Year: 1876

Crossing the East river on the ''travcl-
Ter" rope. which stretches between the
New York and Brooklyn towers, is apt to
crow stale like other novelties. What seems
nj first daring adventure takes by and by
The pro>ac form Of routine, and curiosity
becomes proportionately abated. The large
admiration that waits upon the first achieve
mcni is sobercd down into mere casual OBJ
scrvation. and vastly exaggerated perils be-
.in to be even, too lightly regarded. In two
davS the popular excitement about the mat
ter in New York and Brooklyn has lessened
bv more than one half. When Mr.. Earring
ton made his trip on Friday there was some
thing experimental about it, and people
were in amazcment; when four men went
out on the ropes Yesterday, in the common
place pursuit OF duty, they did not wonder
half is much. There were greatly dimin-
ishcd crowds on the New York and
Brooklyn piers; their wonder was more
subducd than on Friday, and the entire un-
dcraking was mere matter OF fact. Still, the
undertaking was not without some elements
Of excitement. II the perils were not really
SO great rs they seemed, it required, at least,
the strongest nerve to carry the work
through successfully. The duty to be per-
formed was briefly this: A wire rope in
u
traveller on the northern end Of the towers
had been laid across the river in the morn
ing. Il WAS carried over by attaching it to
the traveller already in position on the
southern end, putting the latter in motion,
and. is the new rope was paid out, lashing
it TO the other ut intervals OF fifty feet so as
to prevent it sagging. Now, to transfer the
ncwly-laid rope to the northern end it was
necessary to cut the lashingS, and for this
duty four men were selected. Two were
detailed TO work from each tower, and their
duties were arranged in this wise: One was
10 cut the laShingS in the span from the New
York tower to the anchorage on the same
side. another from the Brooklyn tower to its
anchorage and. this work being accomplish
cd, the others were to start simultaneously
one from the Brooklyn and the other from
the New York towcr-and cutting the lash
ings on their way, We're to meet over the
middle of the river, whence they were to be
carried back to the Brooklyn tower by the
revolving "trayeller." This latter part of
the programme was only carried out in half,
as by reason OF the wire ropes getting Il
twist on it became necessary to draw one Of
the mcr up by guy to the New York tow
CT. Each man was provided with q ''boat-
swain chair" attached to an iron shackle,
which ran along the wires. They were car
rcd down the incline simply by the force OF
gravity. and for brake had rope turned &
couple Of times over the wire. When tight
cncd this simple device checked their speed
cllectuallv.


THE WORK FROM THE NEW YORK TOWER.


one o'clock was the hour fixed for begir-
ninc operations on the New York side, but
the time was anticipated q little, and at
12j5 Harry supple, the man selected to ope-
rate between the New York tower and an
chorage. started on his journey. He is a
Young man Of twenty-five or twenty-siN
wears of age, 1.-the and active, and daring
even 10 a fault He is foreman OF the rig
ycr> on the New York side. He has been
working on the bridge for some six years,
and in the accident IN which three men
were killed he had his ankle broken. The
incline to the anchorage being very steep,
Supple shot away from the platform OF the
tower with great rapidity, and to abate his
speed tightened the rope which acted as his
brake. The check was sudden, and the
"chair." turned from It's smooth uninter-
rupted movement, was in an instant
quiyering and trembling above the wharves
that lay below Mt q seemingly lm-
measurable distance. Proceeding at a
slower pace Supple reached the first lash
ing. In a few seconds his keen knife had
severed it, and his weight carried down to
its limit the wire to which the chain was at
tached, with heavy thud, and again his
uneasy seat was quivering and vibrating IN
mid-air. But its occupant was Us cool as II
he were operating on the firm set earth, and
passing ON from knot to knot severed all OF
them, and in the space.of ten minutes and
thirty seconds was standing in safety on the
New York anchorage. Coming back to the
tower through the streets he was followed
by crowd OF admirers. There was now a
long wait for the man on the Brooklyn
side, charged with the counterpart OF Sup
pies duty, had made slow work OF 1t.
About 2:40 o'clock matters were in train Tor
continuing the work. Thomas Carroll, a
portly Englishman, of middle age, was
entrusted with the duty of cutting the
iashings on the New York side. OF
the river. In younger days he had
seen service rs an able seaman
on board the Albion, during the Crimean
war; had assisted in laying the first ATTAIN
tic cable, and had subsequently worked on
the Cincinnati bridge. He discarded the
shackle which had been previously used, as
he supposed it made his rigging too short,
and used in its stead large block, which
afterwards proved great impediment. lie
sHol AWAY lToiu inc plauorm 1uSt US 1lulDS
on the Brooklyn side made similar move
ment. The first lashing was cut without
difficulty, but before he reached the second
the large block got iammed between the
two wires and stopped his progress. Sup
pie at once volunteered to go to bis assist
ancc, and going out on the wires without
and OF any kind made his way rapidly
along with true sailor craft, and reaching
over Carroll cut the lashing. The lat


er then sank to the limit Of the released
wire rope with the usual thud, and Supple,
sTadd!ng the two wires, came along hand
over hand, holding an easy conversation
WITH those on the tower as he moved. In q
!lttie while he was once more ON the plat:
form. Carroll got jammed again before
reaching the third lashing, but succeededin
cutting it. He could not, however, reach
Inc fourth, and was obliged to waste bis
Tune in vain and exhausting endeayors.
Meanwhile Iimbs, on the Brooklyn side,
Aau accomplished his work and came to his
a;ssslsslance, dragging himself up the steep
iisiehhe by sheer force OF muscle, and rest,
lug as he came along. With his aid the
WORK WORK was speedily completed. The inde-
iatlgabc Supple was soon on the wire once
more, using rope instead of "boat-