Bridges in New York City. The territory included within the present city limits of New York is intersected and cut into by waterways, great and small, which are crossed by eighty-one bridges, not including the High Bridge over the Harlem River at West One Hundred and Seventy-third street, nor bridges owned and controlled by railway companies. This bridge is an aqueduct, 1,460 feet long, supported by thirteen arches on granite piers, the highest arch being 116 feet above water level. As a bridge it is open to pedestrians only. Among the eighty-one other structures there is a number of foot bridges. Every variety of construction is represented. from the wooden trestle to the magnificent suspension bridge which spans the East River, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The New York and Brooklyn Bridge, as the greatest of these many structures is officially designated, was opened to traffic on May 24, 1883. The work of construction was begun January 3, 1870, and the approximate cost of the completed bridge was $17,000,000. It is supported by two towers of solid granite masonry, each pierced by two lofty arches through which the several roadways pass. These consist of a carriage way on each side, with a railway next to each, and a promenade for foot passengers in the centre. Tracks for trolley cars are laid on the carriage ways. The promenade is elevated above the level of carriage ways and railway, opening at the towers upon platforms affording a passage above the roadways, through the arches. These platforms are 119 feet 3 inches above high water, and afford fine views of river and harbor. The bridge is 85 feet wide, and its entire length, from City Hall Park, Manhattan, to the Brooklyn terminal is 6,537 feet. The carriageway has a length of 5,989 feet. Other interesting statistics follow: Length of New York approach, 1,562 feet 6 inches; Brooklyn approach, 971 feet; two land spans, each, 930 feet; river span, 1,595 feet 6 inches. Clear height above high water at centre of river span, temperature 90 deg. F., 135 feet. Height of towers above high water, 278 feet; above roadway, 159 feet. Size of towers at high water line, 140x59 feet; at roof course, 136x53 feet. The foundation of the Manhattan Borough tower extends 78 feet below high water mark, and the size of the caisson is 172x102 feet; the Brooklyn Borough tower foundation extends 45 feet below high water mark, and the caisson is 168x102 feet. The anchorages of solid masonry at each end of the bridge are each 129x119 feet at the base: 117x104 at the top; 89 feet high at the front, and 85 feet at the rear. Each anchor plate weighs twenty-three tons. The bridge is suspended from four cables, each 15 inches in diameter, each cable containing 5.296 parallel galvanized steel, oil-coated wires closely wrapped to form a solid cylinder. Each single wire is 3.578 feet 6 inches long, and weighs one pound to each twelve feet. The ultimate strength of each cable is 12,000 tons, and the permanent weight suspended is 14,680 tons. The bridge railway was opened to the public on September 24, 1883, and in the nineteen years since that date the train service has grown from a single car every five minutes to a four-car train every fifty-five seconds during the busy hours. The passenger traffic has increased from a daily average of 15,400 to about 150,000. The first trolley cars passed over the bridge in 1897, and the total number of round trips made by trolley cars is upward of 4,000 per day. This traffic is hampered during the busy hours by the inadequacy of the loops at the Manhattan end of the bridge for the rapid handling of the crowds which gather there to board the cars. The problem of affording facilities for the quick dispatch of a greater number of cars from this end of the bridge is the subject of continual study. On a typical day the heaviest travel toward Manhattan is between 6 and 9 A. M., and the heaviest travel toward Brooklyn is between 5 and 7 P. M. The actual count on a typical day gave the following figures: To Manhattan, in bridge cars, 60.895; in trolley cars, 82.931: total for twenty-four hours, 143,826. To Brooklyn, in bridge cars, 