Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-21
new EAST
RIVER
BRIDGE

NEW YORK. Dec. ls.-Big ships
and little ships, tugboats and row.
boats. naptha launches and steam
launches. and scows and craft OF ev-
cry conceivable size and description
swarmed in the East river opposite
the Brooklyn navy yard today and
screeched their whistles and fred their
guns TO apprIse all within hearing
that the new Williamsburg bridge. AT
ter an expenditure of $20,000.00O and
eight years of toll. was at last an ac-
complished fact 1t was day of ju-
bilation for New York In general and
FOR Williamsburg in particular. for the
people of the last-named section of the
metropolis the completion of the new
bridge means freedom from the dan
gerous crush they have been obliged
| to contend with for years in crossing
| the old Brooklyn bridge, The cere-
| monies attending the formal opening
were simple but impressive. The chief
officials f the city. together with rep
resenta,lves of the federal government
| army and naval officers. distinguished
engineers and other Invited guests, as
sembled in the centre of the gigantic
span across the river and listened to
orations appropriate to the occasion
delivered by Mayor Low. Bridge Com.
missioner Lindenthal and Borough
Presidents Canton and Swanstorm
Commissioner Lindenthal made the
opening address formally turning the
bridge over to the city. The speech
of acceptance was delivered by May
or Low and was the chief feature of
the ceremonies. The completion of
the exercises was marked by the boom
Ing of cannon and the unfurling OF
| flags throughout tho great length of
the structure.
The general public was not permit
ted to cross the bridge today and thus
was avoided the possibility of a crush
such as was witnessed at the opening
OF the Brooklyn bridge and which re-
| suited In the deaths of more than
score Of persons. But one roadway
of the new bridge is entirely complet-
ed and this will probably be opened
to traffic tomorrow or Monday 1t is
expected that the other roadway and
the paths for pedestrians will be ready
within a few weeks.
In general appearance the new
bridge seems much more massive than
the old Brooklyn bridge, but at the
same time 1t is much less graceful.
In length. width, height and the num-
Der OF Its promenades and trolley
tracks the new structure surpasses the
old. The Manhattan terminal OF the
new structure Is at Delaney street,
while the Williamsburg end Ia at South
Fifth street, In the construction of
these great terminals and approaches
whole blocks OF buildings were razed
The length OF the bridge between its
terminals is 1900 feet, or over one and
a third miles. The main span. from
the centre of one tower to that of the
| other, IL 1900 feet long Tha width Of
the structure Is l18 feet, as compared
| with SIS feet. the width OF the old
Brooklyn bridge. Its minimum height
tbove mean water at the pier head
lines is 1872 feet and It's minimum
height for 200 feet on either side OF
the centre OF the main span is 1876
| feet. The heights of the cables on the
top of the towers Is 333 feet at their
centre
Three thousand and forty eight tons
OF steel have been used In constructing
| each OF the towers, while nearly H.
| 900 tons have been put into the great
| approaches. In each Of the suspen-
| sion cables, which are 18A inches in
| diameter. there are 1896 separate
wires. these wires being $500 feet long
| and three-sixteenths of an inch In
| thickness. Six and one-half million
feet OF timber were required to con
struct the bridge and the steel EN-
| ployed amounted to 10000 tons 1t
| was necessary to excavate 125,000
cubic feet OF earth and tear down sew.
eral hundred buildings and houses.
Both of the towers are planted on
solid rock foundations. For the Man
haitian anchorage $500 piles were driv-
en- through clay and sand until they
reached a solid foundation. The an
chorage on the Williamsburg side is
said to rest on natural sand. The
bridge is provided with two drives for
carriages. four trolley tracks, two
elevated tracks. two footwalks and
| two bicycle tracks.
| Authority for constructing the
bridge WAS contained in law enacted
by the state legislature In 1896. In
| October Of the following year the first
work was began on the Manhattan
tower foundation. On April IA. 1901.
the first wire for the temporary foot
bridge was strung. while the first wire
for the permanent cable was stretched
across the following November. The
cables were finished In August OF 1902.
The opening OF the new bridge Ia
expected to relieve somewhat the
overburden OF trafYic on the Brooklyn
bridge This measure Of relief, how
ever. will not be nearly no great as
might be supposed at first glance at
the situation. for the reason that the
great bulk of trafYic that will use the
new structure have heretofore crossed
the river by ferry and have not used
the Brooklyn bridge to any extent.
The ultimate relief Of the Brooklyn
bridge crush lies In the completion Of
the third bridge across tho East river