,illustration ,,opening ,,ceremonies ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,brooklyn ,,bridge ,,may #bd1 #ahhc4 ,,brooklyn1 ,n4,y4 #ahhc4 ,,press ,,of ,,the ,,brooklyn ,,eagle ,,job ,,printing ,,department4 ,,trustees ,,and ,,officers ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,brooklyn ,,bridge4 ,,trustees4 ,,new ,,york4 ,,john ,t4 ,,agnew1 ,,john ,g4 ,,davis1 ,j4 ,,adriance ,,bush1 ,,henry ,,clausen1 ,,thomas ,c4 ,,clarke1 ,,charles ,,macdonald1 ,h4,k4 ,,thurber1 ,,jenkins ,,van ,,schaick1 ,,franklin ,,edson1 ,mayor1 ,ex-officio4 ,,allan ,,campbell1 ,comp41 ,ex-officio4 ,,brooklyn4 ,,william ,c4 ,,kingsley1 ,,william ,,marshall1 ,,henry ,w4 ,,slocum1 ,,james ,s4,t4 ,,stranahan1 ,,alfred ,c4 ,,barnes1 ,,alden ,s4 ,,swan1 ,,otto ,,witte1 ,,james ,,howell1 ,,seth ,,low1 ,mayor1 ,ex-officio4 ,,aaron ,,brinkerhoff1 ,comp41 ,ex-officio4 ,,john ,t4 ,,agnew1 ,chairman ,executive ,committee4 ,,officers4 ,,william ,c4 ,,kingsley1 ,president4 ,j4 ,,adriance ,,bush1 ,vice-,pres4 ,,otto ,,witte1 ,treasurer4 ,,orestes ,p4 ,,quintard1 ,secretary4 ,,chief ,,engineer4 ,,washington ,a4 ,,roebling4 ,,assistant ,,engineers4 ,,charles ,c4 ,,martin1 ,,francis ,,collingwood1 ,,samuel ,r4 ,,probasco1 ,,william ,h4 ,,paine1 ,,george ,w4 ,mc,n,u,l,t,y1 ,,wilhelm ,,hildenbrand4 ,,programme ,,of ,,exercises4 #a4 ,,music-- #bc;d ,,regiment ,,band4 #b4 ,,prayer-- ,rt4 ,rev4 ,,bishop ,,littlejohn4 #c4 ,,presentation ,,address-- ,on behalf of ,trustees1 ,,william ,c4 ,,kingsley1 ,vice-,president4 #d4 ,,acceptance ,,address-- ,on behalf of the ,city of ,brooklyn1 ,hon4 ,,seth ,,low1 ,mayor4 #e4 ,,acceptance ,,address-- ,on behalf of the ,city of ,new ,york1 ,hon4 ,,franklin ,,edson1 ,mayor4 ,,cornet ,,solo-- ,mr4 ,j4 ,,levy4 #f4 ,,oration-- ,hon4 ,,abram ,s4 ,,hewitt4 #g4 ,,oration-- ,rev4 ,,richard ,s4 ,,storrs1 ,d4,d4 #h4 ,,music-- #gth ,,regiment ,,band4 ,hon4 ,,james ,s4,t4 ,,stranahan will preside4 ,,introductory4 ,the ,new ,york and ,brooklyn ,bridge was formally opened on ,thursday1 ,may #bdth1 #ahhc1 with befitting pomp and ceremonial1 in the presence of the largest multitude that ever gathered in the two cities4 ,from the announcement by the ,trustees of the date which was to mark the turning-over of the work to the public1 it was evident that the popular demonstration would be upon a scale commensurate with the magnificence of the structure and its importance to the people of the ,united ,states4 ,the evidences of widespread and profound interest in the event were early and unmistakable4 ,they were not confined to the metropolis and its sister city on the ,long ,island shore1 nor yet to the majestic ,empire ,state4 ,the occurrence was recognized as one of ,national importance2 and throughout the ,union1 from the rocky headlands of ,maine to the golden shores of the ,pacific1 and from the gleaming waters of the ,st4 ,lawrence to the vast expanse of the ,mexican ,gulf1 the opening ceremonies were regarded with intelligent concern and approval4 ,nearly every ,state contributed its representatives to the swelling throng that attended1 while those who were unable to be present contemplated with pride and satisfaction the completion and consecration to its purpose of the greatest engineering work of modern times4 ,in the communities most directly benefited by the ,bridge the demonstration was confined to no class or body of the populace4 ,it was a holiday for high and low1 rich and poor2 it was1 in fact1 the ,people's ,day4 ,more delightful weather never dawned upon a festal morning4 ,the heavens were radiant with the celestial blue of approaching summer2 silvery fragments of cloud sailed gracefully across the firmament like winged messengers1 bearing greetings of work well done2 the clearest of spring sunshine tinged everything with a touch of gold1 and a brisk1 bracing breeze blown up from the ,atlantic cooled the atmosphere to a healthful and invigorating temperature4 ,the incoming dawn revealed the twin cities gorgeous in gala attire4 ,from towering steeple and lofty faade1 from the fronts of business houses and the cornices and walls of private dwellings1 from the forests of shipping along the wharves and the vessels in the dimpled bay1 floated bunting fashioned in every conceivable design1 while high above all1 from the massive and enduring granite towers of the ,bridge the ,stars and ,stripes signaled to the world from the gateway of the continent the arrival of the auspicious day4 ,almost before the sun was up the thoroughfares of both cities put on a festival appearance4 ,business was generally suspended4 ,the mercantile and professional communities vied with one another in the extent and splendor of their decorations1 while from the hearty voice of ,labor arose a chorus of ringing acclamation4 ,tens of thousands of men1 women and children crowded into the streets1 and1 after gazing admiringly upon the decorations1 wended their way in the direction of the mighty river span4 ,from neighboring cities and from the adjacent country for many miles around the incoming trains brought multitudes of excursionists and sight-seers4 ,it seemed marvelous that they could all find accommodation1 but the generous hospitality of