Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-04-12
The Brooklyn Bridge.
4 TRIUMPH or AMERICAN ENGINEERING.
OVER \ MILE IN LENGTH, AND EIGHTY FEET
IN WIDTH.
.'Dath" n The Cincinnati rnqu!rrrl

l.',,ath" in the Cincinnati Fnqu!rrr.I
To-da, | went over the BROOKLYN bridge
which Is not 20 be opened for about two
months. and Is just pas>abe for an alven-
turer. Koeblng designed it, II is suS-
pension bridge. the span between the towers
being 900 feet, or nearly third of mile.
The approaches 70 the New York bridge sup
ported b, the cables are ei0 feet long each,
bat beyond the anchnrages there are huge
causeways above the two cities of about
! 800 feet long on the New York side, and
about so feet on the Brooklyn side. The
whole bndgc therefore. a. | walked il 10 day
going IN At the gate In BROOKLYN. which Is
rather on the top OF a hill. to the gate where
! came out opposite the City Hail park. New
lnrk was 1904 feet, pr considerably more
than a mile.
The principal problems before the bridge
builder were % get his pier down into deep
water, and to raise the money out Of two
jealous aud rather corrupt cities 10 carry on
the work Great cnfcr-dam> HAD to ~, made
and oalsSous sunk, not only through the
water bat through the quicksaud and other
deposits nu the hnttnm TO bed rock think
&
10 h, connected with the STORE Hut were not
80 originally, stand something like eight,
,rc, under thr level of the tide. while the,
ri>c above IL about 21n fret The towers.
therefore. are something Ike $50 feet hlsh
from Whcrc they begin under the rI,cr 10
where the, end, higher IN the air than al
m'~t IN, stcrple, shot-tower, iag staff OF
uthrT object IA either city.
Each tower. a. II stands up and down
stream, is lJi feet long at the bottom by
j'i feet wide. Tn, J. u prodlg3uus mass oi
masonry. TIN cuhirli quantity of stone ~
thr lwn towers n sad ID bc nearly ~. .nOD
cubic ylr!. The towers are not built Solid.
bat hollow. and at their summit. $50 feet
above their foundations they are l1u feet
w.lr hs a. feet thick Nou could there
iorr. raise on thr summit 81 each w the "
towers tSo houses side b, side each ~ feet
s.ic aud extending backward l2o feet
O,cr these immense towers run four cables.
Il J. aid that lhr cables. with the bridge
thr, suspend aud al ,he people. railroad
trains fully loaded teams, Ac.. w;li vrtgh
i.1ji tons. pr IN the ncichborhord af 10.
uon,nnp pounds. IN short au army NJ
1j.u'p soldiers. rrnd, f1r battle. wnuld
weigh tbnHt j. much a, these bridge towers
have 10 Sustain IN their extremity,
The Nrw Nogk bridge floor D. liup>, eight,
feyt Wide. II,llcd N h,t spares. AMI \. ,lsd
n M u irci aro,r h,sh alt,r lp arlyr
tn srt pu the bridge had 10 atik up ,fcrp
hill from tie Et.r RIVER to ~ or 18th street.
Although the a-crui seem, ,er, gentle. y ;
INV nn, reformation in ..'c, however ,l.Ai.
Il cour aaci .nn- enough i carrie, thr mtn
10 a prrft, Nigh altitude IL 4 yrr, t,.w
step, the town. whose level Hai left. it.-
gIn lu >InA down. and very ,puu u, highest
rlut, we're fAr b..ua mr. n, apurnagh,i
thr rlNrr ahl' seemed NJ hc lons an0! broal
= harc, | found 10 be- IN, prhbicd r.uf, ui
wAr,huu,., and factories. | a4i N.M,rL. 10
seemed tn mr. a th,rl Nj mile before
dl.ri,rr,l tn- cLllc, tF Ali. rn,t dr4ppin.
bc.pw tie bridge w or,irr /. ~, thc prpf,,r
du,to ssa.c tar towers A. tie pl.r,. where
the Ladder descended | found a crude
wooden wa,A. intended. thiuA. fDr ,rh4-
tly.. u.e4n,mg th. nrU,lt. w TN, hrtl.-..
4, understand. th, out>t!, u. ,r.- .r.. f.,r
wagons. the two spaces next wI,nIi for
street car. and tn, mrIlh. walk for nodes