The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-29
WELCOME FROM TIE BRIDGE.
1t Shone Out in Letters 80 Feet High and
Gould BE Rend at Tompkinsville.

| 1t Shone Out in Letters 80 Feet High and
Could BE Read at Tompkinsville.
Welcome Deweyi" was the message which
bazed on electric lighted letters from the
Bridge last night and 1t could be read by the
Admiral from the quarterback OF the
Olympia. off Tompk nsville. Tompkinsvie ia
seven miles from the Battery. A reporter
OF THE Sun who read the me ssage from Cover
nor's Island the effect was superb Every
one on the island. except the prisoners
in Castle Williams and the guards on foot.
congregated along the north shore. back
Of the officers quarters to see the show
and everybody was most enthusiastic about
it. One officer. who went half way around the
world before the Civil War. went around the
other half OF the way before the Spanish
American War. said he had seen nothing 80
fine.
The letters forming the two words are made
OF 5000 incandescent lamps. each OF six
teen candle power. and the letters are
36 feet high and from 81 feet to
SO feet vide. The letters are tied to q
network OF insulated wires, strung on
fourteen poles. each ffty-one feet high The
scheme for hanging tho lamps is one which
William II. Boyes Of $40 Pearl street. Brook
lyn. The contractor who put them up devised In
1893. on the occasion OF the National Iucamp-
ment Of the Grand Army OF the Republic at
Pttsburg. The people OF Pittsburg wanted
to do something in the way Of illumination In
honor Of the old soldiers and the plan decided
upon was to light up two peaks OF tho Al
leRhuny mountains behind the city. and oppo-
site each other seven miles apart. with Wei
come G.. A. r."
The contract was awarded to Mr. Boyes
and to hang the lights he lit upon
the scheme which he followed In the
work on the bridge. Instead OF running
the feed wire through the ordinary brass SOCK
ct and then connecting the socket he ran the
feed wire OF each lamp up through a
cork in tho neck o; the lamp. and
around the bottom OF tho cork he
ran piece OF small. stout Irvine. the
ends Of which came out Of the neck OF the
lamp far enough to permit the Irvine to be
used in tying each lamp to the framework.
Then he made the cork tight in the meek OF the
lamp with shellac. Then the lamps were hung
in series OF Ave.
In that way the Welcome Dewey" was FASH
toned All but the lowest lamps were hung
from a swing scafrold. resting against the
poleswhch susta ed the framework The lower
lamrs were Ts.o ,, hung from ladders; The
that have prevailed A. since the work va:
that t , 81 s Se'ssasfn
employed with safety on the scaffold, but the
S9ne w ,bs frSss IN III.
asst night. came early and stayed - as
and every Bridge train was packed and
he promon&%de was throppgsd On top Of
Two gre great search lights supplied from
the, BROOKLYN Navy Yard had been planted,
iyn battalion OF the Naval Militia
who climed to the top on the rope ladders rum
ming up the outside The ascent OF the towers
only few times by others than skilled riGgers
sna Jme pe x croSds tb was
the top began to be whisked about, showing
perchos in safety, the crowds cheered again
and again.
The south roadway OF tho Bridge will b,
closed to vehicles OF every kind between 10
and midnight tonight and the thorouEhiare
to zee The nr.wUrSs, Five hundred e et.,
policemen have been detailed to keep the
crowd moving, Fifty extra cars an hour will
bp during the