Procssdings of the Polytechnic Association, 957 



Bridge Commttn-ication between New York aotd Brooklyn. 



The regular subject for the evening, that of bridge communicatioa 

 with Brooklyn, was then opened by Dr. Edwards, who condemned 

 anv reliance upon Brooklyn as affbrding any accommodation for the 

 surplus population of New York. A bridge to Brooklyn would be 

 of no use, and to throttle the river by bridges or otherwise would 

 only impede the commerce of the city without helping its growth in 

 any way. After Dr. Edwards' remarks, which met with some rery 

 unequivocal tokens of dissent from those present, Dr. Lozier 

 explained the construction of the arched suspension bridge invented 

 by Mr. L. W. Wright, an English projector now in this country. The 

 bridge was sketched as consisting of a series of iron ribs, so connected 

 and arranged as to sustain or support the pressure and tension of each 

 other ;.the ribs being of any desired arch or curvature, or, if desired, 

 nearly level like common girders. It is claimed for the invention 

 that it may be built on piers capable only of sustaining the vertical 

 pressure, the thrust of the arches ordinarily incurred' being done away 

 with. It was thought that a bridge on this plan might be thrown over 

 the East river on a single arch, the distance being about sixteen hun- 

 dred feet. Dr. Rich advocated a plan proposed at a previous meet- 

 ing by Mr. George "W. Dow, of Brooklyn. In this the river is 

 designed to be crossed by several causeways, each from three hundred 

 to one thousand feet in width ; the central portion of each one serv- 

 ing as a roadway, while the remainder should be built up with stores 

 and "warehouses. Between the causeways large basins would be 

 formed for the accommodation of shipping, to which access could 

 be had by passages through the causeways furnished with locks or 

 gates. Mr. Dow followed with an elaborate paper in defense of this 

 plan, in which the action of the tides and of the North river current 

 with reference to the filling up, or vice versa, of the harbor was dis- 

 cussed at considerable length, which is here appended. 



Mr. Chairman : At the meeting of this association, on Thursday 

 evening last, the plan for docking and making wet-basins in the East 

 river, and the important objects to be gained thereby, was pretty 

 fully explained, showing how largely and well it would meet the 

 evident and rapidly growing wants of our harbor, our commerce, and 

 our population in general ; and that it would also tend to unite the 

 cities of New York and Brooklyn which should be one in name as 

 they really are in fact, and thus do away with disputes respecting the 

 river property, and at once make a city of one and one-half millions 