the cities was cordially extended1 and all were adequately provided for4 ,the scenes presented during the day upon the streets and avenues of ,new ,york and ,brooklyn will never be forgotten by those who witnessed them4 ,notwithstanding the enormous massing of people1 the best of order was everywhere observable1 and the day happily was free from any accident of a serious nature4 ,the arrangements for the celebration were of a sensible and becoming character1 and beside insuring an unobstructed and speedy course for the ceremonies1 contributed beyond measure to the popular enjoyment4 ,early in the afternoon the ,president of the ,united ,states1 ,gen4 ,chester ,a4 ,arthur1 and the ,hon4 ,grover ,cleveland1 ,governor of the ,state of ,new ,york1 the former accompanied by the members of his ,cabinet and the latter by the officers of his ,staff1 were escorted from the ,fifth ,avenue ,hotel to the ,new ,york ,city ,hall1 where they were joined by his ,honor ,mayor ,franklin ,edson and the ,new ,york officials4 ,from the ,city ,hall the procession proceeded to the ,new ,york ,approach to the ,bridge4 ,the ,seventh ,regiment1 ,n4,g41 ,s4,n4,y41 ,col4 ,emmons ,clark1 commanding1 acted as escort to the ,presidential and ,gubernatorial party4 ,the regimental band1 of #ge pieces1 headed the column and played popular airs as the procession moved along the crowded and gaily decorated thoroughfares4 ,at the ,new ,york ,tower a battalion of the ,fifth ,united ,states ,artillery1 under command of ,major ,jackson1 joined the escort1 and between the lines of brilliantly uniformed troops the distinguished guests passed upon the roadway4 ,they were formally received by a ,committee of the ,bridge ,trustees1 headed by ,mr4 ,william ,c4 ,kingsley1 ,vice-,president and acting ,president of the ,board4 ,the arrival at the ,new ,york ,tower was proclaimed to the multitudes on shore by the thundering of many cannon4 ,salutes were fired from the forts in the harbor1 from the ,united ,states ,navy ,yard1 and from the summit of ,fort ,greene4 ,the ,united ,states fleet1 consisting of the ,tennessee1 the ,yantic1 the ,kearsarge1 the ,vandalia1 and the ,minnesota1 ,rear-,admiral ,george ,h4 ,cooper1 commanding1 was anchored in the river below the ,bridge and joined in the salute4 ,as the procession moved across the roadway the yards of the men-of-war were manned1 and from the docks and factories arose a tremendous babel of sounds1 caused by the clanging of bells1 the roaring of steam whistles1 and the cheers of enthusiastic people1 while sounding from afar1 in delightful contrast with the clamorous discord1 the silver chimes of ,trinity rang out upon the river4 ,in the ornate iron railway depot at the ,brooklyn terminus1 where the exercises were to take place1 the arrival of the approaching procession was anxiously awaited4 ,the interior was bright with tasteful decorations1 the prevailing feature being the sky-blue hangings of satin bordered with silver1 and the coats-of-arms of the ,states appropriately interspersed amid a forest of flags4 ,on the ,brooklyn side the duties of escort were transferred to the #bc;d ,regiment1 ,n4,g41 ,s4,n4,y41 ,colonel ,rodney ,c4 ,ward commanding4 ,the regiment appeared upon this occasion for the first time in their new ,state service uniform1 and performed their duties most efficiently4 ,the arrangements for the procession and exercises were under the direction of ,major-,general ,james ,jourdan1 commanding the ,second ,division1 ,n4,g41 ,s4,n4,y41 who was ably assisted by the members of the ,division ,staff4 ,the building was thronged in every part4 ,in the throng were many of the most conspicuous citizens of ,new ,york and other ,states1 including representatives of the bench1 the bar1 the pulpit1 the press1 and all other professions4 ,beside the ,president and his ,cabinet1 consisting of the ,hon4 ,charles ,j4 ,folger1 ,secretary of the ,treasury2 the ,hon4 ,william ,e4 ,chandler1 ,secretary of the ,navy2 the ,hon4 ,henry ,m4 ,teller1 ,secretary of the ,interior2 the ,hon4 ,walter ,q4 ,gresham1 ,postmaster-,general1 and the ,hon4 ,benjamin ,harris ,brewster1 ,attorney-,general2 and ,governor ,cleveland and ,staff1 there were present the ,governors of several ,states and the ,mayors of nearly all the cities in the vicinity of the metropolis4 ,in the vast assemblage none were more conspicuous than the officers of the ,army and ,navy1 who occupied an entire section and attracted general attention4 ,when the ,presidential party and their escort entered the hall they were greeted with enthusiastic cheers4 ,they occupied seats directly opposite the stand erected for the orators of the day4 ,the exercises proceeded without delay in an orderly manner1 and were appropriate and impressive throughout4 ,music was furnished during the ceremonies by the bands of the ,seventh and ,twenty-third regiments4 ,the ,hon4 ,james ,s4,t4 ,stranahan presided with the skill and dignity gained during his long experience in public life4 ,near him were the speakers1 ,mr4 ,william ,c4 ,kingsley1 ,rev4 ,richard ,s4 ,storrs1 ,d4,d41 the ,hon4 ,abram ,s4 ,hewitt1 ,mayor ,franklin ,edson1 of ,new ,york1 and ,mayor ,seth ,low1 of ,brooklyn1 together