hit at Ditto goth. 
 
 COLUMBIA LIBRARIES OFFSITE 
 
 No. 62. 
 
 AR01 499866 
 
 I~N ASSEMBLY, 
 
 February 25, 1868. 
 
 REPORT 
 
 OF THE HARLEM BRIDGE COMMISSIONERS. 
 
 To the Hon. the Legislature of the State of New York: 
 
 The Commissioners to complete the building of the bridge over 
 Harlem river at the termination of the Third avenue, in the city 
 of New York, submit the following report of their proceedings 
 during the past year, aucl of the present condition of the work : 
 
 Since their last report, the north abutment, one hnndred feet in 
 width, with wings and steps, balustrade and copeing, has been 
 built. 
 
 The swing span, including balustrade-, copeing, arches, and rail- 
 ing, has been completed. 
 
 The fixed spans, except the bays over the exterior columns or 
 the north and south piers, have been finished. 
 
 The roadway and sidewalks, have been laid. 
 
 Temporary lamp-posts and lanterns have been erected, gas pipes 
 laid and gas supplied. 
 
 A water engine, operating the swing span, has been constructed 
 and affixed to the bridge, and pipes connecting it with Croton main 
 have been laid; and so noiseless, rapid, and perfect are its opera- 
 tions, that the swing span is opened and shut apparently by magic. 
 
 The old bridge, except two submerged piers, has been removed. 
 
 The approaches were so far completed, and the whole work so 
 far advanced, that on the 16th of October last the bridge was 
 opened for public travel, and since that time thousands have 
 crossed it daily. 
 
 The brackets under the sidewalks are yet to be made and put 
 in position. 
 
 [Assem. No. 62. J 1 
 
TTt, 
 
 £Cy 2 [ASSEMBLY 
 
 Granite and blue-stone flagging and curbing, and Belgian or 
 I ^gnjficholson pavement for the approaches are to be procured and laid. 
 ^ Permanent gothic lamp-posts are to be erected. 
 
 The submerged piers of the old bridge have not been removed. 
 
 The east retaining wall of the north approach, and those of the 
 south approach, have not been erected. 
 
 The bays over the exterior columns of the north and south piera 
 are still wanting. 
 
 Other portions of the bridge may need slight touches, but other- 
 wise no further labor or material will be required to complete this 
 magnificent structure. 
 
 The following material has been placed in position since the date 
 of their last report : 
 
 Cast iron (pounds) 473,373 
 
 Wrought iron (pounds) 48,982 
 
 Masonry in the abutments and retaining and guard 
 
 walls (yards) 1,689^ 
 
 Lumber in roadway and sidewalks (feet) 132,000 
 
 A portion of the last appropriation for the completion of the 
 bridge has been expended in constructing the south approach and 
 removing the old bridge. 
 
 The amount of appropriation unexpended is $33,808 04 
 
 The estimate of the chief engineer for the completion 
 
 of the bridge is 54,500 00 
 
 For the completion of the south approach is 20,100 00 
 
 For the completion of the north approach is 51,900 00 
 
 For removal of the submerged piers 3,000 00 
 
 It therefore appears from the report of the chief engineer, hereto 
 annexed, that it will require, after expending the amount on hand 
 for that purpose, an appropriation of forty-three thousand seven 
 hundred and ninety-one dollars and ninety-six cents ($43,791.90), 
 to complete the bridge and south approach, and to remove the 
 submerged piers of the old bridge. 
 All of which is respectfully submitted. 
 
 (Signed), GEO. R. JACKSON, PresH, ) 
 
 GEO. W. QUINTARD, Q , 
 
 WM. H. ROBERTSON, >^omm>s. 
 ALSOP H. LOCKWOOD, J 
 New York, January 1, 18(58. 
 
No. 62.J 
 
 3 
 
 ENGINEER'S REPORT. 
 
