The Washington critic., 1888-01-07
BRIDGING THE NORTH RIVER.
Prof. Lindenthal Suggests Suspension
bridge 20 Cost SIS 100000.

Prof. Lindenthal Suggests n Suspension
Bridge to Cost S1S, S,O0O,OO0.
Alta meeting of the American Society
of Civil Engineers in New York the other
night, Professor Gustav Lindenthal read
an exhaustive paper ON "The North River
Bridge Problem" II outlined gigantic
scheme for constructing n suspension
bridge across the Hudson at
point between Fourteenth and Twenty
eighth streets, for the purpose Of
bringing all of the great railroad lines
into New York. Mr.. Lindenthal con-
fined himself to the salient points of the
general project, and even then consumed
over three and a-half hours. The plan
of the bridge consisted of two wrought
iron towers on sunken stone piers, Mt
equal distances from either shore, with
three suspension spans, the middle one
being 2,S50 feet long. This is startling
departure in engineering science, for the
largest single span ever designed up to
the present day is that belonging to q
bridge now being constructed in Scotland.
Its length is LOO feet. After GO
ing into the details of this plan to some
extent, Mr.. Lindenthal gave short de-
scription of the different elements of con-
struction and the typical constructive de
tail of the floor system and wind cables.
He also gave general discussion on the
arch and cantilever bridge, the tempera-
ture strains in the arch bridge and the re-
lation of end spans to middle spans. In
illustrating his scheme Mr.. Lndenthal
pointed out enough defects in the East
River bridge to test the faith of any un-
derstanding mortal compelled to cross that
iron thoroughfare in the course of his
business.
The necessity for some better means of
railroad connection with the other side of
the Hudson had inspired Mr.. Lindenthal
with his present project and the thought
that some such plan had a fair prospect of
being realized. He argued that the great
width of the river had made engineers
rather favor tunnel than bridge, owing
TO the many difficulties involved in the
construction of the latter. Still u bridge
with six tracks, which would accommo-
date all of the railroads desiring to enter
New York city, could be constructed at
q much smaller cost than the number
of tunnels that would be re-
quired for the same purpose. Besides, IL
would be much safer. An estimate of the
cost could also be made great deal easier
and with more certainty. A bridge built
according to his plan, he said, would be
capable of transferring 10000 passengers
an hour in one direction, and would thus
meet the demands for at least fifty years.
The cost of construction for the bridge
alone, including anchorages and abut-
ments, would not exceed $15,000,0 600.
Mr.. Lindenthal's discussion was purely
from an engineers point of view, and he
confined his cost of construction to the
bridge alone. lie did not mention what
outlay would be involved in the purchase
| of the necessary amount of land at either
| approach, nor for the tracks and stations
| Of the terminus, not TO speak of the plants
| that would be required for the manu-
| facture of certain portions of the bridge
| itself, which has never before been at
| tempted. He admitted after the lecture,
| however, that with all these included the
total cost might foot up to $50,000,000
| The large number of engineers present
were greatly impressed by the ambitious
views advanced by Mr.. Lindenthal and al
the niNt bS nse mfe9g % SI ali 'hs rs bsopSS bsoGe VIII