New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-31
TO CROSS THE BRIDGE WITHOUT COST
NO PAYING OF TOLLS ON THE PROMENADE
AFTER TO-DAY.

NO PAYING OF TOLLS ON THE PROMENADE
AFTER TO-DAY.
At midnight tonight the taking Of toll upon The
promenade OF the East River Bridge will cease ana
henceforth 1t will Oe free TO the public. The eighth
anniversary Of the opening Of the promenade or ootw
for public occurred on last Sunday. The hrst per
sons to walk across the East River made use OF tenn
porary ice bridges In winter. In Revolutionary tmes
the waters of the rivers and bay around NewYork N
one severe winter were covered with such solid Toe s
wagons crossed between Staten Island and Brooklyn
and New York for days. In 1875 the floating Ice was
damned by the tide soldy below Fulton Ferry thas
people crossed it for hours, and 1t was estimated na
10000 persons an hour went over One OF those VINO
made the trip was Henry Ward Beecher. Still more
recently temporary icebrdges have been crosseo "
O few people at the same point
When the construction OF the Bridge towers was com
pleted and the time had to stretch the wires for
the massive cables from which to suspend the steal
superstructure the first man to cross from lower "
tower was z. F. Harrington, the master mechanic -
the work. On traveller seat attached TO .
pulley, Mr. Harrington drawn across along snau
cable This was in August 1875. To facilitate the
work, temporary fcotbridge was then constrac'eo'
running over the towers from anchorage TO anchorage
On Decoration Day, 1888, six days after the opening
the Bridge a fatal panic occurred near the Ne"-iok
end of the suspended superstructure, where the se.
lead up from the approach. When the crowd Wa
massed as TO dock the 1OOtWdy Sonc ouO s'" ' Vs.
senseless CRY that the Bridge falling, and as puone
confidence I'm the security Of the structure ID not mao
time IN establish ITSELF and predictions had been freely
made that it would fall, panic seized the minds Oh
the persons in the crowd and they pressed headlonS
down the steps. Several persons were trampieo |"
death and a number were Injured
several efforts have been made by the trustees "
abolish the tolls on the footway. The present move
ment was started by Z. V. Skinner He inouceu 4.
10 for a
the taking OF toll upon the fOotway on July l. prV'uS
suitable legislative action TO permit II was TAKEN ne
,her vent 70 the Legislature with bin TO that enees
ond succeeded in passing it, After the Governors
si0natnre had made IL law the trustees Voted y
change the date for taking away the Toll boxes ans
collectors to June 1, and Superintendent Martin wa
authorized to take the necessary steps TO make INV
change on that date. The services OF six collectors
OF tolls will be dispensed with and the ucke'senes
will not have so much TO do. The cost Oh prinuia
the tickets will also be saved But the receipts noi.
foot passengers will be lost The receipts last yeA
were about $4,000 and the cost Of collection aoous
$4,000 II will also cost more prooaoy properly '.
police the promenade and the planking VIII DC worn o'
sooner and have to be more frequently replaced
One of the recent innovations was the placing or
seats at the platforms surrounding the towers ane
intervals along the promenade so that persons
OF doing so may rest In crossing the structure the -
lance from end 10 end OF which Is mile ana ,nrv w
her of these and also TO build light shelters owe -
trsses crossing the tracks where people can w
their time on hot DAYS sheltered from the sun anu "
the breeze always to be found up there.