53,569; in trolley cars, 85.669; total, 139.238: grand total for twenty-four hours, 283,064. No accurate count has been made of people crossing the bridge by the promenade and carriageways, but it is estimated that on a typical day the number is about 300,000. It may be safely estimated that the number of people now crossing the bridge is more than one hundred millions per year. Of those who travel in the bridge cars, including the trolley cars, only one person has been killed during the entire period of nineteen years-a remarkable fact when it is considered that on the bridge railway alone the aggregate number of passengers carried during that period exceeds 750,000,000. NAMES AND LOCATION OF BRIDGES. Following is a list of the other bridges: Over Harlem River.-Washington Bridge; steel arch; West 181st st., Manhattan to Aqueduct ave., Bronx Borough. New York and Putnam Railroad Bridge, approaches; 8th ave., Manhattan to Sedgwick ave., Bronx Borough. Macomb's Dam Bridge; draw; 155th st., Manhattan to Jerome ave., Bronx Borough. Madison Avenue Bridge; draw; Madison ave., Manhattan to East 138th st., Bronx Borough. Third Avenue Bridge; draw; 3d ave., Manhattan and Bronx Boroughs. Second Avenue Bridge, sidewalks of Suburban Transit Railroad Bridge; draw; 2d ave., Manhattan and Bronx Boroughs. Willis Avenue Bridge; draw; East 125th st. and 1st ave., Manhattan, to 134th st. and Willis ave., Bronx Borough. The great drawbridge of the New York Central Railroad, not included among city bridges, crosses the Harlem at Park ave. and 133d st. Over Spuyten Duyvil Creek.-Spuyten Duyvil Creek Bridge; slate girder; Broadway, Manhattan and Bronx Boroughs. Kingsbridge; wood; Kingsbridge ave., Manhattan and Bronx Boroughs. Farmer's Bridge; wood; Farmer's Bridge road, Manhattan to Kingsbridge road, Bronx Borough. Other bridges in this vicinity are: Harlem Ship Canal Bridge; draw; at Broadway, Manhattan. Haven Canal Bridge; draw; at East 135th st., Manhattan. Mott Will Over the Bronx River.-Tremont Avenue Bridge; bowstring: Tremont ave. to West Farms road. iamsbridge; pony truss; Olin ave. to Gun Hill road. Westchester Avenue Bridge; temporary pony draw; Westchester ave. to turnpike. Samuel Street Bridge; pony truss; Samuel st. to West Farms road. Second Street Bridge; footway; at 2d st., Williamsbridge. Woodlawn Bridge; lattice; 233d st. to 19th ave. In addition to these, all in Bronx Borough, there are fourteen unnamed bridges over small creeks and streams. Other Bridges in Bronx Borough.-Cromwell's Creek Bridge; trestle; at East 165th st. Tibbitt's Brook Bridge: deck stringer; at Riverdale ave. Broadway Bridge; masonry arch; over Tibbitt's Brook. Westchester Turnpike Bridge; stringer; over Baretto Creek. Hutchinson's River Bridge; draw; at Boston Post road. Unionport Drawbridge; over Westchester Creek; 6th st. to Eastern Boulevard. Westchester Creek Bridge; stringer; at Main st. City Island Bridge; draw; over Pelham Bay Narrows at Pelham Bay and City Island. Över Newtown Creek.-Greenpoint Avenue Bridge, or Blissville Bridge: draw; Greenpoint ave., Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs. Vernon Avenue Bridge; draw; Commercial ave., Brooklyn to Vernon ave.. Queens Borough. Meeker Avenue Bridge; draw; Meeker ave., Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs. Grand Street Bridge; draw; Grand st., Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs. Metropolitan Avenue Bridge; wooden trestle; Metropolitan ave., Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs. Metropolitan Avenue Bridge; swing; over branch of creek at Metropolitan ave., Brooklyn. Kingsland Avenue Bridge; trestle; over branch of creek at Kingsland ave., Brooklyn. Over Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn.-Hamilton Avenue Bridge; swing. Ninth Street Bridge; swing. Third Street Bridge; swing. Carroll Street Bridge; Boston draw. Union Street Bridge; swing. Third Avenue Bridge; fixed span; over branch of canal. Over Coney Island Creek, Brooklyn.-Harway Avenue Bridge; bascule; West 18th st West 17th st. Ocean Avenue Footbridge: Sheepshead Bay to Manhattan Bach. Emmons Avenue Bridge; trestle; at Emmons ave. Shell Road Bridge; stringer; at Shell road. Coney Island Avenue Bridge; stringer; at Coney Island ave. Over tidal and town creeks in Brooklyn.