Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-05-31
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
The Great Structure Thrown
Open to Traffic.
The Longest Suspension Bridge ErcT
Constructed.

The completion Of the great Suspension
bridge over the East river. between New
York and Brooklyn, has been looked fo-w ard
to with 4 great deal of interest al over the
country, and the formal ceremonies of opcn-
ing the structure TO the public Il affc were
Witnessed by an immense thrcng The
building of a bridge to connect the TWO cities
was drst suggested by Thomas McElrath, of
the New York Tribune, nearly hall century
ago, but it was not seriously entertained
however, and nothing was done then.
In January, 1857, Mr John 4 RoeO-
ling, Brooklyn engineer, acted on by
the safe OF popular 1eetng, Bug- eSte3 the
construction OF q 6U6 senSlCU bridge. 60 cost
81 OJ,UG0, with a roadway &0J tse5 above
highwater mark, that should be available
both for Yehic ,es and pedestrians, and on
or which trains Shou run from shore to
shore a shOr5 intervals. This may be said
to have been the first definite proposition
made. Three years later, in April. 1850. the
same gentleman stated his views III
the columns Of the architects Glad he
cRGnicS Journal He then estimated the
cCs5 at S4,000,00u and the annual
revenue deriYable from Scent
toll which should include the fare over in
the cars, at sl,W0,0M SIX years more
elapsed, and then Mr William c. Kingsley.
OF brooklyn, who had taken up the projecG
warmly, and who was seconded by Henry
G. Murphy (since deceased and Congress
man William T. Robinson, began to work
Zealously for the acconp ishment of what
many consideIei an impossible design. 4
bill was introduced into Congress, en-
pow ering company that had been formed
TO build the bridge, and it passed in March,
1863
The work was commenced under the
auspices OF the company, which, ike others,
R1Ij, ir
progressed it became evident that it's cost
would Largely exceed the estimate. Objec-
tons were also raised to 6 zen an updertak-
ing Icing in the hands of the company The
result was that in 1875 q bill was passed by
the Legislature OF this State, authorizing the
cities of New York and Brooklyn TO buy out
the stock, the former TO the extent OF one
third and the latter to that OF tWo-thirds
This arrangement was carried into effect
and Board OF Trustees was appointed by
the Mayors Of the two cities under whose CIi-
rectlon the work has been carried out
Opera iOnS We're commenced on IAN. ),
1877, 30 that the work has gone on for
nearly thirteen years and FIVE months. The
app oaches to the bridge are not yes COM
pleCe. but they are soon to be- The total
length Of the bridge is ;, $50 fest, the span
between the two columns being 1,595 feet
inches long.
The SUBMITS Of the towers that support
the great structure are 275 feet above nigh
water, aud their foundations go down on
the BROOKLYN and New York sides respect
lively IS and Is feet The clear height of the
bridge above high water in the center is l35
feet, the grade OF the roadway is 31% feet in
100, and the width OF the bridge s. feet No
less than Il, 361 miles OF wire were used Tor
the cables, each single wire being 1919 feet
long These cables, which are four in num-
Der, weigh 3 1851 tons
The ceremonies attending the opening OF
the great bridge were under the direction
of the Brooklyn authorities, and were Of an
imposing character Business was generally
suspended in both cities. President Arthur
ana his Cabinet Ministers and q large mum
Der Of other distinguished persons gTaCed
the occasion with their presence and tho
par2ding Of the crack local military regi-
luents added eclat to the affair. Gen.
James Jourdan WAS Marshal CT the day At
night there was pyrotechnic display on
the bridge, and the public buildings of the
two cities were illuminated
The completion CT this grand structure
marks another decided advance in the con-
struction of this class Of bridges. as this is
the largest Of lis kind in the world, and
notable one Tt certainly is the most re-
markable one i'll this country, III regard 10
the length of span and the amount OF mate
rial used in its construction
At the time of its construction the sus-
pension bridge built by Roeblng at Niagara
was regarded, with respect TO its single
span, its elevation above the water, and
the daring involved in its construction,
as an additional wonder of the world
This was in 1855; and however great may
have been its prominence at that date, il
has since become so dwarfed by greater
constructions that it is now scarcely
noticeable. In 1860 the. bridge at Gin
cinnati was completed with span
of 1867 feet, or nearly 200 feet more
than the Niagara bridge, and il at once sup
planted the latter as q work Of art, in the
matter of magnitude Then Roebling built
the upper bridge at Niagara, with span OF
/. 250 Ieet, some 400 feet more than the first
Niagara; and then the Cincinnati structure
fell back TO second place And now Roeb-
Ing has once more exceDed himself by con
strUcting bridge, with a single span Of
1,G00 feet, nearly double thai OF his first
WORK, and third larger than the Cincinnati
effort.
There is no suspension bridge in Europe
that is at all comparable to any OF these,
unless 1T be to the first one built by Roeb-
ling at Niagara. There is one at Fribourg
in Switzerland which has span Of $40 feet,
some 50 more than the Niagara span; and
there are three or four bridges of the kind
-, of hat