 To the Commissioners of the Harlem Bridge : 
 
 Gentlemen — The excavation for the stone foundation of the east 
 retaining wall for the north approach has been completed, and a 
 part of the stone have been put in. In consequence of the great 
 weight of the earth and gravel filling of the approach, large quan- 
 tities of the underlying mud was forced out, and had to be exca- 
 vated. 
 
 The east edge of the filling of the approach settled, and occu- 
 pied the place of the displaced mud. The extra dredging and 
 filling, made necessary by the crushing out of the mud, has mate- 
 rially increased the cost of that part of the work, and it will 
 exceed the estimate I originally made. The stone filling for the 
 foundation is now being put in, and when the filling has reached 
 to a point one foot below extreme low water, the first course of 
 heavy blocks of blue stone will be commenced. 
 
 Mechanics are completing the joints and fastenings of the archi- 
 tectural filling-in castings. The mould for one of the pier bays is 
 finished, and the second being commenced. The plans for the 
 gothic lamp-posts are in the hands of the carver. 
 
 The brackets, in lieu of the arches under ends of sidewalks, have 
 not been commenced, as there is not funds enough in the treasury 
 to pay their cost, after providing for the other necessary details 
 which are yet unfinished. 
 
 I recommend the construction of a gallery and bridge-t.nder's 
 lodge on the tops of the swing-span — the gallery to extend from 
 one side to the other. The hand-gear for operating the engines 
 for opening and shutting the swing-span can be extended Irom the 
 roadway up into the lodge, without in the least interfering with 
 the carriage travel. On two sides of the lodge, facing the road- 
 way, I recommend the application of large reflecting lanterns, sim- 
 ilar to those in use as head-lights on locomotives. The beams sup- 
 porting the gallery extend from side to side, connecting the two 
 main arches, and tieing them together from the under side of the 
 beam to the bottom of the box girder. The structure would re- 
 ceive additional stiffness by the introduction of four brackets, in 
 
4 
 
 [AS8EMBLY 
 
 keeping with the rest of the work. The bridge-tender's lodge 
 would be eight square, made of corrugated iron, in a light iron 
 frame, and lined with wood. 
 
 The whole appendage would add to the appearance of the struc- 
 ture, besides giving the bridge-tender comfortable quarters, and 
 the means of conveniently operating the swing-span and looking 
 over either side, and having a full and unobstructed view of the 
 passing vessel, and the opening she requires, and also knowing by 
 observation the earliest moment when he can commence shutting 
 the swing-span. 
 
 Temporary lamp-posts have been put up and the gas supplied. 
 The public are now enjoying an unobstructed use of the bridge, 
 and they are, apparently, both satisfied and pleased. I estimate 
 the cost of completing the bridge, in all particulars, to be fifty- 
 four thousand five hundred dollars ($54,500). I estimate the cost 
 of completing the retaining walls, the earth and gravel filling, 
 flagging, curbing, and paving of the north or Westchester approach 
 to the bridge to be fifty-one thousand nine hundred dollars ($51,900). 
 
 I estimate the cost of constructing the retaining and guard walls 
 for the south or New York approach, together with the earth and 
 gravel filling, the curbing, flagging, and paving complete, to be 
 twenty thousand one hundred dollars ($20,100). It will be re- 
 membered that, in my former estimate of the amount required to 
 complete the bridge, I stated that I had not included any part of 
 the cost of the approaches to the bridge, or the clearing away of 
 the old bridge. Some of the money appropriated to finish the 
 bridge has been used for these purposes. 
 
 The submerged foundation of the old bridge }'et remains in the 
 river to the obstruction of navigation, and should be removed. 
 It would, I think, cost to make the removal about three thousand 
 dollars ($3,000). 
 
 I have placed buoys over the sunken piers to warn vessels from 
 that part of the channel. 
 
 ERASTUS W. SMITH, Chief Engineer. 
 
 New York, December 6, 1867. 
 
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