New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-26
CROWDS CROSS THE BRIDGE.
A STEADY STREAM OF TRAVEL ALL DAY.

Although inc Brluge was tncOretlc2lly opened Iut
travel on Thursday, the real opening took place
yesterday. And it was, so far as meeting great
public want IS concerned, big success. From mid
night TO early dawn and from early dawn to mid
night a constant stream of travel passed
over the structure. For eighteen hours
Of the twenty four the elevated footway was
througed with black mass of people representing
all shades of society and all conditions of ife and
during the other SIX hours the travel was only
slightly diminished. The newsgirls and the boot.
blacks We'd with the richly dressed ladies and tho
elegantly attired "dudes" in seeking the best
points " to view the landscape o'er." At the Same
time the rOadways were occupied with
vehicles of all descriptions. Long lines
of carriages following hearses were not nfrequent
during the day, while the butcher, the baker and
the candIestick-maker were out with their trade
carts keeping company with the Talyho and the
hacks, carriages, barouches, sx-horse furniture
vans and all other contrlvances for business or
pleasure that are drawn by horses. The scene from
THE TRIBUNE Office eQuaed anything to be seen
on Broadway even in its busiest hours. From tho
attracted the attention OF passengers on the
ferry-boats and on passing steamers
The novelty OF the great and constant stream OF
travel IN mid-air was witnessed by thousands OF
people on the riverside and on housetOps aud was
viewed with alarm by owners of the stock of the
ferry companies. The one question of discussion
was will it continued And the general answer
was that it would.
1t was the general opinion that many persons
went over for the novelty of the trip. but at the
same time it was believed that many more
detained from going across because of the crowds
on the Bridge aud the difficulty Of gaining admit
tance without delay and injury causrd
by the jam at the entrances. On the
New-York side that something terrible to per-
SONS of weak nerves. From morn TIL night thero
vas crowd of several hundred persons waiting q
line to pay their pennies for the privilege of walk
inc across There were only two tOll-keepers Tor
| foot passengers, and the crowd was obliged
| to pass in by a narrow entrance between
| them. The result was crush that caused
many women and children to cry
out for relief Along in the early part OF the day
| tho crowd would sometimes push forward with
such vehemcncc that many persons wonld get
through without paying fares and Others cou.' nos
remain before the entrance long enough to get Oek
| their change This state of affairs renr ed
by an increased number of policemen. As a r'' IS
of getting over the Bridge many men and b'Js
would get on empty trucks and wagons and pa, 10
drivers something for the ride IN addition TO 10
| toll But the gate-keepers at the roadways very
foolishly discouraged that means of travel by ire
oueutly recurring thos. on the trucks to get of. lf
onnibuses hal been allowed TO 20 over the Brdso
they would have been able 10 do thriving
business. As it was, it seemed piece of foollsh-
ness to exclude from the roadways, wh'ro
| there was plenty of room, only to Overcrowd tho
| footvay.
MORE ROOM NEEDED AT THE NETWORK END
The lam in front of the New-York entrance ln-
creased toward night, and at 6 o'clock many per-
sons sought the ferries rather than wait IN
to fha
and wagons also turned away because of the num-
her in waiting at the New-York entrance. The IN
adequacy of the space IN front OF the New
York approach 10 accommodate Bridge travel
| was clearly apparent The jam would occa-
sionally cause the streets TO be blocked with
| cars for long distances on each sice' ana
this added to the teams and carriages made
it difficult matter at times even to cross street.
The elevated railroad station also hindrance
TO travel, and many persons who wanted
to take the elevated cars turned BACK
not caring to fight their way through
the trucks and street-csrs. The neces-
Nty of larger footpath to broadway
| +nrongh the mark waj evident, unless some way Is
dcvIsed 50 that passengers cross the street IN
| front of the Registers othce-almost an linpos-
sible thing Yesterday Inc one oPdtoof P,de nf traye
| at the New work entrance was that strees
ears would have to be stopped on the east slde OF OF
|
Isvated station would have 10 be removed back,
and thc Registers office demolished, aud the space
il now occuDles added TO the street. some OF tno
omnibus lines are already taking measures 10 run 70
The Bridge entrance. which IS gong to add
another element OF difficulty to the others that no"
vex passengers and the drivers of vehicles. Az tns
| Brookyu entrance there was no sucn crown DIS tuA'
witnessed on the New York side
TRAVEL on THE RoADwAYs.
There was no restriction placed on the speeo
| of wagons on the Bridge, aud for that reason
many drivers rotted their horses as thousn
driving on a solid street but this did not cause any
o,nreciable vibration of the Bridge. An Immense
iron safe drawn by eight horses made no visible
immersion ON the structure though there were
other heavy wagons IN front OF and oe-
hind it, The roadways are SO WIDE shas
I;ah, carriages had no difficulty IN pass
inc the heavier vehicles, and occasionally
.eons wonld be passing in opposite directions on
| the "a me roadway. 1t is intended. however tnst
travel shall all be in direction except on Tue
fnotyav A carriage going across broke down, oy
tbe loss of wheel, when in the middle of tho
Brdrs but it did not cause any DiOcEadr a.
rho other teams could pass by. mere
were n few points the footway where crowds
v,ould gather for view, and the jam would AZ
times be a. great at the entrance the po.lee,ncn
not undertaking to clear the OBSTRUCTION ny ""Ai"s
people pass alohs
THE RECEIPTS FOR THE FIRST DAY
From midnight until L a. nj. 19.50O persons paid
opa nanny each at the New-York entrance exclusive
of TIE large number that went over on vehcles s.
From II A. H. until midnight a much larger num-
her passed in. making altogether over oo'ooo
ncrsons who entered this end of the Bridge. As
many more came on the Bridge a. ite other, making
at least 100 600 persons that went over yesterday
Exactures could not be ascertained last night But
of the 100000 persons that went on the Bridge q
good many walked over and back, so that tne re-
CENTS did not show the actual number OF passen-
GERS across the Bridge. The receipts for vehicles
SSoud not he learned further than up to Ii a. III
S77 80 was taken in at the Brooklyn en-
trance This at an average OF l2l2 cents
{ for each vehicle, represented 623 wagons
for eleven hours. about 81 an hour. Golng irom
|. lAr, Nj Arrn L