The Washington times., 1901-11-03
LARGEST HANGING BRIDGE
East River Structure at New York
Nearing Completion.
Five Years Already spent ON the
New Highway-Enormous Wire Cn-
bIes which support the Roadway.
The Engineering Problem. Solved.


bIes which support the Roadway.
The Engineering Probiem. Solved.
the new East River Bridge; two more
will pass before 1t is done. The deep
piers, the massive anehorages. and the
great bulk of the work on the land spans
is completed on either side OF the river.
On the Brooklyn side the approach is
more than half done; in New York the
land for the approach has been condemn
ed, and the buildings that stood upon 1t
have been demolished. The other work
now flashed is mostly of the sort incl
dental to the construction of the bridge:
1t will be taken away when 1t has served
the uses for which 1t was put up. There
remain, then, of the permanent work. the
building OF the cables which are finally
to support the giant highways across the
stream. the completion of the approaches
in New York and Brooklyn. the conStruc-
tion of floors the whole length of the
bridge, the assembling OF the enormous
stinening truss which is to be suspended
between the towers, paving the roadways
laying the tracks for surface and ele-
vated cars. and the preparation of broad
piazzas at either end OF the structure
IS it stands today. there seems already
|
| fact. there is. Up from Brooklyn to the
| top Of the eastern tower down In deep
| dip, and UP again to the top of the wes-
tern tower. then down once more to the
anchorage in New York, run quite twenty
cables. most OF then 2h-inch wire rope
| IL around, and upon these, as supports,
hangs complicated fabric of timbers,
while upon the timbers one can see plain
| ly from the river below al least two paths
which run the whole length OF the ropes.
| But these are merely footpaths, built for
workmen, simply preliminaries to the slow
| and toilsome construction of the much
larger structure which is eventually to
! carry the traffic between the districts of
the two boroughs thus brought in close
| touch The final cables viii be OF such
| great dimensions. compared to the ordi-
| nary run Of ropes, that they will have to
| be put together on the spot, strand by
| strand, bit by bit. Before 1t becomes a
| bridge. the structure must serve as a
ropewalk-
The fibres used in making these ropes.
however. will be three-sixteenths OF an
inch each in diameter, and of steel. Ex-
cept for the dip in the cablesst the mid
die and either end and the 3end at the
top OF the towers, the singlS wires will
seven thousand such wires, each about
3.4O0 feet long, will be in each or the four
great cables. In the progress of the work
they are to be coated with preparation
protecting them from rust, and then
formed into round bundles eighteen inches
in diameter, preparatory TO putting on the
cable sheath When that has been fitted,
II will be possible to attach the suspend
ers which will transfer to tine cables the
loads OF truss ana floors
Besides the foot bridge four guide wires
are already in place. the latter serving to
indicate what dip. and tension should be
given the wires or rods of the cables
themselves. Also in place is a conveyor.
machinery Dy means OF which the rods
will be stretched. two at time, from one
anchorage to another.
When that part OF the task begins the
adjustment of he length of the rods will
proceed on the principle that equal deflec-
tion gives equal tension. II the rods show
like dips to like depths from their sup
ports across the towers. they Will be un-
der like strains. The ends, gathered into
strands of 200 rods each, will be fastened
to pins in the steel bars. measuring 9x2
inches in cross section, which run down
deep into the anchorage, 16o of them on
either side of the river
Fifty tons of these rods are now in
Brooklyn, and 800 tons have been made.
while contracts have been let for the
whole nnantity needed. This, roughly.
amounts to 1lc1 tons FOR each cable. or
400 tons for the four. Work will proceed
gins The time set for that is November
l. The cables should be ready by Sep
tember l. 1892; the engineers hope. indeed.
that they may be finished somewhat ear
Iier still. AS long as the cables are not
ready. other work cannot proceed on the
main span or stiTening truss. But the
contract for this part of the bridge has
been let. and the SteelmakerS are at Work
upon the beam.
Those who have undertaken to build the
truss will have eight months in which to
do it, The work, that is. ought to be
ready by the end of April. 1893. 1t will be
a task OF tremendous difficulty. this piec-
ing together of great beams high above
the water. without false work under
meath. and from n support which will be
by no means firm. II the work were car
ried on from a single point OF the truss.
the concentration of weight at that point
would defect the cables from their true
bend To keep the load rightly dfstrib-
uted, the contractors will have to pursue
their operations on several parts OF the
finished, there will be no need for fhe
guys and stays now used to steady the
working platform and prevent its swing
ing i'll the wind. The truss of itself will
be so stiff as to resist without perceptible
vibration even tornado pressures of wind
After the main span, there will be COM
paratively little work to do. The final
touches which will make the bridge a
highway. promise to take less time than
any earlier part OF the WORK. OF course.
while the centre truss is under cOnstruc-
RON1iDsN
approaches. To make the floor Of the
main span. to pave 1t, and lay the railway
tracks is not expected to take over four
to six n /ths. The engineers in charge
Of the bridge hope. therefore, and expect
t" h0ve it ready some time in the autumn
of 1865. q
Four trolley tracks. two elevated rail-
way tracks. two carria geways, two foot
walks, and two cycle PATHS Will cross
the completed bridge. provision for trar-
fic as ample. surely, rs made on any other
bridge tffs world over. The long lunches
of parallel steel rods. which the engineers
call cables. and which are TO hold up the
truss Of the middle span. will
be the largest ever built In their dame
ter of eights on inches they are four inches
larger than those Of the Brooklyn Bridge
The rods which make up the cables win
be longer than any used before. Much
special machinery has been needed in
the bridge. and the place and
purpose of its construction have necessi-
tated many originalities of design. OF the
type, whether Judged by
strength or capacity. the bridge will prob
ably be the greatest in the world.--New
York Evening Post.
Shutting by Machine.
A card shuffiing machine has been in
vented by R F. Bellows. of Cleveland. II
fr,