Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-20
The Proposed Great Bridge betweeH
New York and Jersey City.

Engineer Lindenthal, who designed
the projected bridge across the Hudson
River at New York, lately explained
to q asub-committee of the House of Rep
resentatives Committee on Commerce
the details Of the proposed structure.
The committee has received the re-
ply Of the secretary Of war Ia answer to
an invitation to express bis views upon
the bill. The secretary indorses and
transmits o letter from Gen. Casey,
chief Of engineers, In which he says
that the bill was referred to the Board
of Engineers stationed at New York.
Upon their findings he suggests that the
center Of the span shall be 155 feet
above mean tide, and that a section
shall be inserted requiring the plans to
be submitted to the secretary Of war
within one year from the passage Of
the act, the construction to begin one
year after that, and the bridge to be
completed within ten years from the
approval Of the plans. Gen. Casey says
that, with these eamendments, he knows
of no objection to the passage of the
bill 90 far as navigation Is concerned.
In the course Of his argument Mr..
Lindenthal commented upon these re-
commentators adversely. He said
that the company would be willing to
have the center Of the bridge 145 feet
above tide water, which would be 10
feet higher than the Brooklyn Bridge,
but to make the bridge 155 feet high
would add enormously to its cost, and
would render 1t almost impossible so to
grade the approaches as to afford access
to railroad trains. The best plan to
adopt would be to fix the height ten
tatively at 145 feet in the bill, leaving q
board of engineers to take testimony
from navigators and railroad men and
definitely settle the matter.
Mr.. Lindenthal also contended that
the time allowed by Gen. Casey for be-
gining the work was entirely made
quate. Vast preparations would have
to be made to get together material for
q structure unlike any other in the
world In size and design. It would
also be necessary for the company to
acquire about thirty million dollars
worth Of property in real estate for the
approaches and right of way, and this
was q time-consuming proceeding. He
was willing to accept the suggestion of
Chairman Baker that the bill should
provide for the beginning of the work In
three years, with q proviso that the sec
retary Of war might grant an extension
upon reasonable grounds.
Mr.. Lindenthal said that it had been
his task for the past five years to con-
vince the public, and particula ly capi-
talists, of the feasibility OF his plan Of
throwing o single span bridge, 5000
feet long, across the Hudson River, q
plan which no other engineer had the
courage or ability to put forward. Ar
q result of his work he had secured the
Endorsement Of the American Society
of Civil Engineers and had gotten the
support of capital for the construction
ofa bridge which In itself would cost
SIC, ,O0o, 600.
In conclusion and in answer to ques
Etions, Mr.. Lindenthai gave some inter
esting statistics relating to the bridge
Its central span would rise and fal
eight feet, owing to changes of temper
ature. The anchorages would be hal
as large as the capitol at Washington
and each would contain fifty per CEN
more masonry than the largest Of thu
i Egyptian pyramids. The cables would
be four feetin diameter (the Brooklyn
Bridge cables are fifteen inches), and
the towers would be 500 feet high. The
bridge proper would accommodate ter
railway tracks. Foot passengers coulC
be lifted up to Its level by elevators II
| the anehorages, but il it was desired tt
provide for the passage Of vehicles, they
would have to ascend the Palisades Il
reach its level.-ScientJsc American.