with the members of the ,board of ,bridge ,trustees4 ,mr4 ,stranahan opened the ceremonies by introducing ,bishop ,littlejohn1 who wore the ,episcopal robes4 ,the ,bishop fervently and impressively made the opening prayer1 the great assemblage bowing their heads reverentially during its delivery4 ,vice-,president ,kingsley was next introduced1 and was received with hearty applause4 ,mr4 ,kingsley1 in clear and distinct tones1 and in comprehensive and business-like terms1 proceeded to make the formal speech presenting the ,bridge to the cities of ,new ,york and ,brooklyn4 ,the address was heard with careful attention1 and upon its conclusion a round of enthusiastic applause swept through the building4 ,his ,honor ,mayor ,low followed ,mr4 ,kingsley with a concise and appropriate speech1 receiving the structure on behalf of the ,city of ,brooklyn4 ,his address elicited several demonstrations of approval from the audience4 ,the ,hon4 ,franklin ,edson1 ,mayor of ,new ,york1 who was the next speaker1 was heartily applauded as he aptly accepted the ,bridge in behalf of the authorities of the great metropolis4 ,when ,mr4 ,hewitt was introduced as the orator on the part of ,new ,york ,city1 he was warmly cheered4 ,his eloquent address riveted the attention of his hearers from beginning to end1 and his pointed and conclusive vindication of the bridge management from the outset aroused the enthusiasm of his hearers to the utmost pitch4 ,following ,mr4 ,hewitt came the ,rev4 ,richard ,s4 ,storrs1 ,d4,d41 who delivered the oration on behalf of ,brooklyn4 ,never did the distinguished preacher appear to better advantage1 and his oration1 which was punctuated with applause1 was characterized as a masterpiece by all who heard it4 ,upon the conclusion of his address the presiding officer declared the exercises at an end1 and the company in the building dispersed4 ,the festivities1 however1 did not end with the conclusion of the formal ceremonies4 ,the celebration was continued in both cities throughout the day and far into the night4 ,thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic people crowded the streets4 ,after the ceremonies1 the ,president1 the ,governor1 the speakers of the day1 and the ,trustees were driven to the residence of ,col4 ,washington ,a4 ,roebling1 on ,columbia ,heights1 where a reception was held4 ,as they passed through the streets the people cheered as people only can who cheer in the atmosphere of a free government4 ,from ,col4 ,roebling's house the company proceeded to the residence of ,mayor ,low1 where they were entertained at a banquet4 ,in the evening1 under the auspices of the ,municipal authorities1 a grand reception to ,president ,arthur and ,governor ,cleveland was given by the citizens of ,brooklyn at the ,academy of ,music1 and was attended by a great multitude4 ,another striking feature of the celebration at night was the display of fireworks on the ,bridge given under the direction of the ,board of ,trustees4 ,the pyrotechnic exhibition was viewed by almost the entire populace of the two cities1 and a vast concourse of visitors from abroad4 ,the ,east ,river was fairly blocked with craft of every description bearing legions of delighted spectators1 and the streets and housetops were packed with people4 ,the display was generally characterized as one of the grandest ever witnessed in ,america4 ,the people of both cities evinced their public spirit in the decorations by day and the illuminations by night4 ,the illuminations in ,brooklyn1 particularly1 were on a magnificent scale1 and excited the admiration of multitudes of visitors to the city4 ,in addition to the special features of the celebration there were many entertainments in honor of the event1 including concerts in the various city parks4 ,throughout the afternoon and evening the best of order was preserved2 the casualties that occurred were few and unimportant1 and the auspicious day ended without the intrusion of anything that would carry with it other than pleasant memories of the significant event which it commemorated4 ,,order ,,of ,,religious ,,services1 ,,conducted ,,by ,,rt4 ,,rev4 ,a4,n4 ,,littlejohn1 ,d4,d4 ,the eternal ,god is thy refuge1 and underneath are the everlasting arms4 ,deut4 xxxiii43 #bg4 ,know therefore that the ,lord thy ,god1 ,he is ,god1 the faithful ,god1 which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love ,him and keep ,his commandments to a thousand generations4 ,deut4 vii43 #i4 ,remember the marvelous works that ,he hath done3 ,his wonders1 and the judgments of his mouth4 ,psalm cv43 #e4 ,marvelous things did ,he in the sight of our forefathers1 in the land of ,egypt1 even in the field of ,zoan4 ,he divided the sea1 and let them go through3 ,he made the waters to stand on an heap4 ,in the day time also ,he led them with a cloud1 and all the night through with a light of fire4 ,psalm lxxviii43 #ac1 #ad1 #ae4 ,oh1 that men would therefore praise the ,lord for ,his goodness and declare the wonders that ,he doeth for the children of men4 ,psalm cvii43 #ba4 ,the ,lord hath been mindful of us1 and ,he shall bless us2 ,he shall bless them that fear the ,lord1 both small and great4 ,psalm cxv43 #ab1 #ac4 ,glory be to the ,father1 and to the ,son1 and to the ,holy ,ghost3 ,as it was in the beginning1 is now1 and ever shall be1 world without end4 ,praise ye the ,lord3 ,the ,lord's name be praised4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,prayer4 ,almighty ,god1 who hast in all ages showed forth ,thy power and mercy in the preservation and advancement of the race redeemed by the precious blood of ,thy dear ,son3 we yield ,thee our unfeigned thanks and praise as for all ,thy public mercies1 so especially for the signal manifestation of ,thy ,providence which we commemorate this day4 ,all things--wealth1 industry1 energy1 skill1 genius--come of ,thee2 and when we consecrate their triumphs unto ,thee1 we give ,thee but ,thine own4 ,enable us to see in the strength and grandeur of this structure the evident tokens of ,thy power1 bringing mighty things to pass through the weakness of ,thy creatures4 ,give us grace and wisdom to discern in all this work the nobler uses it was ordained by ,thee to subserve4 ,teach us to know that all this mighty fabric is but vanity1 save as it shall promote ,thy sovereign purpose toward the sons of men4 ,o ,lord ,god1 clothed with majesty and honor1 decking ,thyself with light as with a garment1 and spreading out the heavens like a curtain1 with the beams of ,thy chambers in the waters1 and the clouds for ,thy chariot1 walking upon the wings of the wind1 ,thy messengers spirits and ,thy ministers a flaming fire1 accept1 we beseech ,thee1 this last and chiefest fruit of human toil and genius as a tribute to ,thy glory1 and a new power making for righteousness and peace amid all conflicts of earthly interests1 and all the stir and pomp of worldly aggrandizement4 ,our life is a thing of nought1 and our purposes vanish away2 but ,thy years shall not fail1 and with ,thee the beginning and the end are the same4 ,therefore we implore ,thee to bless and direct this work1 that it shall be more than a highway for the things that perish1 even a path of ,thy eternal ,spirit lifting by ,his own infinite grace1 more and more1 as the years roll on1 the people of these cities toward the plane of ,thine own life--the life of endless peace1 of absolute unity1 and perfect love1 through ,jesus ,christ1 the one ,redeemer and ,mediator between ,god and man4 ,amen4 ,,address ,,of ,,wm4 ,c4 ,,kingsley1 ,,president ,,of ,,the ,,board ,,of ,,trustees4 ,in the presence of this great assemblage1 and of the chosen representatives of the people of these two great cities1 of the ,governor of the ,state of ,new ,york and of the ,president of the ,united ,states1 the pleasing duty devolves upon me1 as the official agent of the ,board of ,trustees of the ,new ,york and ,brooklyn ,bridge1 to announce formally to the chief magistrates of these two municipalities that this ,bridge is now ready to be opened for public use1 and is subject in its control and management only to such restrictions as the people1 to whom it belongs1 may choose to impose upon themselves4 ,if ,i were at liberty to consult my own wishes ,i should not attempt to occupy your attention any further4 ,i am not here as the spokesman of my associates in the ,board of ,bridge ,trustees4 ,they are well content to let this great structure speak for them1 and to speak more fittingly and more eloquently yet for the skillful1 faithful and daring men who have given so many years of their lives--and in several instances even their lives--to the end that the natural barrier to the union1 growth and greatness of this great commercial centre should be removed1 and that a vast scientific conception should be matched in the skill1 and courage1 and endurance upon which it depended for its realization4 ,with one name1 in an especial sense1 this ,bridge will always be associated--that of ,roebling4 ,at the outset of this enterprise we were so fortunate as to be able to secure the services of the late ,john ,a4 ,roebling1 who had built the chief suspension bridges in this country1 and who had just then completed the largest suspension bridge ever constructed up to that time4 ,his name and achievements were of invaluable service to this enterprise in its infancy4 ,they secured for it a confidence not otherwise obtainable4 ,he entered promptly and with more than professional zeal into the work of erecting a bridge over the ,east ,river4 ,as is universally known1 while testing and perfecting his surveys his foot was crushed between the planks of one of our piers2 lockjaw supervened1 and the man who designed this ,bridge lost his life in its service4 ,the main designs were1 however1 completed by the elder ,roebling before he met his sad and untimely death4 ,he was succeeded at once by his son1 ,colonel ,washington ,a4 ,roebling1 who had for years before shared in his father's professional confidences and labors4 ,here the son did not succeed the father by inheritance merely4 ,the elder ,roebling1 according to his own statements1 would not have undertaken the conduct of this work at his age--and he was independent of mere professional gain--if it were not for the fact1 as he frequently stated1 that he had a son who was entirely capable of building this ,bridge4 ,indeed1 