The New York herald., 1921-09-11
Bridging the Hudson.
Practical Objections to a Roadway
on P0ntOOns.

TO THE NEW YoRK HERALD: In ITS
there was placed a boom--a series OF
logs sixteen feet long with chain at
tached--across the Hudson at Its mar
rowest part between West Point and
Constitution Island to prevent vessels
getting by the elbow bend In the river
without receiving baptism OF shot ana
shell from Fort Putnam. If necessary
this boom and chain could be readily
converted into bridge to afford facill-
ties for the transport of troops In the
summer time from one side of the river
to the other.
In my boyhood days of the '70s / OBJ
served the annual event In June of the
cadet corps with their apparatus bridg-
ing the Hudson; these embryo Generals
with their fiat bottomed pontoons, balks,
half balSs. chocks, drop bolts and lac
ings, always under the guidance and
watchful. experienced eyes Of officers
who saw duty and many a practical
demonstration In the rivers Of the South
during the civil war. became expert In
the temporary bridging of the Hudson.
1t Is a remarkable tribute to the Wis
dom of those who designed the present
portoons that In sixty years OF time
and continuous study officers of the
Corps of Engineers, u. S. A.. have not
developed single radical Improvement
in this equipage.
To-day 1t Is proposed to build pom
toon bridge, using surplus wooden ships
with chains permanently fastened to the
bed of the river as a foundation for a
planked roadway from Yonkers. N. r..
to Alpine, N. j., provided with a draw
for steamboats, and a permanent passage
way for tugboats, both 270 feet wide.
Nearly half century ago on two well
known excursion steamboats,. Armenia and
General Sedgwick. there were installed
steam calliopes. II these musical steam
organs are not dismantled they should
be placed at each opening OF this pom
toon bridge, synchronized and pitched to
the tune OF kathleen Mavourneen." 1T
may be for years or 1t may be forever"
That would be very appropriate music
for such bridge. Now for the reasons: !:
Read what Major skelly says In a chap
ter on the Coblens pontoon bridge. the
final paragraph Of his personal memoirs.
published by the United States Engineer
Ing Bureau, volume xl.. 1919:
with tho remarkable growth OF rhine
navigation between Mannheim and tho
sea. which In 1918 reached 100. 100000
tons. pontoon bridges are becoming
more serious obstruction In this respect
and In consequence are being gradually
replaced by high fixed bridges.
At Rouses Point. at the outlet OF
Lake Champlain. there was launched a
pontoon drawbridge 800 feet long on
July 4. 1851, and II was abandoned on
April /. 1868. As matter Of fact there
Is pile and pontoon railroad bridge
across the Mississippi at Prairie du
CHEN, wis. with two sections of 1900
and 1000 feet, divided by an inter
jacent island. The structure through
out is or ordinary piling except the
pontoon draws OF 400 feet each. APP
preaching II In a dining car on the
Chicago. Milwaukee and st. Paul Rail-
way at twilight asked the waiter what
creek was running below. when he In
dignantly responded, "Sah, want you
20 understand it's the Father of Waters.
the historic Mississippi
Let anybody who is quite familiar
with every portion of the Hudson from
the Battery TO Troy Just dwell for q