New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-01
PRESCRVERS OF THE BRIDGE.
THE MEN WHO PAINT THE CABLES TO
KEEP THEM FROM RUSTING.

and pensve-wgwams that lowered up as II
they we're never going to step, ireboats I'M
numbered, going everywhere.
PM what made them stare most was the
THING that looked like cobWeb against the SKY
Little creatures were rrawling about in IT so
high up that it made the Esquinaus Urea 10
lool. AT Them At first they seemed 10 be spiders
afterward they turned out "a be men VINO were
busy at some sort Of work after the strange
fashion Of the white man.
Pearys ship tied up at dock beside '"e
place where the spider web arose IN the SKY
The Esquimaus had fine chance 10 see II
then but they never comprehended' thous"
they stared great deal
Il don't know how that got up there, said
the eldest Of the Arctic men, when the WRITER
through an Interpreter, worried him Tor an eA
planation. Perhaps II had read many poohs
I might know but there are not many poohs
where come from. l do not think tha' 'he
.ni.its hun IT, They do not build houses ior
MS why should they build them for the "hi'e
man? do not believe it. Maybe a lo' OF "n''e
men got together and piled the STONES up ''
how, could they get the other STORES ~ NV w,
and how could they get down again. ana ""a'
are those sticks and the things tha' i'o'e 49,
and tho roen who look like flies? l do not know
I
,,inas do not know how the white men 90
IT." 49, .oor
nh r,souuaus remained for a long time near
-. r,.,aoo but they never solved any or
&c mysteries They gave them up as being pa''
ne the incomprehensible doings OF inc WIN"
mon and the Arctic folks never found out "n"'
en-, human spiders were up to al the 10Y Vi ~
web. ,s ,ybo
,o s,ared like Pcary's charges without !"
A., ,oe, understanding that these men III '"e
-, s,,ircina in the wind three huhdreu iee'
t,,o the river were the preserVers Vi '"'
1,ridga They are the men who cohs'an'S %
tbe germs Of the disease that ATTACKS - m
GRO tho men whose work, if properly uo"e wiz
make the Brooklyn Bridge staho io'e'e
Thot &c What Engineer c. G Martin says a'''
uhen cross-examned he o1ly IT axes '"'
n,ent more emphatic.
g, ,,,.p forever don't no" time can
have an effect on the Bridge If proper oa,e "
,aLon Tn n thousand years from no" IL VIII ~
-,a,,ain, iust az strong as it is to-day There Is
,.; IN i, that time will affect, PROVIDED tha'
,,o stoel ,s prevented from rusting Iha' Is
done bv keeping the paint when pfo'e''s ''''
steel always in perfect order
rho, 10 one Of the Jobs of the useful human
,niders who climb all over the steer "eo s'"
extends from the tops of the towers 10 'he "oo'
beams that carry the Sidewalks anu '"' ~
,y.ve EVERY bit OF steel surface on the Bridge
must be gone over at least once every I'VE Se"'
49,, na,,ted the color which is now known all
over the country as bridge color. ms is uu"
,rayisb white Four coats are put on at once
Tbere are a dozen Of these painters ana theY
ora nsed to walking about on dizzy heieh'S
tna
tower ND one Of the cables holding the mana
No., ,hot rure mn along with the cables When
tbev have a lob OF painting near the top OF the
s,oe, cobweb they walk UP the cable TIL they
roach the desired spot when they attach
"bosun's chair" and sitting IN that. slide up
and down and do their work
All these painters can climb like cats and WORK
In high places without any fear The rieeers VI
the Bridge, who make all repairs are useo u
facing the same dangers, and now ana 'heh one
of them falls a victim to his own temerity' as
happened the other day when Christopher Rel
uer a rigger fell from a platform hung under
the cables, and was instantly killed.
One might expect that the chief wear and tear
would fall upon that part OF the cables that
runs over the tops OF the towers. But MI Mar
tin declares that there is no wear and tear
there The cables rest on iron saddles Ihese
Are semi circular the cables resting on the con-
yex side These saddles stand upon steel rollers
which are twelve inches in diameter. The cables
do not move upon the saddles at all; they move
the saddles upon the well-oed rollers. But this
movement Is small. So beautifully has the
weight been distributed on each side OF the
tower that the greatest movement the saddles
ever made was only three inches. That was re-
corded some time ago when a horse, falling
down in the centre of the Bridge, caused IT to
o..I L. MI