the elder ,roebling advised that the son1 who was destined to carry on and complete the work1 should be placed in chief authority at the beginning4 ,the turning point--as determining the feasibility of this enterprise--was reached down in the earth1 and under the bed of the ,east ,river4 ,during the anxious days and nights while work was going on within the caissons1 ,colonel ,roebling seemed to be always on hand1 at the head of his men1 to direct their efforts1 and to guard against a mishap or a mistake which1 at this stage of the work1 might have proved to be disastrous4 ,the foundations of the towers were successfully laid1 and the problem of the feasibility of the ,bridge was solved4 ,colonel ,roebling contracted the mysterious disease in the caissons which had proved fatal to several of the workmen in our employ4 ,for many long and weary years this man1 who entered our service young and full of life1 and hope1 and daring1 has been an invalid and confined to his home4 ,he has never seen this structure as it now stands1 save from a distance4 ,but the disease1 which has shattered his nervous system for the time1 seemed not to have enfeebled his mind4 ,it appeared even to quicken his intellect4 ,his physical infirmities shut him out1 so to speak1 from the world1 and left him dependent largely on the society of his family1 but it gave him for a companion day and night this darling child of his genius--every step of whose progress he has directed and watched over with paternal solicitude4 ,colonel ,roebling may never walk across this ,bridge1 as so many of his fellow-men have done to-day1 but while this structure stands he will make all who use it his debtor4 ,his infirmities are still such that he who would be the centre of interest on this occasion1 and even in this greatly distinguished company1 is conspicuous by his absence4 ,this enterprise was only less fortunate in securing an executive head than in obtaining scientific direction4 ,for sixteen years together the late ,hon4 ,henry ,c4 ,murphy stood for this work wherever it challenged the enmity of an opponent or needed an advocate1 a supporter and a friend4 ,he devised the legislation under which it was commenced4 ,he staked in its inception a large portion of his private fortune on its success4 ,he upheld its feasibility and utility before committees1 and legislatures1 and law courts1 and in every forum of public discussion4 ,for years he looked forward to this day to fittingly close the activities of a long1 useful and1 in many respects1 an illustrious career4 ,it was not permitted him to see it1 but he saw very near the end1 and he lived long enough to realize1 what is now admitted1 that he was to the end of his days engaged in a work from which the name of the city he loved so well will never be disassociated1 for it is a work the history of which will for all time be embraced in the records of the achievements of ,american enterprise and of ,american genius4 ,i am sure ,i speak for the ,board of ,trustees in returning their thanks to all the professional gentlemen who have been in our employ--and especially to ,messrs4 ,martin1 ,paine1 ,farrington1 ,mc,nulty and ,probasco4 ,for the most part these men have been engaged on the ,bridge from its commencement to its completion4 ,it has always seemed to the ,trustees as if the highest and the humblest workmen engaged on this work were alike influenced by the spirit of enterprise in which the ,bridge had its origin4 ,men whose daily compensation was not more than sufficient to provide them and their families with their daily bread were at all times ready to take their lives in their hands in the performance of the imperative and perilous duties assigned them4 ,in the direct prosecution of the work twenty men lost their lives4 ,peace hath its victories1 and it has its victims and its martyrs1 too4 ,of the seven consulting engineers to whom the matured plans of the elder ,roebling were submitted--all men of the highest eminence in their profession--three have passed away1 and four are living to witness1 in the assured success of this structure1 the one ratification of their judgment which cannot be questioned4 ,it remains for me to say1 in conclusion1 that the two cities rose at all times to the level of the spirit of our time and country4 ,their citizens staked millions on what seemed to many to be an experiment--a structure1 it was often said1 that at its best would not be of any actual use4 ,how solid it is2 how far removed it is from all sense of apprehension2 how severely practical it is in all its relations1 and how great a factor in the corporate lives of these cities it is destined to be1 we all now realize4 ,this ,bridge has cost many millions of dollars1 and it has taken many years to build it4 ,may ,i say on this occasion that the people whom you represent 7turning to where the ,mayors of the two cities stood together7 would not part with the ,bridge to-day for even twice or thrice its cost8 ,and may ,i remind those who1 not unnaturally1 perhaps1 have been disappointed and irritated by delays in the past1 that those who enter a race with ,time for a competitor have an antagonist that makes no mistakes1 is