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incorporated by an act of the New York Legislature in 1867, and Congress, as was necessary, formally approved this bridging of navigable waters, to which there was some objection in maritime circles. It was at first intended to make the bridge the work and property of a stock company, in which the cities of New York and Brooklyn might be shareholders, but afterwards it was put in charge of a joint board of municipal officers from the two cities, and the money was contributed, one-third by New York and two-thirds by Brooklyn. The first estimate of the total cost was seven millions of dollars, but before it was finished nearly or quite sixteen millions of dollars were expended. Operations began January 3, 1870, by the sinking of a huge caisson or coffer-dam of wood in the water on the site of the future Brooklyn tower. This was water-tight, and workmen inside of it excavated the earth until the caisson reached bed rock, forty-five feet below the river bed. Then the crib-work was filled with broken stone and concrete to form the foundation of the tower. When this was effected, a similar caisson was sunk on the New York side. The towers having been completed in 1876, preparations were begun for stretching the cables. These, if made beforehand, would have been too heavy to lift into place, and so they were formed by taking one strand at a time across and binding them together. Each of the four cables contained 5296 steel wires, lying perfectly straight, not twisted. The first wire was stretched from tower to tower August 14, 1876. A sailor's chair was then rigged, and in this, by the wire, E. F. Farrington, master mechanic, crossed the river in mid-air eleven days later. Cable-building, however, did not fairly begin until the summer of 1877, and it was ended in October, 1878. A slender foot-bridge was thrown across the river suspended from the cables, to facilitate work, and at that dizzy height a number of venturesome people crossed East River before the main bridge was completed. The weight of each tower above the caisson is 93,000 tons. The cables, suspenders, truss work, and bed of the bridge weigh 14,684 tons. During the work of construction twenty persons were killed in one way or another. One of the oddest accidents was the escape of one of the strands from the New York anchorage while the men were building cables. The weight of it between the towers drew the end quickly over the New York tower, and it fell into the river. Two men were killed and three injured by its lash. The opening formalities on May 24th of this year were elaborate, including civic and military processions, oratory, salutes by naval vessels, a general decoration of the two cities and the shipping in the harbor with flags, and elaborate fireworks at night. The bridge cars were not put in operation until a few weeks afterwards. At first the fares were five cents by cars and one cent to foot passengers, but afterwards these were reduced to three cents (or ten tickets for twenty-five cents) by cars, and twenty-five tickets for five cents by the promenade.

The rate of letter-postage was reduced to two cents, and the transmission of money by postal note began in September.

Congress reduced the tariff, and removed nearly all of the re

1884

maining internal-revenue tax, except that on tobacco and spirits.

The Northern Pacific Railroad was completed August 22d, the last spike being driven in the presence of a large and distinguished assemblage; many English and German capitalists were present as the guests of the railroad company. The line was opened to traffic September 8th. From Superior City, Wis., near Duluth, at the head of Lake Superior, this road extends one thousand six hundred and seventy-four miles to Wallula Junction, on the Columbia River, in Washington Territory. One extension was built along the south shore of Lake Superior, with a view to connecting it eastward with lines reaching to the St. Mary's River and Canada. Another from Brainerd, Minn., was built to St. Paul and Minneapolis. From Wallula Junction branches were built to Kalama and Portland; others were started towards Tacoma and Seattle on Puget Sound.

On the 10th of January, the Newhall House, at Milwaukee, was destroyed by fire, involving a loss of more than one hundred lives.

The survivors of the Greely party were rescued at Fort Conger, Lady Franklin Bay, in the Arctic regions, June 22d, by a special relief expedition under Commander Schley of the United States Navy, and brought back, arriving at St. John's, Newfoundland July 17th. In the summer of 1881 a party of soldiers, commanded by Lieutenant A. W. Greely was sent to this point by the Signal Service of the United States, to be one of about a dozen at various circumpolar stations, established by several countries, for scientific observation during the next year or two. All of the others were eminently successful, and eventually returned without loss of life. The scheme contemplated an expedition to Lady Franklin Bay in the summer of 1883 to bring Greely's party back, or at least leaving provisions near enough to his station to be readily found on his retreat southward. Indeed, a trip for the latter purpose only was made in 1882 by the Neptune, which landed a quantity of stores at Cape Sabine, hid them in a caché, and suitably marked the spot so that Greely could find it. The relief expedition, proper, in 1883, under command of Lieutenant E. A. Garlington, of the Cavalry Service, comprised two vessels, the steam-whaler Proteus, which had taken Greely up in the first place, and the United States gunboat Yantic. While near Cape Sabine, and before she had landed many of her supplies anywhere, the Proteus was crushed in the ice and sunk. Garlington escaped with her crew in boats, and with difficulty found his way southward to the Yantic, which was left in the rear, at Upernavik. He then returned to the United States, his expedition having proved a failure. Great anxiety was now felt for Greely's safety, and a new expedition was fitted out, in the following spring, under the auspices of the Navy Department. The steam-whalers Thetis and Bear were reinforced by a gift of the Arctic exploring vessel Alert, from the British Government. Commander Schley set sail from the Brooklyn Navy Yard with this fleet in May, and pushed forward with great energy. Although much ice was encoun

1885.