-Barren Island Footbridge, Barren Island_trestle. Shell Road Bridge, Bergen Beach; stringer. Voorhees Avenue Footbridge.. Gravesend Beach Lane Bridge. Kow Other bridges in Brooklyn Borough.-Old Mill Bridge; stringer; over Betts Creek at Old Mill road. enhoven Lane Bridge; stringer; over Bedford Creek. Washington Avenue Bridge; Boston draw; over Wallabout canal. Kent Avenue Bridge; fixed span; over Bushwick Creek. Over Dutch Kills Creek, Queens Borough.-Borden Avenue Bridge; draw. Hunter's Point Bridge; draw. Thompson Avenue Bridge; stone and brick arch. Lo Other bridges in Queens Borough.-Clinton Road Bridge; wooden trestle; over English Kills Creek. cust Avenue Bridge; wooden trestle; over Beaver Creek; Locust ave. to Rockaway road. Flushing Creek Bridge; draw; Jackson ave. to Broadway. Strong's Causeway Bridge; draw; over Horse Brook; Flushing to Corona. Little Neck Bridge; draw; over Alley Creek at Broadway. Norton's Creek Bridge; draw; Far Rockaway to Edgemere. There is also in Queens Borough the long trestle of the New York and Rockaway Railroad across Jamaica Bay. Bridges in Richmond Borough (Staten Island). Mill Creek Bridge, Richmond terrace; stone arch. Lemon Creek Bridge, Princess Bay; draw. Fresh Kills Bridge; draw and trestle; over Richmond Creek at South Broadway. Western Avenue Bridge; wood trestle; over Bridge Creek. THE WILLIAMSBURG (NEW EAST RIVER) BRIDGE. The Williamsburg, or New East River Bridge, the second to be built to afford transit between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, was authorized under the provisions of Chapter 789 of the Laws of 1895. This act was approved by the Governor on May 27, of the same year. In accordance with its provisions six commissioners were appointed, three each by the Mayors of the then existing cities of New York and Brooklyn, the two Mayors acting as ex-officio members of the commission. On December 18, 1895, the commission purchased for $200,000 all the rights of the East River Bridge Company to build a bridge at the chosen site. The route of the bridge is parallel with Delancey street, the northerly line of the bridge corresponding with the southerly line of that street, and extending to a point in Brooklyn on South Fifth street, about 220 feet east of Driggs avenue. A general plan of the bridge was adopted by the commission on August 19, 1896, and was formally filed in the Departments of Public Works in the cities of New York and Brooklyn. An amended plan was adopted and filed in May, 1897. Extensive diamond drill borings were made on both sides of the river at the sites of the tower foundations during the Summer of 1896. The first actual work on the bridge was begun on the Manhattan tower on October 28 of that year. A new commission of six members was appointed under the Greater New York Charter on January 19, 1898, and served until January 1, 1902, when the New East River Bridge Commission ceased to exist. The Revised Charter went into effect that day, and under its provisions the Williamsburg Bridge, in common with all other bridges constructed or to be constructed for the city were placed under supervision of the Commissioner of Bridges. In the meantime the tower foundations on both sides of the river, together with the towers and anchorages, had been completed, and the first wire for the construction of the temporary foot bridge was strung on April 11, 1901. The first wire for the permanent cable crossed the river on November 29 of that year. The tower foundations on both sides of the river rest on solid rock, the north pier on the Manhattan side at a depth of 56 feet, and the south pier at a depth of 65 feet, at high water. On the Brooklyn side the south pier reaches the rock at a maximum depth of about 90 feet, and the north pier at a maximum depth of about 110 feet below high water. The Manhattan anchorage rests on 3,500 piles driven through clay to a bed of sand overlying the rock, while the Brooklyn anchorage rests on natural sand. Land for the approaches to the bridge has been acquired at a