New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-20


reveals in a striking fashion how the use OF steel
many kinds OF construction and throws interesting
light for the layman ON the magnitude OF the de-
The distinguished engineer. Leffert l. Buck to
whose genius the Is I'M nv roT S
obligations to him IN more ways than one. In
August 1861, he enlisted p.esate. in the Goth
til he mustered out captain. In August. 1863
At the battle Of Lookout Mountain the color ser
geant of his regiment was wounded, and sergeant
Buck as he then was gTaspea the eotors enH
he had worked four and one-half years In a ma
tered the Rensseser Poiyteshn institute OF Troy
as second year student, graduating IN the cIass
bridge rivers and operate railroads; and surmount
unimaginable obstacles when priEate soldiers were
IN so many cases OF the type OF MI Buck.
PROGRESS TO BE. EXPECTED.
Neither is It any wonder that our country has
forged steadily ahead since the war TO the hrst
place In the Industrial world when men who save ave
OF war could turn SO easily to school FOR fHrf b
indeed, risen to eminence in his great profess
sion 10 which few attain; but in the steps OF his
his co1ntymen TSe CAPACITY 81 to S ADAPT himself to
new and strange conditions has always been char
acteristic OF the American, and know not Whether
70 admire more the spirit and the ability 10 60
make one of the Irresistible 10 host of freedom or
the spirit and the ability 10 go from the army TO
the servants of mankind by the construction OF
such superb bridge this In voicng this tribute
our obligation TO the good citizen who hazarded his
S Tor The of The the G hrd IS ever the
work OF a single man. To all who have taken
trustees. bridge commissioners, engineers. con-
tractors and others who have had part in II,
every handicraft who have done the actual work in
Tns shop 5 and the Qw water 6a and
men have lost their lives in the process Of its
construction, IL by such sacrifice to consecrate
the bridge not only in the esteem. but also to the
service. Of their fellow men; -,
II sometimes seems as If no work of any kind
the cost of human life. 1t is as though it were
that the work itself becomes worthy to endure
., The changes wrOqght during the twenty years
ception of the function of East River bridge
mites which such bridge is to Serve. ' are even
more interesting than the changes in mechanical
opened Two cities which before had been divided
by a river were for the arst time connected by q
20 be prophetic Of their manifest destiny.
UNITEs TWO BoROUGHs.
To-day the Williamsburg Bridge. although it was
begun when the two communities were still pOlit-
oughs Of the same city. The East River has be
come highway running thT4ngh the city instead
This bridge viii be followed, within the next five
apparent Than it is now how truly one is this vast
community in all its parts. The Brooklyn Bridge
which it was expected that passengers would be
carried 70 and fro upon shuttle trains The evident
possibility and destTRbiity Of through traffic across
the bridge. when il was once opened to travel have
jected it 10 demands that were not contemplated
when ii was designed. Trolley tracks have been
laid the roadways, thus reducing their avail
ability for the purposes for which they were con-
struGted and throwing strain Upon the structure
nal facilities nor the structural arrangement or
the first bridge lend themselves well TO the use
that has Deen made OF 1t Despite al dlscomtort
however this use has prevailed and in so doing IT
of such a bridge Twenty years ago when the
first bridge was built it was thought of a struc-
Of which. in turn. was to be Independent of the
system of travel in both. Public convenience has
must now be thought Of Simply as hgnway oyer oyer
road transit across such bridge has thus been
made infinitely more difficult because the authori-
bridge itself but also its use in connection with
the railroad systems on either side and because II
is necessary to secure the cooperation of one or
both Of these systems in order TO realize the best
use OF the bridge as railroad thCroughfare. The
problem is still further complicated, because the
head system and at the other END an undergrouHd
system The strong disposition in Manhattan to
problem as this would be dificuIt enough to solve
If city in full control Of all the elements
of it, but the city only move successfully when
OF ali. the private enterprises that control the
transit facilities OF the two boroughs Every
tnuOus study end conference during the last two
years and there is reason to nope that in the near
future, an acceptable solution of it will be found
day OF mutual agreement.
AN ALLIED PROBLEM
Allied to this problem and yet different from it. is
the necessity Of providing adequate street ap-
the Conception of It as hishWayp When tbs
bridge was designed. seven years ago, plaza was
provided at each end as If that all that were
necessary. Doubtless some realized, even then that
the bridge would necessitate costly Encouragement
then done In Manhattan a plaza 200 feet square
has now been provided for and Delancey-st. has
he W med froTO he hrid To ha
Bowery, to a width of 150 feet In the spring the
actual construction of this plaza and thoroughfare
will be begun A new street SO feet in Width, con-
ttnutng Delanceyst TO Elm-st., has also been laid
down upon the map; but the work of construction
here has not been authorized by the local board,
On the Brooklyn side, large plaza has been
created and alternative plans have been submitted
for the cutting through OF Grand-st this plaza.
and for the widening OF Roebling-st TO the north.
seems to- bg c lei Wse through TO the plaza
The widening of Delancey-st from the bridge to
the BoWery VIII displace five thousand people.
compelling them TO find homes; and the CTea-
three thousand more It is estimated that more
than ten thousand people have already been dis
bridge Thus almost twenty thousand people have
been compelled 10 seek new homes by reason OF this
enterprise: This seems TO be the occasion to make
follow citizens who have thus submitted to incon-
venience in the public interest.
The necessity for this street development comes,
River bridge as part of the thoroughfare system
Of the city and that conception itself has only been
really brought home to the people by the actual
use of the Brooklyn Bridge 1t is an interesting
commentary on this demand that with the excep-
ton of the abOrtiye widening of Liberty-st. in
Brooklyn. nothing has yet been done to improve
conditions at either end of this great structure.
think the time will come when the city will cease
10 make a railroad yard out Of the land lying
between Sands-st. and the Borough Hall Of Brook
Ign. BY providing for through communication be-
tween the various bridges. thus doing way with
the necessity for railroad yard this point and
by detecting the tracks in Brooklyn to the north,
opportunity can be had, at comparatively little
expense for providing a wide thoroughfare from
the Brooklyn end Of the bridge TO the Borough Hall
This would give TO Brooklyn what II greatly needs
and deserves-shI entrance that be made both
attractive and interesting.
COMMUNITIES ONE IN FACT