Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04

beside the anchorages Persons on
foot can be raised TO the walk or tow
cred TO the ground, making ii possible
10 avoid walking five blocks to the
plaza entrances
A further characteristic Of the
bridge which will he a source of graft
hcafion TO motorists is the easy grade
OF both long approaches which carry
It's terminl more than a mile into the
two cities il joins The Philadelphia
approach has II grade of 317 per cent.
That on the Camden side is longer
and curves slightly 10 the south in 4
grade Of 3.19 per cent Footwalks
above have grades slightly more than
4 per cent.
Built at Cost of S4J, 600 200.
An expenditure of $40 ,00n 900 has
been made in rearing the colossus now
spanning the Delaware. Half the cost
Is borne by New Jersey. the other half
is divided between the State Of Penn
sylvania and the city of Philadelphia
The total cost exceeds that of the
Brooklyn Bridge by SIS .000 600.
Construction OF bridge across the
Delaware had beer urged and deba ted
| Tor more than century, but il was
not until 1914 that action was taken
10 begin actual plans for such a struc-
ture New Jersey appointed a COM
mission TO survey sites. and Philarfel.
phia city council fell in line a wear
later. while in 1918 PENNSYLVANIA aD-
| pointed a commission similar to that
of New Jersey. In 1919 the two States
passed uniform legislation and Gre
ted the Delaware River Bridge Joint
| Commission. Work began on JANUARY
8, 1929. on the Philadelphia side,
ftf h0 hill Ia1y 1tx;.,
Camden Bridge in every respect mark
| II as an enormous structure. The an.
choraGes on either side of the river
are unusually massive Each of the
| huge granite blocks 10 which are al
| tached the steel ca bleS suspending the
| main span covers three quarters Of an
acre. They rise 1I5 feet and are sunk
65 feet into the earth on the Philadel-
phia side and 105 feet off Camden.
| Gables weigh approximately a ton
| for every foot of length They can
! support "A load of so 900 tons without
| injury or strain. Included in this
| maximum load are the weight Of the
suspension span itself. together with
| $50 trolley cars. 800 hiGh-speed cleo
| trio trains and ! 900 automobiles.
| Two finely woven steel cables. 80
| inches in diameter and consisting Of
| 1866 strands each. support the span.
| Suspender ropes extending from the
| two main cables to the floor number
| $50. These alone weigh 400 tons.
| The floor is made of reinforced con-
| crete
! Compared with the Rrooklvn
! Bridge. the new structure has towers
$50 feet high. as against 272 feet for
| Brooklyn. and these toWurS rise $50
| feet above the roadway. whereas those
of Brooklyn are reared but 139 feet
| above. The Philadelphia Camden ca
bles support 35. 900 tons more Of
weight and the cables are "a inches
greater in diameter. The width of the
new bridge is 80 feet greater than
Z! Brooklyn
! Thus has Philadelphia. with the as.
s!stanCe of its Industrious neighbor,
| marked the one hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of the Nations founding
| by throwing open for use the vet
| greatest span of this type III the
world, comforting on motorists benefits
which only future years can reveal.
Before starting on a tour, he sure
that your brakes. lights. horn. steering
| equipment, etc. are in efficient work