subject to no interference and liable to no accident4 ,,address ,,of ,,hon4 ,,seth ,,low1 ,,mayor ,,of ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,brooklyn4 ,,gentlemen ,,of ,,the ,,trustees--,with profound satisfaction1 on behalf of the ,city of ,brooklyn1 ,i accept the completed ,bridge4 ,fourteen times the earth has made its great march through the heavens since the work began4 ,the vicissitudes of fourteen years have tried the courage and the faith of engineers and of people4 ,at last we all rejoice in the signal triumph4 ,the beautiful and stately structure fulfills the fondest hope4 ,it will be a source of pleasure to-day to every citizen that no other name is associated with the end than that which has directed the work from the beginning--the name of ,roebling4 ,with all my heart ,i give to him who bears it now the city's acknowledgment and thanks4 ,fourteen years ago a city of #djj1jjj people on this side of the river heard of a projected suspension bridge with incredulity4 ,the span was so long1 the height so great1 and the enterprise likely to be so costly1 that few thought of it as something begun in earnest4 ,the irresistible demands of commerce enforced these hard conditions4 ,but ,science said1 ,it is possible1 and ,courage said1 ,it shall be6 ,to-day a city of #fjj1jjj people welcomes with enthusiasm the wonderful creation of genius4 ,graceful1 and yet majestic1 it clings to the land like a thing that has taken root4 ,beautiful as a vision of fairyland it salutes our sight4 ,the impression it makes upon the visitor is one of astonishment1 an astonishment that grows with every visit4 ,no one who has been upon it can ever forget it4 ,this great structure cannot be confined to the limits of local pride4 ,the glory of it belongs to the race4 ,not one shall see it and not feel prouder to be a man4 ,and yet it is distinctly an ,american triumph4 ,american genius designed it1 ,american skill built it1 and ,american workshops made it4 ,about #ahcg the ,screw ,dock across the river1 then known as the ,hydrostatic ,lifting ,dock1 was built4 ,in order to construct it the ,americans of that day were obliged to have the cylinders cast in ,england4 ,what a stride from #ahcg to #ahhc--;from the ,hydrostatic ,dock to the ,new ,york and ,brooklyn ,bridge6 ,and so this ,bridge is a wonder of science4 ,but in no less degree it is a triumph of faith4 ,i speak not now of the courage of those who projected it4 ,except for the faith which removes mountains yonder river could not have been spanned by this ,bridge4 ,it is true that the material which has gone into it has been paid for2 the labor which has been spent upon it has received its hire4 ,but the money which did these things was not the money of those who own the ,bridge4 ,the money was lent to them on the faith that these two great cities would redeem their bond4 ,so have the ,alps been tunneled in our day2 while the ancient prophecy has been fulfilled that faith should remove mountains4 ,we justify this faith in us as we pay for the ,bridge by redeeming the bond4 ,in the course of the construction of the ,bridge a number of lives have been lost4 ,does it not sometimes seem as though every work of enduring value1 in the material as in the moral world1 must needs be purchased at the cost of human life8 ,let us recall with kindness at this hour the work of those who labored here faithfully unto the death1 no less than of that great army of men who have wrought1 year in and year out1 to execute the great design4 ,let us give our meed of praise to-day to the humblest workman who has here done his duty well1 no less than to the great engineer who told him what to do4 ,the importance of this ,bridge in its far-reaching effects at once entices and baffles the imagination4 ,at either end of the ,bridge lies a great city--cities full of vigorous life4 ,the activities and the energies of each flow over into the other4 ,the electric current has conveyed unchecked between the two the interchanging thoughts1 but the rapid river has ever bidden halt to the foot of man4 ,it is as though the population of these cities had been brought down to the river-side1 year after year1 there to be taught patience2 and as though1 in this ,bridge1 after these many years1 patience had had her perfect work4 ,the ardent merchant1 the busy lawyer1 the impatient traveler--all1 without distinction and without exception--at the river have been told to wait4 ,no one can compute the loss of time ensuing daily from delays at the ferries to the multitudes crossing the stream4 ,and time is not only money--it is opportunity4 ,brooklyn becomes available1 henceforth1 as a place of residence to thousands1 to whom the ability to reach their places of business without interruption from fog and ice is of paramount importance4 ,to all ,brooklyn's present citizens a distinct boon is given4 ,the certainty of communication with ,new ,york afforded by the ,bridge is the fundamental benefit it confers4 ,incident to this is the opportunity it gives for rapid communication4 ,as the water of the lakes found the salt sea when the ,erie ,canal was opened1 so surely will quick communication seek and find this noble ,bridge1 and as the ships have carried hither and thither the products of the mighty ,west1 so shall diverging railroads transport the people swiftly to their homes in the hospitable city of ,brooklyn4 ,the ,erie ,canal is a waterway through the land connecting the great ,west with the older ,east4 ,this ,bridge is a landway over the water1 connecting two cities bearing to each other relations in some respects similar4 ,it is the function of such works to bless both him that gives and him that takes4 ,the development of the ,west has not belittled1 but has enlarged ,new ,york1 and ,brooklyn will grow by reason of this ,bridge1 not at ,new ,york's expense1 but to her permanent advantage4 ,the ,brooklyn of #aijj can hardly be guessed at from the city of to-day4 ,the hand of ,time is a mighty hand4 ,to those who are privileged to live in sight of this noble structure every line of it should be eloquent with inspiration4 ,courage1 enterprise1 skill1 faith1 endurance--these are the qualities which have made the great ,bridge1 and these are the qualities which will make our city great and our people great4 ,god grant they never may be lacking in our midst4 ,gentlemen of the ,trustees1 in accepting the ,bridge at your hands1 ,i thank you warmly in ,brooklyn's name for your manifold and arduous labors4 ,,address ,,of ,,hon4 ,,franklin ,,edson1 ,,mayor ,,of ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,new ,,york4 ,,mr4 ,,president--,on behalf of the ,city of ,new ,york1 ,i accept the great work which you now tender as ready for the public use of the two cities which it so substantially and1 at the same time1 so gracefully joins together4 ,the ,city of ,new ,york joyfully unites with the ,city of ,brooklyn in extending to you1 sir1 and to those who have been associated with you1 sincere congratulations upon the successful completion of this grand highway1 establishing1 as it does1 an enduring alliance between these two great cities4 ,through the wisdom1 energy1 zeal and patience of yourself and your co-laborers in this vast enterprise1 we are enabled this day to recognize the fact that a common and unbroken current flows through the veins of these two cities1 which must add in no small degree to the strength1 healthful growth and prosperity of both1 and we believe that what has thus been joined together shall never be put asunder4 ,when1 more than fifteen years ago1 you1 ,mr4 ,president1 foresaw the advantages that would surely accrue to these cities from the establishment of such a means of communication between them1 few could be found to look upon such advantages as other than1 at best1 problematical4 ,to-day1 however1 they are recognized1 and so fully1 that before this ,bridge was completed the building of another not far distant had begun to be seriously considered4 ,it was forty years after the vast advantages of water communication between the ,hudson and the great lakes had dawned upon the mind of ,washington1 in the course of a tour through the valley of the ,mohawk1 that such a work came to be appreciated by the people1 and resulted in that grand artery of wealth to our ,state1 the ,erie ,canal4 ,so ,i believe it has ever been in the past with the initiation and construction of great public works1 and with the introduction of agencies and methods which have been of the greatest benefit to mankind throughout the world1 and so perhaps it will ever be4 ,yet1 for the welfare of these two cities1 let us venture the hope that the tide of improvement and of active preparation is setting in1 for it behooves us more than most are aware to be forecasting our future necessities1 and to recognize the fact that ,there is a tide in the affairs of cities1 ,which1 taken at the flood1 leads on to fortune4 ,it is not difficult for most of us to look back twenty-five years and see clearly the wonderful strides which have been made in population1 commerce1 manufacturing and financial interests1 and in all the industries which help to make great and prosperous communities2 nor is it difficult to trace the wonders that have been wrought through the agencies of steam and electricity within those years4 ,but to look forward twenty-five years and attempt to discern the condition of things in this metropolis1 if they shall continue to move forward on the same scale of progress1 is an undertaking that few can grasp4 ,no one dares accept the possibilities that are forced upon the mind in the course of its contemplation4 ,will these two cities ere then have been consolidated into one great municipality1 numbering within its limits more than five millions of people8 ,will the right of self-government have been accorded to the great city1 thus united1 and will her people have learned how best to exercise that right8 ,will the progress of improvement and the preparation for commerce1 manufactories and trade1 and for the comforts of home for poor and rich1 have kept pace with the demand in the great and growing city8 ,will the establishment of life-giving parks1 embellished with appropriate fountains and statues and with the numberless graces of art1 which at once gladden the eye and raise the standard of civilization1 have kept abreast with its