The sun., 1908-03-19
NEW BRIDGE IS LINKED UP
MAYOR LITTLE TIN LEADS THE
WAY TO QUEENS IN A GALE.


Drove the BoltS-Over the River They
Want to CAN II the QueensboTo Bridge.
Rudolph Knorr. who is a plain American
workman In the employ Of the Pennsylvania
Steel Company. hung by bis right elbow
1856 feet above Queens Channel yesterday
afternoon while with bis left hand he drove
home the bolts that linked up the eastern
cantilever arm Of the new BlaokwallS Island
Bridge with the Long Island City approach.
After Knorrs hammer had driven well the
bolts Little Tim Sullivan, representing
Mayor Mcclellan In bis enforced absoncs
due to the inclemenoy Of the weather.
broke a bottle Of champagne over the
spot whore the last span hsd/capped the
labor Of four years and then proCoOdsd
with party Of engineers to walk the length
OF the longest oantllever bridge In Che
world. ~
The bottom chord as that last span was
called by the engineers, was q little les
than two feet wide. After Il had settlsdinta
place. deviating not tho sixteenth Of al inch
from the sockets that had approached eaod
other with the extension Of the lofty oands
lever arm and the eastern approach, aimsy
wooden bridge with railingS was placed
over the red steel and it was along this that
Little Tim and the officials Of the city De-
partmcnt OF Bridges and Of the contracting
company walked for a precarious eighty
eight feot. while whistles up and down
the East River saluted the BAPTISM Of the
big red skeletoned structure.
OF course Rudolph Knorr played very
small part In the setting Of the bottom
chord, according to the natural estimation
Of his fellows, but the hyman who stood
shivering up on the ice encrusted platform
Of steel, so far above the river that the
tugboas below looked like child's toys.
could not 10 the nature OF things but be-
leve that a man who would swing over
space for ten minutes as easily as a oar
conductor punches a fare was one whose
name should be known OF the payroll Of his
employers. Kuorr just hitohed his arm
over the sleoty surface Of the bottom chord
and with his feet drawnup from nothingness
below pounded on the hot bolts while those
watching him counted the minutes Of his
labor breathlessly.
1t was about o'clock when Little Tim
drove up to the yards Of the Pennsylvania
Steel Company at the foot Of East Fifty
ninth street In a red automobile. With
him we're James w. Stevenson. Commis-
sioner Of Bridges: G. n. ingersoll, chief
engineer Of the Department Of Bridges.
and J. d. Wilkins and J, A. Knighton, en-
gineers in charge Of the Blaokwell's Island
Bridge. They were met at the private gate
by officers OF the Pennsylvania Steel Com
pany and escorted into a little house under
the masonry Of the bridge, where a stock Of
glasses and various liquids had been set
out for the proper observance OF the birth
day Of the giant child.
President f. c. FELTON, Of the steel COM
pany had come from Steelton 20 witness
the ceremony of the bridging Of the last
eighty-eight feet. With him were j. Y. W.
Reynders, vice. president Of the construo-
ton company; Thomas Earle, superintend-
ent Of the bridge construction department;
+. c.. Kunz, chief engineer for the COM
pany; F, w. Cohen, engineer Of erection,
and j. W. Dougherty, general superiu-
tendent. There we're besides several in
vited guests Of the Pennsylvania Steel
Company, including d. L. Hough, president
Of the United Engineers Cont raoting Com
pany; Charles Sooysmth. a consulting en-
gineer Of prominence; Charles Macdonald,
president Of the American Society Of Civil
Engineers. and Prof W. II. Burr Of Colum-
bia University.
After all had been sufficiently fortified
against the blasts Of sleet and rain that wers
driving down the river Mr.. Kunz led the
way up the winding flight Of temporary
wooden stairs that gave approach TO the
bridge roadway from the yards OF the con-
struction company. After the last flight
had been turned the visitors looked down
the red length Of the main bridge roadway
rising by gradual approach to the west
tower on Blackwells Island and then
stretching straight away to the black tangls
Of wood and steel framework where ths
bottom chord was 10 be clipped into place.
Walking on the new bridge will he better
some time next October, when the big
span fully completed will be turned over
to city uses Yesterday when the un-
initiated found themselves padding 1t over
yard after yard Of dish shaped plates Of
steel slippery with the sleet and not all
riveted down at the corners the reflection
inevitably bore in upon them that there
we're much safer places to walk-in Central
Park, for instance. This idea gained weight
when an occasional hole in the plates re-
veaed the river below. 80 far away and
80 wet looking.
What had been rain down on Fifty-ninth
street was sleet up on the bridge, Although
the construction company had made an
attempt to shield the eastern end Of the
cantilever arm. where the cemerony was
to take place. with tarpaulin stretched
across against the blasts of the wind, thOrs
was very cold comfort for everybody.
Don't jump up and down that way
one very nervous spectator said TO restivs
whose toes we're getting
cold. you know this bridge is nothing bus
a bundle Of stresses and strains. and thu
Quebec bridge tumbled down from worry
little more cause than plain oscillation
One Of the young assistant engineers
who was standing in the lee OF the tar
paulin heard the remark and grinned.
'You bet this is bundle Of stresses and
strains he volunteered. 'and until wa
get her linked up would advise that II