Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-04
THE HUDSON RIVER BRIDGE
Eight Times ny Large as brooklyn
nridgc Costing a5O.OOO.OOO.


Among New Yorks extensive plans for
bridge facilities 10 its outlying suburbs is
the erection of an immense span to Jer-
sey.
The construction of a Hudson bridge
near Tifty-seventh street would open up
the very best of New York's suburban
residential territory. What other great
city possesses plateau of twenty five
square miles area, BEAUTIFULLY high above
beautiful river, and, as soon as a
bridgeway is opened, within a half-hours
trolley ride of the heart Of the city? Tho
Hudson river bridge, within ten years
after IT. opening you give Jersey an add
ed million Of population.
The problem Of a bridge over the Hud-
son nj New York has long been discussed
and planned For some years two rival
private companies aEitatcd bridge pro-
jects. ono to be located at Twcntv-third
and one at Fifty-ninth street Tho Twenty
third street plan was known rs the North
river bridge project. and was chiefly in
stitutcd by engineers and practica, NOR,
who ATTAINED a Congressional charter
The FiftYninth street plan was calc1
the New York and Now Jersey bridge
project, and was mainly backed by polti-
clans and political interests
Tho incorporators Of the North river
bridge project are mon whose names
command confidence Among them arc
Jordan L. Mott iron and stool manufac-
turer: Thomas =. Ryan. capitalist; +. W.
! Roohling, bridge engineer: Edward r. G.
Young prominent IN Jersey city: Gus
tave Lindonthal. engineer ard cx-hrilrn
commissioner: Samuel Rca vico-prey
dent Of the Pennsylvania Railroad; and
tho late Garrett A. Hobart, vce-pre-
seident Of tho United States.
Mr.. Dlndonthal states that this bridge
car he built In four years IL necessary:
! II the capital is oil secured and start
made in 1905, people will be crossing in
1912
Everybody thinks Of New York a the
city Of big constructive performance
and II never disappoints. Here we find
big mon with big brains and unlimited
capital. AS ono prodrious example. plans
| are now under way by which within a
few years eight mammoth bridges az
for1ing by far the greatest centralized
traffic facilities In the world. will yoke
| Manhattan Island to its suburban shores
At least one Of these big bridges will ex-
coed IN size the famous forth cantilover
bridge IN Scotland. now tho largest on
the globe; another will excel in capacity
the old Rrool,,vn bridge which now has
the largest bridge traffic IN tba world
The biggest bridge. which n, course vii,
span the noble Hudson. may cost any
where between so cOA n61 and 500 nm nm
while the other structures will run the
| aggregate cost ~ New Works BRIDGES nm
to about $3.50. M. no About 1915. New
riy NJ Al h-iI
will approximate a round half-b'llion OF
, dollars all spend 70 aid transportation in
! and out OF the first city In America.
But yesterday. Manhattan was in the
ora Of ferries; to-day. the tunnel era.
scarcely begun. is mon opolzng public At
| tention tomorrow, tho gigantic bridges
| OF Gotham will stretch across the mighty
Hudson and East rivers. and many new
links will bind closer Manhattan and the
| horouEhs of Brooklyn. Bronx. Queens and
Richmond. New York never does things
half way: the American must have the
biggest and best Of everything. Old
Father Knfckerbocker counts only in
millions. measures only with a mile
stick. and weighs his projects with an
Archimedean lever
The magnitude of the projected Hudson
river bridge does not at first strike the
nnthinking person; but when it does
strike 1t comes with a brea thless. aerial
significance. 1t will he the eighth wonder
OF the world, and the eyes Of foreign en-
gineers are turned to New York with
expectancy.
The plans Of the new structure are
practically those Of tho original North
river project. 1t was long step from a
0N-fo nd st he