New-York tribune., 1909-03-31

Ten thousand persons gathered at 59th street
and Second avenue cheered Mayor Mcclellan
yesterday afternoon as he drove his automobile
up to the greensboro Bridge 70 open for traffic
the roadway OF one of the greatest bridge
structures in the world. Seven years and
half ago the first contract for the masonry
piers was let the contract for the bridge struct-
1re not being let until November 1903 The
first estimate Of the cost was S12,45S,5OO, but
/ alterations in the plans and other causes raised
that figure TO more than $20000,OO0, including
the approaches.
Designed by Gustav Lindenthal and built by
. the Pennsylvania Steel Company. the bridge
has four trolley tracks, two elevated railroad
tracks which engineers have declared unsafe
ever to use. two floors, a roadway ffty-three
feet wide and two footwalks each sixteen feet
wide.
Although the borough officials and business
men Of Queens had luncheon and parade
with a fife and drum corps, no formalities, SO
far as the Mayor and his party were concerned,
attended the opening Of the bridge for traffic
/ The Mavor. with Bridge Commissioner Steven
SON Chief Engineer Kingsley Martin and mem
hers Of other departments. left the City Hall in
' automobiles and went rapidly to the bridge en-
. trance at 59th street
The same toll system prevails on the ne"
bridge as on the Williamsburg and Brooklyn
bridges and at the little shanty where the
,fcl,at seller is stationed Mayor Mcclellan
stopped and bought the first ticket. The party
rarfdIy crossed the bridge toward the Queens
side Half yyav across they were met by dele
. cation from Queens. including members Of the
,or,r,ittea Of forty and borough officials. AS
tba AIavor's party passed the first tower TWO
big American flags were broken out from 'le
summit. saIuted by the screeching whistles from
factories and river craft.
OFFICIAL PARTIES MEET
When the two parties met there was much
bandsbaEing. and then the Mayors party re
turned to the Manhattan side As soon as ne
reached Second avenue the police broke the
lines which had held the crowd back. and there
was a race to be the first foot passenger across
the bridge A newspaper delivery wagon was
the first vehicle to cross. followed by motor
c,-cle and a coach driven by E. J. Kuechle, of
No 149 West 1O5th street. who had his wife
and three other women with him
,.-,o, +ba footpath was opened Acting In
s-ec+or William BoettIer and Lieutenant David
Mccarthy. who were in charge Of the police ar
rangaments at that end of the bridge, had their
hands more than full. OF the ten thousand
,,arsons who had gathered there more than a
tr,ird wanted to be among the first to cross the
bridge For fifteen minutes they streamed up
on to the path in mass as sold as any crush
on the Brooklyn Bridge
The real celebration the opening Of the
bridge will be held on June u. The President
Governor Hughes. members Of the diplomatic
corps at Washington and members Of both
bouses Of Congress have been invited
only three bridges with longer spans are in
ev{etence. The west span of the greensboro
f}ridpe is 1S2 feet The Brooklyn Bridge has
a suan Alb feet longer and the Williamsburg
Bridge has one AS let longer, Both of these
sin he N Forth
Bridge. the one cartilever bridge exceeding the
Oueensboro, has a span LILO feet long.
CHANGES IL BRIDGE PLANS
Th,. bridge was designed originally TO carry
two elevated and four traffic tracks. At the
beginning Of Mayor McClean's administration
the plans were changed to provide for two addi-
tional elevated tracks. The collapse of the
cantilever bridge at Quebec on August 27 1902.
directed the attention OF engineers 10 the
Queersboro Bridge in May OF last year TIE
Continued second