New-York tribune., 1891-02-19

Chief Engineer. 4to, PIP. 100 Illustrated With
SO albertype and hthograph plates. Leo Won
Rosenberg.
When the false works are taken away bridge
appears TO be, and in fact is, a very simple
construction yet there is nothing in architecture
that appeals to more strongly or fills with
greater admiration than an arched suspended
Highway mighty stream or across deep
valley However familiar we may be with the
mechanical principles involved, we never shall
cease TO wonder at the Brooklyn Bridge. Visitors
from all parts of the world, matter what fetches
them here, feel that they cannot 90 away salts
lied without having seen that noble example
of engineering art. Before it was built the stran-
GERS within our gates, guide.booll in hand never
thought Alcir tours Of observation complete with
out views of High Bridge. Now we have on ex-
hibition third bridge The first built to
unite Brooklyn with Ncw-lOrl by means of foot
ways, carriaeeways and railways. The object
of the second was to bring fresh water into the
city Tie Washington Bridge was designed u
carry across the deep valley of the Harlem a city
street. Different are tie purposes OF the three
more different still arc their styles. In the East
River structure we lave the suspension bridge OF
modern times, with all its bcautes-a web-lillc
affair of wires and steel bars swinging high in air
In High Bridge we have a slightly ornamented
adaptation of the simple stone arch of the Romans.
Bridge, but, in keeping with the age, stone has
given place u steel.
I}y the special act Of the Legislature providing
for the construction of the Washington Bridge the
commissioners were authorized TO use either stone.
steel or iron or q combination of those materials,
and were not limited rs TO cost. What an Oppor
tunity there was here to build granite viaduct
that would have cclipsed all other bridges, added
70 the glory of Ncw-Yorll and been lasting me.
mortal of the niretccntE century! Twcnty-onc
plans were submitted. and in justice TO the COM
mission, it may IL said ;kat the one regarded as
having the greatest merit for a bridge of
masonry; but, inasmuch as they had decided that
the main spans should be of metal, they of course
felt obliged TO reject it. a more imposing sruct-
ure was rejected because the plans provided for
It's execution il bcton coignet," a material un-
authorized by law, being neither stone steel nor
iron. This bridge was to consist of three arches,
each of $50 feet span and il it had been accepted
we should probably have heard the last of-thc
celebrated Cabin-John Bridge, near Washington,
d. c., the largest stone arch in The world \ de-
sign for a mctSi arch OF j43 feet span. with ma
sonry approaches, is said to have been preferred
by the commission, and its rejection was due
solely 70 its cost, which estimated at little
over S3,0OO,0O0. Other designs rejected were
two suspension bridges of 500 feet span; an iron
brace iron girdcrs; structure Of masonry of
six arches with arches varying from 100 TO 210
feet: a cantilevcr or $50 feet span, with APP
proachcs on iron piers and girdcrs; cantever
on masonry piers, and cantcvcr on iron piers
with masonry foundations. The cost Of these
bridges estimated at from 100000 to S4,0o0,- !
600. Finally, after fifteen years of way !
crng, the plans submitted by c. c. |
Schneider and w. iIildcnbrand were accepted |
The first premium beng awarded to the former, |
which was far handsomcr originally presented |
than the modification turned out by the engineers |
of the commission. The chief change however |
the substitution of plate web for the |
bracing between the fangcs of the arch in the
original
As it stands to-day the Washington Bridge !
is composed Of Two steel arches. each of u
feet span three piers. two a5utmcnts. and ap-
proaches, formed chiefly of cmbankmcnts, sup
ported by retaining walls These corry road
way that is nowhere less than 50 feet il width
between tho parapets, and which connects Ore
Jlundrcd-ar,ci ghty y-irst-st. with Aqueduct-ave.
The entire length of the structure is 2,35j feet,
and its clear height above the Harlem is 33 feet
The contract price was S2,0jj,000 Of which
SS4j,000 was for metal work, but rs the erection
advanced important changes in the plans were
authorized the commission deciding that higher
class OF constructive work and more Ornamcntc,l
exterior would justify the incrcascd expenditure.
The result was an outlay Of S593,1Si more than
was called for in the original estimate. The
total cost, including engineering, supernc1dencc
and expenses of the commission, 81, ,sjl ,6si.
Tie foundations begun on July 90, 1886,
and the bridge was formally accepted in March,
1889. The average force employed during the
period Of construction was 500 men, Among the
archcd bridges of the world the Washington
Bridge is fifth in length of span.
There is no reason why every great bridge
should not have its historian ard its publisher.
In this work Mr.. Hutton has written and Mr.
Won Rosenberg has illustrated the compctcst
description of a bridge that came from the
press. Mr. Hutton the CHEF engineer. and
speaks with authority. The drawings AMI en-
cravings, the especial concern of the publisher,
were prepared with great care and arc exceed
ingy handsome. No detail Of the construction
has escaped record. Tie Albcrtypc plates are
Photographic reproductions showing views Of the
completed bridge, and they give also series of
progress views arranged according to dates, from
the beginning of the work TO its completion.
The Autographs are made from line drawings,
showing with great accuracy every feature of the
work.