Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-05-23
Peace Hath Her Victories.

freedom had stronger attractions than isther-
land. The laws of Prussia exacted military
service from her young men and the age oil
this youth would soon compel him to an
swer the summons to bear musket John
A. Roebllng had other ideas OF life. Like
many another bright young subject OF Fred
erick William he had no stomach for the
wild, grim dice of the iron game " Of Euro
pean kings and so he put the waters OF the
Atlantic between himself and the Prussian
recruiting officer. The life of pioneer in
the then undeveloped West better suited
his unchivalric mood than the iron disci-
pline Of the camp, the hardships OF the
march, or the perils Of battle. But fate had
reserved him for brighter career than that
of soldier or farmer. He had been educated
in the polytechnic schools of Berlin and had
developed talent for engineering. The
survey Of railway from Pittsburgh over
the Alleghanies was begun. The magnif.
cent drill of the Prussian schools had splen-
didly equipped his mental faculties His
services were sought for this survey and in
this srduous undertaking his genius for
bold and original engineering enterprises
was developed. His skill surmounted the
mountain barriers which seemed to inter
pose insuperable obstacles TO the special re-
quirements of railway construction. For
hauling loaded cars up steep inclines he
devised the wire rope now so generally used
where great strength and durability are re-
quired. Afterwards he used the wire
strands for supporting aqueducts over
broad streams, and from this application
the transition to bridge building with wire
cables was easy and natural. The first
suspension bridge by eight short spans
crosses the Monongahela at Pittsburgh.
After this initial effort the genius of Roeb-
ling seems to have taken an eagles sweep
and daring. Instead of timidly creeping
across rushing streams on frequently recur-
ring piers of masonry, by single span he
traversed wide rivers where no abutments
could be reared. At single leap his Cos
samer-like fabric SPAWNED Niagara, so high
above its boiling waters that to the eye of
the beholder gazing down from the bridges
inverted arch the tossing floods like
"wrinkled sea beneath him crawl" For a
generation pedestrians and vehicles and
rushing railway trains have crossed this
slender fabric and still is unfulflled the
time-worn prophecy of the labyrinthian sys-
tenn of iron cords and cables plunging
fearful wreck, far down into the yswning
abyss of yeasty waters. While other bridges
have failed, as on aviaduct of solid masonry
the ceaseless ebb and flow of great rail-
ways traffic has passed safely over this. Its
towers still stand, its dizzy arch still spans
the rapids whose rush no speed of railway
train has matched, and there apparently
they will stand as long as stone and iron
endure, to demonstrate the soundness of the
great engineers theory that ga suspension
bridge is the safest bridge in the world"
Roebling next threw graceful arch of
eleven hundred feet span over the Ohio at
Cincinnati. Subsequently, at Pittsburgh,
In full view of his first cautious venture
across the Monongahela, above its sister
stream the Allegheny, just before their
waters unite to form the Ohio, he hung
splendid arch of one thousand feet span.
In striking contrast with the eight hating
stages and the crude construction of the
Monongahels fabric, the beautiful Allegheny
structure marks the rude beginning and
the triumph of Roebling's startling innova-
ton upon previously existing modes of
bridging broad and rapid streams.
Roebling had demonstrated the possibility
of spanning with an enduring structure
wide stretches of water between whose
shores no supporting piers could be raised.
Niagara, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were
but training schools for grsnder develop
ment of his idea and the grandest battle
between man and natural forces the world
has ever seen. His achievements had al
ready made his name illustrious, but his
most daring undertaking was to shrivel into
insignifcance by the side of the enterprise
which next engaged his attention. 1t was
proposed to bridge the broad arm of the sea
between New York and Brooklyn. Roeb-
ling's genius marked him as the engineer
competent to unite the shores of those great
cities. The unusual distance, the necessity
of leaving the crowded stream free for the
unobstructed passage of vessels, and the
difficulty OF obtaining solid foundations for
the great towers from which the structure
should be suspended, were the great physi.
cal difficulties to be encountered. All the
rest stupendous as were the details, was a
mere question of mathematics. An act of
incorporation was obtained in 1867. The
two cities ultimately became the sole corpo.
rators, Brooklyn furnishing two-thirds and
New York one-third the capital. Nearly
three years were spent in making surveys,
plans, estimates and calculations. Roebling's
plans were declared to be entirely feasible
by called commission of engineers aud a
board OF government officials added its ap-
proval, requiring only an increased height
OF the central span to insure the passage uu.
der it Of the tallest masted vessels. But
the great engineer was destined never to
witness the realization of his plans. Before
operations had been begun, in the summer
of 1869, his foot was crushed at Brooklyn
ferry, and, lockjaw succeeding, in few days
his career was ended. w. A. Roebling, his
son and associate in his former enterprises
the inheritor of his genius, succeeded him
in charge of the work and has carried it To
triumphant conclusion. The matured
plans involved the construction OF bridge
one and oneeighth miles in length and
eighty-six feet in width. They provided fol
five separate avenues through its entir,
length, having an average width of sixteer
feet and separated by steel trusses sixteer
feet in height. Outside trusses, eight feet
in height, formed parapets for the securt,
of vehicles to which the outer avenues wer,
devoted. The central avenue, placed lively,
feet above the others, was allotted to pedes
TRANS, and on either side Of it, ON the mair
floor, were passage-ways for cars. 1t was re
quired to cross the river by single spa
Of nearly sixteen hundred feet. to leave tn
shores at height Of one hundred an,
eighteen feet and TO attain at the center O
the span height of one hundred an
thirty-fve feet above the water. The weigh
NJ tho cantral onan to ha loI f..