tered in Baffin's Bay and Smith Sound he forced his way through. On the 22d of June, men were sent ashore, in the steam-launch of the Bear, at Brevoort Island to look for papers or other indications of Greely's whereabouts and condition. Under a pile of stones was a letter locating the camp, and stating that the party were nearly out of provisions. It was dated the previous October. The Bear was advanced as rapidly as possible, and the launch was sent out a second time that day. It succeeded in finding the camp before evening. Only seven men, including Greely, were found alive, and two of them died soon afterward. Eighteen others were already dead, from starvation, most of them having expired within a few days of Commander Schley's arrival. The sufferings which they had endured in the last few months had been indescribable. When found, the survivors were subsisting on soup made from sealskin boots and reindeer moss, with a few shrimps. Milk punch in small quantities was given to the men by the rescuing party; but as too much food after such a fast would endanger their lives, they were kept only partly satisfied for many days. Had the relief expedition arrived a few days later, it would have found every one dead.

At the presidential election of this year Grover Cleveland was elected President, for the term beginning March 4, 1885. He was governor of New York State at the time, and was nominated by the Democrats. Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana was their candidate for Vice-President. The Republicans nominated James G. Blaine of Maine and John A. Logan of Illinois. The Southern issue was ignored during the campaign, the Republicans making their fight chiefly on the tariff, a repeal or reduction of which was threatened by the Democrats; while the latter forced the reform of the civil service forward as their chief argument, Cleveland being an exponent of that idea. Enough Republicans abandoned Blaine for Cleveland to give the latter New York State by the slender plurality of one thousand and forty-seven, out of over one million one hundred thousand votes; and as the result depended upon New York State, Cleveland was elected. He received the support of Connecticut, New Jersey, Indiana, and every Southern State, securing two hundred and nineteen electoral votes. Blaine had one hundred and eighty-two.

A World's Fair was opened in New Orleans December 16th, continuing nearly six months. It was to have been inaugurated on the 1st of December, but the delay was caused by imperfect preparations; and not until well into January was the display fairly arranged. In the extent of the exhibits, especially from foreign countries, and in the attendance, it was not the equal of the Centennial Exposition, although a noteworthy affair. The main building, however, was the largest of its kind ever erected. Mexico and South and Central America were well represented. The machinery was set in motion, through an electric button and wire, by President Arthur in Washington.

The business of the Gilbert Manufacturing Co., over 850 per cent increase. Unprecedented in the annals of trade!

THE END,

FRANK H. GILBERT, TREAS.

W. T. MCINTIRE, VICE-PRES,

O. P. DORMAN, PRES.

GILBERT MANUFACTURING CO.

OFFICES AND SALESROOMS:

346 and 348 BROADWAY, New York Life Ins. Building.
NEW YORK WAREHOUSE:

115, 117, 119 & 121 WHITE STREET,
122, 124, 126, 128, 130 & 132 CENTRE STREET.

DRESS GOODS

Gilbert Fancy Cambric,
Sea Island Organdie No. 1,
Sea Island Organdie No. 2,
Sea Island Organdie No. 3,
Royal Foulard No. 2,

DEPARTMENT.

Royal Foulard No. 3,
Royal Foulard No. 4,
Royal Foulard No. 5,
Satin de Lyon,

Satin Surah Foulard.

DRESS LINING DEPARTMENT.

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Super Satin Surah (Fast Black), Satin Surah, 32 inch (Fast Black), Crepe de Laine (Fast Black), Padded Black Twills, White one side,

Padded Black Twills, Fch. Gray one side,

Pad. Blk. Twills, printed one side,
French Percale (Fast Black),
Sup. French Percale (Fast Black),
Persian Cambric,

French Cambric,

40 inch Cable Twills,

40 inch Cable Fancy Twills,
40 inch Gilbert Fancy Twills,
40 inch Sovereign Fancy Twills,
40 inch Fancy Fine Satine,

40 inch Satin Surah Fancy Twills, 40 inch Super Satin Surah Fancy Twills,

Albert Twills (Fast Black).

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This cut represents the machine that prints the initials of the name of this Company on ev yard of goods we make. We have assumed for the benefit of the Dressmakers and Ladie this country an expense of thirteen thousand dollars ($13,000) for these machines, that th may know how to tell our genuine goods from the imitation, for they now can see plai printed on the selvage, G for every quarter of a yard, and M for every three quarters o yard, therefore the G and M can be found on every yard, and are printed a half a yard apa We have run in the busy season, night and day, five of these machines, and each mach can print 58 yards per minute. Now, we should like to know how many school girls a boys there are in the United States and Canada, under 15 years of age, who can tell exactly how many yards these five machines can print in the 313 working days in a ye For every boy or girl who will send us the correct answer, with four cents in stamps to p postage and packing, we will mail gratis one elegant imperial size Phototine of Three Little Maids from School." publish their name in full in the Week Tribune and Farmer, and mail them a copy. This will give each one a fine picture a the notoriety of being a correct mathematician. We will also mail free to any address, receipt of 12 cents, a HISTORY of the UNITED STATES, containing 254 pages, by Emery Childs, giving all important events from 1492 to 1885, and well worth many times the pri This book should be the text book for schools and in the hands of all teachers and in eve library in the land. Please show this to your schoolmates and friends.

GILBERT MANUFACTURING CO.,

346 and 348 Broadway, New York.

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