THE STORY OF GREAT BRIDGES 53 



Between the King's and the Farmers' or Dyckman's Bridges 

 stands the Broadway Bridge, a perfect example of its type. It was 

 opened to the public October 14, 1900. 



Facing the Broadway Bridge is the Macomb Mansion. In 

 1693 this was known as the "public house at the north end of the 

 bridge," and in 1776 as Cox's Tavern. It was bought by Alexander 

 Macomb in 1797, who built nearby in 1800 the First Macomb's 

 Dam, and in 1848 was sold to the late J. H. Godwin. Parts still 

 show its age. 



The Washington Bridge, with its two great steel arch spans 

 of 510 feet each comes next and is one of the most beautiful speci- 

 mens of ornamental bridgework in the world. It connects West 

 One Hundred Eighty-first Street, Manhattan, with Aqueduct Ave- 

 nue near East One Hundred Seventy-first Street, The Bronx. The 

 bridge was opened to the public in 1888, after two years in building 

 and at a cost of nearly three millions of dollars. Its entire length 

 is 2,399 feet, and it is 86 feet wide. The crowns of the arches are 

 133^ feet above the mean high-water mark. 



Beginning at the East River and extending towards the Hud- 

 son is the magnificent Willis Avenue steel drawbridge which sup- 

 ports a heavy traffic. It connects East One Hundred Twenty-fifth 

 Street and First Avenue, Manhattan, with East One Hundred 

 Thirty-fourth Street and Willis Avenue, Bronx. It cost two mil- 

 lion dollars, and was opened to the public August 22nd, 1901. 



Next comes the Third Avenue Bridge carrying the Elevated 

 Railroad. This is owned by the Suburban Rapid Transit Company, 

 but there is a free public footway. The Fourth Avenue Bridge 

 is said to be the heaviest steel drawbridge in the world, and is 

 used exclusively for railroad crossing. 



The splendid Madison Avenue Bridge comes next, connecting 

 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, with East One Hundred Thirty- 

 eighth Street, The Bronx. This was the first bridge to be well 

 elevated above the river so that it would not be necessary to open 

 the draw for every passing vessel. The draws are not opened 

 before 9 o'clock in the morning nor later than 5 o'clock in the 

 afternoon, so as to avoid blocking the traffic and delaying the 

 passengers. The first Madison Avenue Bridge, constructed in 

 1884, was replaced by a larger and more substantial structure, 

 which was opened to the public on July 18th, 1910. 



The One Hundred Forty-fifth Street Bridge connects West 



