New-York tribune., 1908-12-11
LAST WIRE OVER RIVER
RECORD ON NEW BRIDGE,
Manor Presides at Ceremony on
Manhattan Structure.


! Travelling sheave started in motion by Mayor
1F-C-eIzn IN TIE presence Of several city officials
sa5 other invited guests carried across the last wire
y the cables % the Manhattan Bridge yesterday
afternoon This ceremony. which marked another
stage II tia progress 81 what is designed 70 Be the
r-esr=er suspension bridge in the world. occurred
shortly s-rer > o'clock
There formal speaking. but p-1vateiy
vavo- Mcclellan expressed MS satisfaction 81 the
rapid progress that being made On the bridge
Bridge Co-,r7issione- Stevenson said that Z al
ve-r we'll the work q attaching the strinzers 70
r. cables would begin hy February l and the en-
r-e steel sz1pe-strl-r1re q the bridge should Be
-r-= rhe late fan o. winter ~ next year
--fE- ID o. The masonry anchorage on the Brook
z- si6= y rhe river vas gathered the little party
h response 70 the invitation II Frank B. Robinson
PRESIDENT y the Carbon Steel Company which holds
t-e general contract fo- the construction of the
zr=z and the "a ab-icztiou all steel work for
ne structure L said thar the Glyndon Con
--z--1z Company. e-ectors the steel company.
had made II scrj1gtng the cables OF their
v-~k Commissioner Stevenson in statement said;
TIE operation of striasias the $4,000 miles ot
these great 21lz-inCE cables mas consumed
aa-- ro-=r-ucrion of The foot bridge working plat
- - 4E+e ~astf+ f5e Ca-bon steel Company
gene. contractors fo- he steel and cable con-
s-z----s f7- re Carbon steel Company. cannot be
-----e-5=d TOO highly nor only for the employ
re- ot ira r-osr eEpe-T staff of engineers and
7---z= -5-rez r machinery and processes
Among those --esert II addition 70 the Mayor
az commissioner Stevenson. were Chairman Will
--z = -h= Public Service Commission ConarTlis
zz-1=- E-z-=z g. N Ireersou chief engineer. and
Professor y \ Bu-~ and Alexander Johnson. cor
s-----z =-z=nee-s e the Bridge Department. Q 9.
E-z -z-- CT he John A PoehlinE Sons Company.
tzz-,-a---s of -he wires NJ Robinson and E 9.
Buchanan president and v1ce-presidenr of the Car
ben Sr=e- COMPANY. a Z Aeby. president Of the
E---E-r Co---zrrinE COMPANY and Holton D Rob
.-s-- chief engineer Of the latter company
sra nh VIE
-zz5 across ne -.-er 3 So galvanized acid steel
z--e= Wa decorated with a large and several
Ez-z- American Eazs for its last tourney with the
.zs- -z-- wires Two Of the engineers pulled the
s-5 T r--e from the big spool IooPed IL around
- ~-ea-e which s Wheel that travels on TEN
pc-z small steel cable and fastened Il 70 the an
----zE=
When al vas IN readiness Mayor Mcclellan
t----e1 -he ever and the sheave moved of A
s-zh- dernonsr-atlon passed over the group of
s-s--a-r-s after which rhev watched in silence
ne =-eave With tts double strand Of wire mounting
a~-E -he uo-ther-rnost cable Up 10 The top OF the
z---a-zEe- where il disappeared from view oe'-
e-z- spectators made their way Up q long and
s-ee- 4zht Of stairs 10 the TOP of the anchorage.
"a ere they were able 70 watch the sheave all ne
7zv ~ n Br5oElvn tower The whistles IN near
e. factories and on passing river craft blew iust-y
r -e5eH-ation q tne occasion
vas sus- eight minutes before the last wires ilao
reached their destination Engineers then cut the
VIE from The spool and anchored it in wise To
--~----- -re TWO encs Of the lazI wires VIII Dc
81 sd around Al eye-ber. which viii then be
drawn into -he great steel anchor which rlIs down
.--- he masonry and. beyond. into the ground
W-er IL was announced that the wires Ia"
reached Their destination and everything hao oeeh
r-are zhl7shape the two hundred ano sixty "orA-
zen came ping down the footpaIns toward the
s---r-e e cor ne company had given them a hali
-5.5z-- zr6 they z-e-e anxious 70 get ousy Win
s--e.- -f r-eer ana sandwiches provided under
lie anchorage
The guests Of -he company were entertained a
------ar- -r ne Office Of the company al the foot
q TIE anchorage
--z e---- rzrIrs z-hicn ueigh 500 tons IN the
zE--eEzte are each composed q s4'Z S'ires-a''soe
al TIE end 70 end length Of these wires WIZ
almost circle tre earth. The wires IN eacn c6o-e
gathered t-to bundles - tney we're sL-ls
s-5 rhe randles have been assorted much as one
scu-1 zsso-- TIE strands 90 skel1 Of warn LheSe
bundles are compressed h- pneumatic clamp OF
great power a1G fastened every few feet ms
lssr Vnrk has not oeer completed. When II IS eacn
cable WI ~ wound and permanently bound 10
ge-ner 1,-h v1re- done 5n rHs Brooklyn
E-c-e TIE cables ir ire Williamsburg Bridge
-ore-e5 E~-- . sreel sheath
TIE -4rle< each ~ 'eer longer and ~ inches
Kreare- r -'sT-erer -hz1 tnose Il fhA Williamsburg
Bridge T--eo hitherto held ne record
i Is sad thsr -r- Manhattan Bridge. including
-re rsa esse+e vii -a-r something over 81 dpa
TIE plans call fo- eiErr rai.road ks four on
tre Iop-er four rn= upper deck centre
rssdvav t1t--v-7-e feet V1de and rvo csrtilever
roorozrrs. and capacity of rro hundred thousand
passengers ho-r esCl