New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-12

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include Arrangements for railroad tracks. Tie
present bridge was built and opened TO the pub
lie In August. 1893.
This bridge Is used more than any other draw
bridge In the United States, according 70 tho
records kept In the Department Of Bridges.
which now has charge Of all the city bridges In
order TO arrive al facts concerning the bridge
traffic an occasional census is taken and some
OF these figures show how much coming and
going there is between the two parts OF the
city. On December 30, 1898 the census showed
that 7713 vehicles passed over the bridge on
that day. Also 16.40S foot passengers. 100
bicycles 1863 horses without vehicles and 81
cars making 1898 trips with 10 49, passengers.
On August - there 50S7 vehicles 159
bicycles, 1912 foot passengers 1O174 persons
in vehicles 21J9 persons on bicycles AID II 81
persons in This bridge is opened for pass
Ing boats from five to twenty-one times a day.
The value NJ the three-span bridge-whlch Is
twenty four feet In the clear above high water
In saving time which is money to the public
will be seen from the fact that the old bridge
eight feet above high water, which it repIaced
had TO be opened on an average thirty seven
times every day
The Madison ave. bridge which was hulit IN
1854 as a highway bridge to connect One hum
dred and thirty eighth St with the Annexed Dis
/ trict Is also much too small Tor The traffic which
goes TO and comes from the Annexed District
by way Of Onc-hundrcd and thirty -eighth-st
When It built the bridge was consd red
large enough for all purposes but II was con-
structed slowly. and its inadequacy became ap-
parent soon after IL was opened
The New York Central and Hudson River
Railroad bridge over the Harlem, at One hun
dred- and thirty fourthst Is a monster struct-
ure. over which all trains from Northern and
Western New-York and from New England
must pass before they reach the Grand Central
Station The bridge is twenty four feet above
high-water mark
At Eighth-ave. is an iron railroad bridge over
which the trains OF the New-York and Northern
Railroad pass, and by which connection is made
with the elevated railroad system Of this city.
The iron bridge at second-ave built to
carry the cars OF the Suburban Transit ard The
Harlem River branch OF the New-Yor New
Haven and Hartford Railroad In giving the
right TO build this bridge the city reserved the
privilege to construct sidewalks the s;ruct-
ure and approaches from the streets These
make the Second ave bridge a more important
structure than il could have been a railroad
bridge
Where the ship canal enters the Harlem thers
In a modern draw bridge. 80 feet long, which
connects the little piece OF the Twelfth Ward
which was converted into an island by the bu.ld-
ing of the canal with the mainland
All these bridges have their points Of i'm
portance. and each one plays its part In facli-
tating traffic between the Borough Of Manhat,
tan and the newer parts OF the city, but none Of
them are 80 well known either Highbridge or
washington Bridge, the gigantic structures
which span the little river Highbridge was
built TO carry the old Croton Aqueduct across
the river II is 400 feet long. Thirteen granite
piers support the structure, which riscs ITO leet
above high-water mark The Manhattan end OF
the bridge from which there Is a magnihceh
view OF the northern part OF the city is at one
hundred and seventy nfthst and Tenth-aVe-
and about one third Of a mile further UP mo
river stands its companion. Washington brluse
which was completed in 1889 and cost ABOUT
81 700 600 The total length Of the bridge ~
Guiding the span proper, across the river anu
across the tracks OF the New-York Central ana
Hudson River and the Ncw-York and Northern
railroads. is 1884 feet. The great pile, with us
two central spans built to describe paraoohc
curves It's massive abutments. graceful arches'
broad and artistic approaches and IRON aiiu
bronze decorations. is a majestic piece "a
masonry. and from It's broao proHle""Ne' ~
driyeways thousands Of people admire the Deau-
tiful panorama OF the Harlem
But in order 70 meet the present uefhahue
new bridges Will have to be constructed anu
several are already under way. One on the line
OF Broadway at Spuyten DuyWl Creek VIII take
the place of the old Kings Bridge This VIII
not be a drawbridge. because II will be BEYOND
the navigable part Of the river II Will be ~
feet long and 100 feet wide, the width being
In conformity with the street