Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-25
THE BRIDGE.
Details OF It's Inception and ultimate
Completion.

Details OF It's Inception ana ultimate
Completion.
New YORK, May A.-The undertaking
owes its inception to Mr.. VIM. c. Kingsley
q large holder of real estate in Brooklyn,
who as far back as 1865 matured bridge
project in his mind, located the bridge ter
mini, and at his own expense obtained
plans and estimates from competent en-
gineer. This gentleman organized COM
bination of influential persons in New
York and Brooklyn, who, by securing
proper legislation at Albany and Washing
ton, and moulding public opinion through
the press, finally succeeded in enlisting
capital for an enterprise regarded by many
as visionary and impracticable. Brooklyn,
under the charter first granted by the Leg.
islature, subscribed $1,000, 600; New York,
81. 800, COO and private parties $500, 200. In
1875, however the bridge was made pub
lie work and since that time the
Trustees I'm Charge
Of lis construction have been named by the
mayors OF Brooklyn and New York. In
September, 1867, Mr.. Roebling, the engin.
eer in charge, esti mated the cost Of the
bridge proper at SI,UD,OOO, OF the ap.
DTOdGntS
qu!red for finishing the bridge for use at
five Yeas. There we're subsequent changes
of plan such, for example, as increasing
its height and width each by five feet,
substituting steel for iron as the material
TO be used in the construction of both the
cables and the suspended superstruCture
and making the approaches of granite and
brick instead of light iron trestlework, as
originally contemplated. These charges
OF plan, together with
Increased Cost OF Labor,
superintendenCe, interest and discount on
city bonds, and expenses, legal, medical,
funeral and prandial,' swelled the total
expenditure to about Sl5,0OUDD. The
bridge is suspended from four wire cables
each fifteen inches in diameter, weighing
1882, ,OS6 pounds, and capable of bearing a
strain of "a ,62l, $50 pounds. These cables,
each $500 feet long, are thrown over the
tops of two towers 2T4 feet high, one on
the New York and on the Brooklyn side Of
the river. Their extremities are anchored
to huge iron plates buried under immense
masses of granite $50 feet feet inland from
the towers on either side. The distance be-
tween the towers or the length Of the single
span, is 1881 feet.
The Cables,
OF course, sag in the middle of the span, so
that the clearance under the centre of the
bridge is but l35 feet, which, however, is
ample for the passage of all but the top
most masts OF the largest sailing vessels.
Part of the weight of the bridge on each
side is borne by trusses. Hence but l,291
feet Of the main span is carried by the
cables. The weight on the trusses is By
tons; on the cables $3.50 tons. The total
weight which the bridge as a whole, in.
Guiding transitery loads. will be called
upon 10 bear is estimated at $4,000 tons,
allotted as follows: Between the anchor
ages, l7,7>0; main span, S,l20; main span,
by cables $500; by trusseS, l,lSO;
A. the Greatest Lengthwise Pull
TO which the cables will be subjected is
- 900 tons, while their estimated strength
is such as to enable them to bear strain
of 5000 tons. ample margin for security
has evidently been provided, The bridge
may be said TO begin at Chatham Square IN
New York and end at the corner Of Sands
and Washington streets in Brooklyn; and,
reckoning in this the length OF the APP
prOaChes the entire extent OF the structure
from terminus TO terminus is 5,9SJ feet, or
considerably over q mile. As opened for
use the bridge will present five parallel
avenues, each about sixteen feet wide.
The two outer ones are 10 be used by We
hicles. the central enc, elevated above the
rest, by pedestrians, the two intermediate
ones by street cars, propelled by contlnu'
Gus cables, operated by steam engines To-
Gated at the terminl.