Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-12-19
COTHAMS GREAT
BRIDGE OPENED
Brilliant Pasaentry Has It's
Theatre i East River
This Morning.
DAY OF UTILIZATION
The National Metropolis Linked
With williamsburg by Great.
est span TN the World.

boats. naptha launches and steam
launches, and scows and craft Of every
conceivable size and description
swarmed in the East river opposite
the Brooklyn navy yard today
and screeched their whistles
and fired their guns to appraise
AL within hearing that the new VII.
Harrisburg bridge. after an expendi-
ture Of $2o.o00,000 and eight years OF
toll, was at last an accomplished fact,
II was a Jubilation for New York In
general and for Williamsburg In parti.
cular, for to the people Of the last
named section o. the metropolis the
completion of the new bridge means
freedom from the dangerous crush
they have been obliged To contend with
for years In crossing the old Brooklyn
bridge. The ceremonies attending the
formal opening were simple but I'M.
pressiye The chief officials Of the
city. together With representatives of
the Federal government. army ami
naval officers, distinguished engineers
and other invited guests. assembled In
the centre OF the gigantic span across
the river and listened TO orations ap-
propriate to the occasion delivered by
Mayor Low. Bridge Commissioner
Lindenthal and Borough President
Cantor and Swanstorm Commission
er L~indenthai made the opening nd
dress formally turning the bridge over
TO the city. The speech OF acceptance
was delivered by Mayor Low and was
the chief feature OF the ceremonies.
The completion OF the exercises WAS
marked BY the booming Of cannon and
the %unfurlIng Of flags throughout the
great length or the structure.
The general public was not per.
mItted TO ros the bridge today and
thus was avoided the possibility OF a
crush such as was Witnessed nj the
opening OF the Brooklyn bridge and
which resulted In the deaths OF more
than 4 score 81 persons. Ent one
roadway OF the new bridge ii entirely
completed and this will probably be
opened to traffic tomorrow or Monday.
IL is expected that the other roadway
and the paths for pedestrians will be
ready within a few weeks.
In general appearance the bridge
seems much more massive than the
old Brooklyn bridge. but al tho same
time II Is much less graceful. In
length. width. height and the number
OF It's ~promonades and trolley tracks
the new structure surpasaes the
old. The Manhattan terminal Of the
new structure Iii al Delaney street,
while the Williamsburg end ii AT me.
South Fifth street. In the construc.
ton OF these great terminals and ap.
proaches whole blocks Of buildings
we're razed.
The length Of the bridge between It's
terminals IL 1900 feet. or over one
and one third miles. The main span,
from the centre o. one tower to that
Of the other. IL 1000 feet long. The
width Of the structure Is lis feet. as
compared with SIS feet. the width of
the old Brooklyn bridge. It's minimum
height above mean high water al pier
head lines Is l22 feet and It's mimi.
mum height for 200 feet on either side
Of centre u the main span Ii 1876 feet.
The heights Of the cables on the top
Of the towers is 1888 feet at their cen
tire.
Three thousand and fortyeight Ions
Of steel have been used in construct.
Ing each Of the towers. while nearly
1000 tons have been put into the
great approaches. In each Of the sus
pension cables. which are isA inches
IN diameter. there are 1896 separate
wires, these wires being $500 feet
long and threesixteenths Of an inch
In thickness. Six and one.haif mill
Ion were required 10 construct the
bridge. and the steel employed amount
ed 70 10000 tons. II was necessary 10
excavate $4,000 cubic feet Of earth
and to tear down several hundred
buildings and houses.
Both Of the towers are planted on
rock foundations. For the Man
anchorage $500 piles were
driven through clay and sand until
they had reached . solid foundation.
The anchorage on the williamsburg
side 10 said to rest on natural sand.
The bridge ID provided for two drives