New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-21
I The News of Brooklyn
pIANS FOR THE NEW BRIDGE.
r,,r QUESTION OF LOWERING ITS
WEIGHT AN IMPORTANT ONE.

srrrL TOWERS. OF LIGHT WEIGHT But GREAT
erRrNGTR-QUICK CONSTRUCTION EXPECTED.
:. l.. Buck The chief engineer Of the new East
River Bridge. at the public hearing in the Army
puuding. in New-York. yesterday. on the queS-
,,o, u reducing the height Of the bridge al 'he
-. . the river span from 40 feet. now fixed
nv the War Department. To 133 feet, the heish'
=, tho present structure said that he would ike
% make the bridge only l2G feet high. and ex-
MESSED the opinion tina; in the future bridges
F, across the East River would be built al 'h's
height
) rsnorter Of The Tribune called upon Engineer
Dro,, 4, his office in Kent-ave. near Broadway
os-ardov afternoon and asked him when Work
,rouid begin on the new bridge. Mr.. Buck salu
cha. he could not say. as the plans had not peeA
o,,nIetAd and thew could not be completed uh'ii
,ta height of the bridge had been dennltei! hAeu'
A difference Of five feet in the height OF the
bridge would make vast difference IN the pans
~ The structure. Mr.. Buck was then asN7u
aoout the general system on which the WON ~
construction would be carried on. lie reI"seu ~
talk about the work TO be done. saying 'h"' ""e''
the 3lans were completed he would he IN d Po9!
ton to give some definite information anu "''''
that time did not care 10 say what hau o'e" -
what would be done.
The reporter learned. however rom PN'so
connected with the work Of the new o'iuse .'N'
y is probable that work will begin eNe"
all If the plans are perfected. as MI buNN - "
s,rous Of seeing the bridge completed a. Jun
os nossible and much work OF preI'i'''o'' ""
,,re has already been Accomplished '
stance. although it will be necessar! u mon
horings al the sites of both piers ~ '
,.h .. which a foundation for the structures
wis
.ornea as to how great depth 1t VIII De heoeS
cary 70 sink the cassons for the ouilu'ils "a "a"
foundations. ~, -. ,a
r.o r.,orte,.s informant said ut will not DE
oosserv IN sink the caicsons TO as great
an.b as was REQUIRED for the towers Oh ''ie
Nlw.yorx and Brooklyn Bridge. the eNperi-
,,or,al boriues show bedrock Oh the Brooklyn
s,da a, the pont where the tower or the ne"
bridge will be located at a depth OF % ~
nm fhe NeW-YOrk side bedrock Will oe % ~.
nj a point still nearer tidewater' propapi! ~ -
a. q, In sinking the caissons for the present
bridge no bedrock was found on 'he ID ooh
sbore and the foundation was laid at deilth ~
about 81 feet On the New s ork sue 'e'''N'
was struck at the depih OF No leet' .,,Xa
~ fscf that the towers of the new structure
will he of steel, instead of masonry anu VIII
therefore be much lighter in weighl' VIZ idn
caiSsons nj smaller size. The method OF SINKING
&C. caissons has not been decided upon, pui
probably it will be much the same as ina. 80
nv the builders Of the present briuse; ->Vt ~
has il been decided of what material 'he9e
a iias l, iii he built-whether Of wood or metal
hut II is probable that they VIII De 'nuV" "a.
same as those used for the present bIluse; -
probably as the depth 70 when they VII "
eunk will Re less and the weight OF superstl "
ure they will have to carry VIII aiso Oe
the topping Of the caisson VIII De Hghlei;, -.
The superstructure Of the towers VIII pe ~
s.eeI and the work can be hurried forWatu
much more rapidly than masonry Woih. -,
towers of the present Bridge required nve se~ co..
4hor ha
I'm !. ~. new brIdge-towers. anchorages, super
structure and all-will be completed IN less tliie
than that: in fact. l hope to see the oriuss
onened 10 travel in four years AFTER the Wolh %
oppvstructinr the towers begins. may be over
confdent but l think, before the close or , the
last year of the present century c6 thev
will have a choice OF two oricses o! "''-O" '''es
can cross the river TO New orK.
~. has not vet been definitely decided whether
.here shall be three or four columns Tor the sup
,ort NJ the cables sustaining the brloge. lheie
vii, he four cables. but whether each OF THESE
shall rest directly on a single pier, or Whether
they shall rest on three piers JOlhed al we ~,
ae those of the present bridge do. is something
that Is still to be decided upon. think IL hKeiy
there will be three passageways, through the
bridge towers, thus providing four towers one
for the support of each Of the cables.
"No one can say at this time as to the man
ner in which the first wire VIII be carried across
The river That is a small matter. the thing Is
IN get the cables built These cables VIII De
much heavier and larger than those used on me
present bridge, as the span of the new oriose
will be muCn larger anu lHS N~'N
,nuch heavier These cables Will In all PROB
ability be built in much the same manner as as
nr,.,,nC single wires which will be woven into
strands and these strands into the cables.
II do not think there has been another sus-
nension bridge built in this country since the
EowYork and Brooklyn Bridge was con-
structed, and therefore in the matter OF ouild-
irr the superstructure, the construction OF me
law bridge will have to be modelled clo5ely on
The Man followed in building the present bridge
and ali improvements in carrying on the work
VIII have TO be the result or oosetvauon ~
watohing the actual construction OF the super
sfructure.'