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East River Suspension Bridge

rods extend several inches above the brick-work, and fit into holes at the four corners of the heavy iron castings in which are the sockets for the reception of the supporting columns. The castings are secured to the rods by means of screw nuts. The columns, light in appearance, are calculated to bear a strain more than double that to which they will be subjected, so that the margin of safety is large. The columns are connected and strengthened by longitudinal and transverse bracings of iron. These in their turn aid in supporting the roadway of parallel iron bars. Across these bars are fastened the wooden ties, upon which are affixed the rails. The latter are very heavy and of best quality. On both sides of each rail are strongly fastened heavy parallel timbers to prevent derailment. The engines and cars are so constructed as to admit of curves in the track with a radius of ninety feet; and for greater safety the outer rail on all curves is raised six inches.

Some idea of the enormous business done on the New York elevated roads may be had by perusing the statistics of the Metropolitan "L" road on Sixth Avenue for one year. This road having been run on 313 week days, being closed on Sundays, 15,060,401 passengers, or on an average of 50,000 per day. For one month the average was 52,803 per day. The re ceipts, as verified, were $1,213,845.52, or about $4,000 per day, the average being $4,200. The fifteen million passengers have, on an average, paid eight cents fare. Had the road been running on Sundays over 2,000,000 more passengers, or 17,000,000 in all, would have been carried, and the receipts would have been $200,000 heavier. This little piece of road is only four and a half miles in length, and it is remarkable that $1,250,000 should have been paid in twelve months. On this short road the trains have run 1,327,994 miles. Out of the fifteen million passengers carried not one has been killed or injured through any fault of the road. Estimating the saving of time effected by each of these fifteen million passengers, the total grows into something enormous.

THE EAST RIVER SUSPENSION BRIDGE. - This enormous structure, the foundations of which were laid in 1870, connects the cities of New York and Brooklyn. It far surpasses in all the elements of greatness any similar erection. The central span is the widest in the world, and its height is so great that the largest ship afloat can pass under without striking her standing spars. The piers on the banks of either shore are truly colossal. The approaches on each side are vast viaducts of brick and granite. We give the principal dimensions of the different portions of the bridge: Single span across the waterway, 1,595 feet; four cables for sustaining the road, each cable consists of 5,434 steel wires; strength of each cable, 11,200 tons. Approach on New York side, 2,4921 feet; ap