Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1894-04-14
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Me- Iolk, Apnl Sth, "a.

sion bridge across the East I0!Vef. l
know that if got chance at one
who had seen 1t, and | had not been
so fortunate, would e'rnt TO E"0w
all about it. Ersrybody may nol b.
like me, III that respect.
The bridge is down Gown, way
down, almost at the mouth OF the
river, where the latter empties into
the harbor. Its New York end is
near the City Hall on Park Row.
As one approaches it there is no suI-
cestIon Of its real character. 4 sta
ton CT the elevated railroad is built
upon the terminus and the usual
stairs lead up to If. Below, on a
level with the street, is the entrance
for foot passengers and teams, a
place that resembles a short tunnel
of great proportions. Adjacent to
the elevated railroad station, on the
upper structure, in the terminus, is
the station for the bridge trains of
cable cars.
These cars look like those of any
ordinary train of five coaches, but
each car is provided with grip and
all Of the grips are worked in unison
when the cars start. Small locomo-
tiyes. on each end of the bridge,
switch the trains from the incoming
to the outgoing tracks as fast as pas
senners are landed The trains do
not stop anywhere along the bridge.
but 90 across as fast as the cable will
carry them. The trip takes some
little time and costs three cents.
| had understood that foot passen-
gers were charged for tramping
across the bridge, but upon learnir-
that walking thereon is free. g.
dulged my inordinate appetite
pedestrian exercise quite numer-
ously.
As one walks through the tunnel
already mentioned, one soon emer-
yes upon the middle portion of the
bridge, a long distance from the
river ana already elevated upon the
lower housetops. The foot way is
between the cable car tracks and the
way for teams. The tracks are on a
level with the wagon and passenger
WAYS for short distance and then
they occupy the ground floor, as 1t
were. inside of the wagon ways and
we who walk are above on plain of
our own.
The approaches to the river are
composed of immense granite arches
which rapidly rise above the tall
buildings near by. The streets pass
beneath in the great curved tunnels
or arches and a line of the elevated
railroad likewise goes under.
As soon as one is fairly upon the
bridge the great piers, which stand
in the water, loom up. They look
almost too frail for the weight they
bear until one passes beneath them
and views their immensely. Through
their tops the four prodiglous cables
wherefrom the whole structure is
suspended, hang in their long graceful
curves. They are interlaced with
countless smaller cables and braced
and tied in every conceivable form
When one gets near one of the four
main cable supports, he is astonlshed
to find that it Is about two feet IN
diameter, then he wonders how in
thunder the builders ever got four of
the things across and fastened them
rs they are.
From the middle of the bri lge the
view is splendid. Looking back into
the city the tall buildings, including
the Worlds great edifce, stand out
in clear relief against the s Ky. 1t is
the best view to be had If them. To
the north the vast city stretches
away ABSOLUTELY as far as the eye can
sea jumbo of buildings, domes
AID spires. 1t seems that there is ,
no end to Gothem Southwark the
view embraces nearly all of the har-
cor. Governors Island is near at
hand, Staten Island nearly or quite
ten miles away. Bedlues Island,
With the colossal statue of Miss
Liberty, letting her light SO shine
among men that they may see all
sorts of things and glorify the al
mighty dollar, is West of South, but
. part of the scene embraced in the
,arbor, To the far Southeast is the
Jersey shore with dim outlines of
r. -, Al |