There has been some talk of Pull
man cars, has there not?"
eyes; and some alterations were
made in the plans to admit of their
passage. To these changes l agreed,
but l am opposed to running such cars
on the bridge. Doubtless the bridge
would bear them, and on certain special
occasions it would be well enough to
run them across. But l am opposed
to having them cross regularly for the
same reason that leads me to oppose
the use of locomotives. This is not a
railroad bridge. 1t is not part of a
through trunk route. 1t is purely
local link between these twa cities, and
should be devoted entirely to such use.
If you run locomotives across you will
frighten horses, and by smoke and
steam make it unpleasant for foot pas
sengers. If You let regular railroad
trains cross it, you interfere with the
cable-car system and with the regular
local traffic. This is a bridge for the
people, not for railroad companies. 1t
the railroad companies want bridge,
let them build one."
"How fast will the cable cars be
run ?"
"In trains of three, on from half q
minute to three minutes headway, ac-
cording to the time of day and amount
of travel; and they will run across in
perhaps five minutes. The cars will
easily carry 100 persons each. SO that
during the busy part of the day the
bridge can convey, in its cars, $4,000
persons an hour each way, beside foot
passengers and vehicles"
THE RoEBLINd FAMILY MONUMENT
"You will soon resign your position
as Chief Engineer, Colonel ?"
Eyes; Immediately after the success
full opening of the bridge. l have held
the post IA years My salary has been
$4,000 year. And for more than
eleven years l have been an invalid.
Perhaps / will never be anything else
now. But / am content. | have
finished my family monument"
"What do you mean by that 7"
"My father was the original engin-
Ger of the bridge. But before its site
was fully decided upon he met with an
accident that cost him his life. He
was standing on the ferry dock, point
ing out the spot where operations
should be begun for the Brooklyn
tower, and where in fact the tower
now stands. A ferryboat entered the
slip, and striking the piling caught and
crushed his foot, and he died with
lock-jaw. l succeeded him, and not
long after fell q victim to this caisson
disease, from which l may never re-
cover. 1t has at any rate taken from
me / years of the best part of my
life. So father and | have practically
given our lives to the building of the
bridge, and for him and myself l ask
no other monument and no other
fame"
"Will you attend the opening ex-
ercises ?"
"No, | am not strong enough. An
artist is making bust of me, and they
tell me it will be placed on pedestal
on the platform on that occasion as my
representative. But | shall open my
house that day ana receive oil the
friends who wish to call upon meat
least as long as my strength holds
out"
"But you don't look upon this as
your last work 7"
81 don't know. l will not try to do
anything more until l regain my
health If ever l do get well, l sup
pose / will find plenty of work to do in
this busy world"
Colonel Roebling's voice was grow.
ing weaker, and there was q weary
look in his eyes, so / left him to rest
A table loaded with bottles and glasses
stood in the adjoining room, telling
mutely of the desperate struggle he is
making, with the aid of medical skill
to keep in subsection the disease that
has long been preying upon him.
"He must have more rest" said Mrs