The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-10
NORTH RIVER BRIDGE.

rotary Of war and the legislatures of
two great rival states, with their con-
fiicting and Earring interests There
were city boards TO meet and convince,
and there were an ihinity of peculiari-
ties, prejudices. all forms Of selfshness
and multitude Of private and corpo-
rate interests to combat. Diplomats
were needed even more than engineers.
A storm of opposition arose to the prof.
ect of acantalever bridge. The secretary
of war held that no bridge could span
the mighty Hudson whose construction
required the placing of pier in mid
stream, for it would mean the certain
injury of commerce. The chamber of
commerce also opposed it. Other organ
izatioIs did the same, and a new start
had 10 be taken.
1t was determined to fling a suspen-
sion bridge across the stream, IL was to
be an engineering feat greater than had
ever been attempted. The constructing
of such bridge involves difficulties
vastly greater than those of a cantalever
The central span was to be 1884 feet
in length. The floor was to be $50 feet
above the water. 1t was to be broad
enough TO have six parallel railroad
tracks and of such strength that if all
of the tracks vero filled from end to
end with loaded cars the bridge would
no more waver under the strain than If
only featherweight lay on it, The
towers were to reach far below the
earth's surface end graphic with the
rock, and they were to rise toward the
sky. The bridge was to be twice the
length Of the Brooklyn bridge, and its
towers were to bo twice as high. The
new plans were attacked as fiercely as
the old. The opposition took a different
form, but the same array of rival inter-
.ests, of railroads who did not need tho
bridge, Of business men whose fortunes
might be affected, Of lobbyists, of legis-
lators, again faced the projectors. The
secretary of war gave his official sane
ton to the plans, and congress was
gained. At length also the legislatures
of the states were won, after long argu-
ments and delays. But even then it was
found hard to find q place where the
bridge would be permitted to touch the
city. Interests of great magnitude felt
themselves too nearly affected to allow
it to enter if entrance could be prevent
ed.
It was hoped that the bridge could be
located nearly opposite Forty-second
street and have straight entrance into
the city. This would at least have been
best for the architectural appearance OF
the approach to the bridge, but 1t was
not to be. Permission was finally won
to locate the New York end at Fifty
ninth street. That was too far north for
the terminal station, into which the pas
senper trains from all the railroads that
now end at the western shore OF the
river were to be run.
The projectors fixed upon the section
between Broadway and Forty-nlnth and
Fifty first streets, and the ingenuity or
their engineers planned six track via
duct, that would have a compound curve.
to reach that spot, while one street should
be spanned by the great station build
ing. It was estimated that the entire
cost of the bridge and terminal station
and the approaches would be fully $50. :
n
O00,O Yet such tremendous figures
did not deter them. The freight was TO
be carried along the shore of the river
and unloaded at stations.
With the winning of the consent OF
the necessary officials and bodies, the
next step was to secure enough capital
for the enterprise. The impossible was
again shown to be possible. and a corpo-
ration, with capital of $25, 600, 600,
was formed. Most Of the stock was
taken by Americans, but third was
held by Englishmen. And then came
the queerest interruption to the plans.
The trouble with England in regard to
veneSueIa began. The relations OF the
two countries became strained. Tbs
Londoners withdrew in q panic, taking
their money with them. and this 20 dis
oouragea many q the others that the
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