The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-04

Tho bridge structure Is never painted a. .
job. That would require the services Of an
army Of men for q short period. It Is painted
BY bits here and there. as different portions Of
the structure show by turns the need Of paint.
Sometimes. for months at time. the painters
are at work on that part Of the structure
which lies below the rosdbeds and footway.
Then they are shifted to the upper structure.
then to the terminal buildings. then to The
girders and suspenders. 30 tho bridge 10
painted piecemeal. and each portion Of It gets
q couple Of new coats every 1--WE or six years.
The pedestrians on the footway are now
nightly interested In the painting OF the four
great cables on which the bridge 10 hung and
the network OF steel ropes or suspenders
which connect them with tho structure
itself. and spread out against tho sky like
huge spider webs And q very interesting
sight it is. for the painters swing In tho wind
against cobweb background for all the world
like spiders in their webs. The people on The
footway stop in crowds and gaze mp at these
daring workmen with open mouths. It Ii six
years since these airy strands have been
painted and they need It badly.
The workmen are in two gangs HALF Q
dozen or more 60 over tho ground In advance
and clean and scrape tho wires. They have
hooks and files. with which they dig into the
convolutions OF the steel rcpes ana LAY bare
sh Ss Slashas fig
ThsIe are eisht = nine q The ps.!4as.,s y!.a
learned how to climb ropes and :vofE q ease
e ara aos S
rienced man wars men. The most expert
nj e dss s.v 4; ,,ssss
esse li Z a. SD .iasSIonsa SIShtsse Hs xs:
head on The top. yards Of q Union cruiser Ia
VAS as bdss
tsIs 6sooms expert shdp painters as we'll Is
the painters from their luncheon in Brooflyn.
b aSa AbRs
q dozen board seats are swung on the, ends
e. f4ss n.S sssSs SSs .SpSS s ss
tho tops Of the sw9 great s,to towsr and
between the roadway and this Sreat cable
and Is s sssr tSe Il mean
thenselyes on these swinging ssats: There G
PIC have Been Waiting sTe fSs hall aa soas scr
% s.Sx wsS2 p r. psssd GAP
ssfGsnhasa @ BY saf :ysa Ss5
i IL Dooey. and BeSisy ought g sn now Is.
years. ,Doo!ey doSs not explain yhsta honey
cooler" Is: but nttot you watch Wilson awhi!e.
and admirably. The rest OF tho painten are
dtSs. soR Ssd ss2 and ssa
That's what Dooley says. and you won't have
aS
Tho perpendiealar saspenders A are Crossed
diagonally by others. aIording good .footholds
sC W ay
with the agility Of ucrohats In the ,circns or
% I,,H, KS u the cage They sei.o tho ropes
themselves easily upon them. and sit there
Ess% ssS e as xts sss
half expect to SEQ the daring men turn md kiss
brushes and fsii to Painting in NJ ths most %St
ts raees Al xt s a. eSes
Sts iIss H Ta sS sISsS "a
nre within his reach. The paipters Ieginiat
the ttoR Of ths great supporting cable spa
from the bus, painters % the ysry Tor. of a.
Fran sisss sa:
other chair. Tho man who sits In that Is indeed
s sEnss ds se 4 hS s se% hs
lofty pefch. however: Is not 70 find Yielding
bed In the waves and possible rescue. for q
dock iuts into tho water far below It TOTAL
How. Is that lofty porch rsachedi Westward
toward tho middle Of tho bridge whore the
great cable In its gradual descent burios itself
below the roadway rising to meet II, q man 10
IT, tns sth stands and
Il TO the top, Of the high tower. Thon ho DO
gins tho walk up the curved and sloping upper
surface Of the cable. He walks easily and fsar-
essly. He passes tho crowd. grows smaller to
Ihe cye as no mounts up. and at length gains
The top. Tho crowd Is brcathleBs as ho pa usos
: moment to rcst Then he gets down
upon his knees, and grasps Inc ropo
rom %h ;Ldm h1nss hs seat An :,ssy
:T1Sf e R. ssS cn: aaa B. ~ :.s
luietly In his. high perch. The crowd d dls.
rom his height and. like tho others. falls 70
painting, He 10 daubing white the under side
'f the big cable. There 10 o strong southerly
wind. which swings, him gently back and
orth as he works. When tho swinging inter.
er0s. with his. painting he reaches out aud
himself by grasping with his lett hand
S s he@T Ss o, inc suspenderS But no docs
Ths1 thu nsS crowd wovs gradually dIsporsos. tu.
lay long. SO long astbe pnintors are suspended
Ike spiders against the steel cobweb. passers-
TEsss men M rsosiy sS saso day. bu. tasy s