cost of upward of $9,000,000, which sum will probably be increased by acquisitions yet to be made. Two full blocks and a part of two others will be taken in Brooklyn for a plaza. It was originally intended to take two blocks for the same purpose in Manhattan. The Brooklyn approach is substantially completed, and the Manhattan approach is nearly one-half done. The cables were completed in August, 1902, ready for the suspenders. Manufacture and erection of the suspended span was commenced the same month, and it is expected that this span will be fully erected by July, 1903, at which time the approaches should be completed, and the only work remaining to be done on the bridge would consist of laying the flooring and pavement, grading the plazas and the work of painting, etc., for the final completion of the bridge. Connected with the building of the bridge the engineering and executive office staff employed is cemposed as follows: L. L. Buck, consulting engineer; 0. F. Nichols, engineer in charge; H. D. Robinson, K. L. Martin, Alex. Johnson, Robert E. Hawley, W. R. Bascome, E. D. Knap, George S. G. Lewis, Olaf M. Kelly, J. A. Tilly, assistant engineers; J. D. Wilkins, draughtsman; L. Krummel, rodman; Edward Joyce, bookkeeper: William D. Avery, Lucy E. Litchfield, stenographers and typewriters. Following are data as to dimensions, features, materials, etc., of the bridge: Length of main span, centre to centre of towers. Length of entire bridge Width of bridge, main span over all.. Height of bridge above high water at pier head lines. Height of bridge for 400 feet over middle of river. Height of masonry towers above high water... Height of cables at towers above high water. Width of each of two carriageways Number of trolley tracks .... Number of elevated railway tracks.. Weight of steel in Brooklyn approach Weight of steel in Manhattan approach Weight of steel in main span Weight of steel in cables and fittings Diameter of cables, outside of wires. Number of wires in each cable... Size of each wire in cables... Length of each of the cable wires, about. Quantities of material to be made or handled in bridge: Timber, about.. Excavation, about Concrete masonry, about. Stone masonry, about... The names of contractors and prices for work on the seven large contracts already let are as follows: Manhattan tower foundation, P. H. Flynn.. Brooklyn tower foundation, Colin McLean. Brooklyn anchorage, Degnon-McLean Construction Company. Manhattan anchorage, Shanly & Ryan...... Manhattan approach, Pennsylvania Steel Company. Brooklyn approach, Pennsylvania Steel Company.. Suspended structure, Pennsylvania Steel Company. Steel towers and end spans, New York Steel & Iron Company. $373,462.71 completed 485,082.75 completed 797,770.00 771,778.00 1,464,000.00 947,000.00 Steel cables, etc., John A. Roebling's Sons Company, of New York. 1,123,400.00 1,221,726.60 1,398,000.00 .$8,582,220.06 At 4:30 p. m. on Monday, November 10, a fire occurred on top of the Manhattan tower of this bridge, which burned itself out in about six hours, destroying the timber platforms and framework used in cable making on the south end of the tower. As a result of the fire the foot bridges fell and new working platforms were made necessary for the completion of the cables. Some of the outer wires at the saddles on the two southerly cables were so heated as to impair their strength, and a commission of engineers was appointed to determine the extent of the damage done and the method of repairing it. Messrs. L. L. Buck. George S. Morrison and C. C. Schneider were appointed members of the commission. First estimates of the damage done were greatly exaggerated, and it was feared that the completion of the bridge would be seriously delayed. Latest estimates, however, place the amount of damage at about $60,000, and it is believed that the delay in the work will not cause a loss of more than two months. BRIDGE NO. 3. Work on the bridge designated No. 3, to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn, was begun on August 29, 1901. The plans contemplate a structure about 9,135 feet in length, of the suspension type, to cost in the neighborhood of $16,000,000. Its entrance in Manhattan will be at the junction of the Bowery and Canal street; and in Brooklyn on Willoughby street, between Prince and Gold streets. There will be three spans carried from four cables, the centre or river span to have a length of 1,465 feet, and the land spans 850 feet each. The approaches will be carried on steel viaducts from terminals to anchorages, that in Manhattan to be about 1,940 feet long, and that in Brooklyn about 4,230 feet. The towers supporting the cables will rise about 325 feet above mean high water, and will be of steel framework, resting upon masonry bases rising 23 feet above mean high water. There will be eight legs to each tower, two directly under each cable. The bridge will carry four trolley tracks, two sidewalks, each 11 feet wide in the clear, supported on cantilever beams outside the trusses, and a roadway 36 feet wide in the clear, occupying the central part of the bridge. There will also be an upper deck carrying elevated tracks. BRIDGE NO. 4. Bridge No. 4, upon which the work of construction is now in progress, will connect the Boroughs of Manhattan and Queens. It is to be of cantilever type, having five spans, with a total length, including the approaches, of about 8,230 feet. The bridge proper will consist of five spans of unequal length, their total length being 3,673.5 feet. These spans will be supported by six plers-four main piers, of which two will be on Blackwell's Island, and two anchor piers. The Manhattan entrance to the bridge will be on Second avenue, near 60th st., and the Queens Borough entrance on Hunter avenue, at Jane and Academy streets. The estimated cost of this bridge is $12,548,500. Pilot Boats of New York. The cruising ground of pilot boats for New York harbor is from Sandy Hook to Fire Island, east, and to Barnegat, south. They are under the supervision of Five Commissioners, of whom T. P. Ball, A. F. Higgins and W. B. Hillow were appointed by the Chamber of Commerce, and J. H. Winchester and W. I. Comes by the Board of Underwriters. A. F. Higgins is president of the Board and D. A. Nash, having his office at No. 17 State street, is the commissioner. Two sail boats, the Ambrose Snow and the C. H. Colt, and two steamers, the New York, 6, and the New Jersey, are on duty always, and the Washington, 5, and the Edward A. Barrett, are held in reserve prepared for duty. The day signal is a Jack at the foremast head, and the night signal is a flash of blue light shown anywhere on deck. Boats on station carry from sunset to sunrise a bright red under a white signal light. The rates of pilotage between April 1 and November 1 are as follows: Inward bound vessels drawing less than 14 feet, $2.78 per foot; between 14 and 18 feet, $3.38 per foot; between 18 and 21 feet, $4.13 per foot; 21 feet and upward, $4.88 per foot. Outward bound vessels drawing less than 14 feet, $2.02 per foot; 14 to 18 feet, $2.33 per foot: 18 to 21 feet, $3.08 per foot; 21 feet and over, $3.56 per foot. Vessels bound inward also pay off shore pilotage, an additional 25 per cent, if they take a pilot aboard more than 16 miles from Sandy Hook light, unless the pilot waives this claim. If he gives up the extra pay he must be taken aboard, if not his services may be refused until the limit is reached. Between November and April an addition of $4 is made to the general bill. If an outward bound vessel is detained after a pilot has been engaged, except by stress of weather, $3 per day and living expenses is charged in addition to fees. St. John's Guild The S. R. Smith Infirmary at Castleton avenue, New Brighton, is a general hospital. maintains a hospital at New Dorp for very sick children, with a capacity of 500. The Marine Hospital, at Stapleton, with a capacity of 150, is under the United States Navy. Aldine Association. Arion. Automobile. 35 West 33d st. 11 West 29th st. 215 West 57th st. 16 West 31st st. 3 West 29th st. 120 Central Park South. 19 West 34th st. 72 st. and Broadway. 49 West 43d st.. 9 West 31st st. 56 East 49th st. 617 5th ave. 37 West 22d st. 21 City Hall place. 27 West 44th st. 70 West 36th st. Larchmont. N. Y. 120 Broadway. 1319 5th ave.. |