growth in wealth and numbers8 ,these are but few of the pertinent questions which must be answered by the zealous and honest acts of the generation of men already in active life4 ,here are the possibilities2 all the elements and conditions are here2 but the results must depend upon the wisdom and patriotism and energy of those who shall lead in public affairs4 ,may they be clothed with a spirit of wisdom and knowledge akin to that which inspired those who conceived and executed the great work which we receive at your hands and dedicate to-day4 ,,address ,,of ,,hon4 ,,abram ,s4 ,,hewitt4 ,two hundred and seventy years ago the good ship ,tiger1 commanded by ,captain ,adraien ,block1 was burned to the water's edge1 as she lay at anchor1 just off the southern end of ,manhattan ,island4 ,her crew1 thus forced into winter quarters1 were the first white men who built and occupied a house on the land where ,new ,york now stands2 then1 to quote the graphic language of ,mrs4 ,lamb1 in her history of the ,city1 in primeval solitude1 waiting till commerce should come and claim its own4 ,nature wore a hardy countenance1 as wild and as untamed as the savage landholders4 ,manhattan's twenty-two thousand acres of rock1 lake and rolling table land1 rising at places to a height of one hundred and thirty-eight feet1 were covered with sombre forests1 grassy knolls and dismal swamps4 ,the trees were lofty2 and old1 decayed and withered limbs contrasted with the younger growth of branches2 and wild flowers wasted their sweetness among the dead leaves and uncut herbage at their roots4 ,the wanton grapevine swung carelessly from the topmost boughs of the oak and the sycamore2 and blackberry and raspberry bushes1 like a picket guard1 presented a bold front in all possible avenues of approach4 ,the entire surface of the island was bold and granitic1 and in profile resembled the cartilaginous back of the sturgeon4 ,this primeval scene was the product of natural forces working through uncounted periods of time2 the continent slowly rising and falling in the sea like the heaving breast of a world asleep2 glaciers carving patiently through ages the deep estuaries2 seasons innumerable clothing the hills with alternate bloom and decay4 ,the same sun shines to-day upon the same earth2 yet how transformed6 ,could there be a more astounding exhibition of the power of man to change the face of nature than the panoramic view which presents itself to the spectator standing upon the crowning arch of the ,bridge1 whose completion we are here to-day to celebrate in the honored presence of the ,president of the ,united ,states1 with their fifty millions2 of the ,governor of the ,state of ,new ,york1 with its five millions2 and of the ,mayors of the two cities1 aggregating over two millions of inhabitants8 ,in the place of stillness and solitude1 the footsteps of these millions of human beings2 instead of the smooth waters unvexed by any keel1 highways of commerce ablaze with the flags of all the nations2 and where once was the green monotony of forested hills1 the piled and towering splendors of a vast metropolis1 the countless homes of industry1 the echoing marts of trade1 the gorgeous palaces of luxury1 the silent and steadfast spires of worship6 ,to crown all1 the work of separation wrought so surely1 yet so slowly1 by the hand of ,time1 is now reversed in our own day1 and ,manahatta and ,seawanhaka are joined again1 as once they were before the dawn of life in the far azoic ages4 ,it is done6 ,clang of bell and roar of gun ,send the tidings up and down4 ,how the belfries rock and reel6 ,how the great guns1 peal on peal1 ,fling the joy from town to town6 ,what hath ,god wrought6 were the words of wonder1 which ushered into being the magnetic telegraph1 the greatest marvel of the many marvelous inventions of the present century4 ,it was the natural impulse of the pious maiden who chose this first message of reverence and awe1 to look to the ,divine ,power as the author of a new gospel4 ,for it was the invisible1 and not the visible agency1 which addressed itself to her perceptions4 ,neither the bare poles1 nor the slender wire1 nor the silent battery1 could suggest an adequate explanation of the extinction of time and space which was manifest to her senses1 and she could only say1 ,what hath ,god wrought6 ,but when we turn from the unsightly telegraph to the graceful structure at whose portal we stand1 and when the airy outline of its curves of beauty1 pendant between massive towers suggestive of art alone1 is contrasted with the over-reaching vault of heaven above and the ever-moving flood of waters beneath1 the work of omnipotent power1 we are irresistibly moved to exclaim1 ,what hath man wrought6 ,man hath1 indeed1 wrought far more than strikes the eye in this daring undertaking1 by the general judgment of engineers1 without a rival among the wonders of human skill4 ,it is not the work of any one man or of any one age4 ,it is the result of the study1 of the experience1 and of the knowledge of many men in many ages4 ,it is not merely a creation--it is a growth4 ,it stands before us to-day as the sum and epitome of human knowledge2 as the very heir of the ages2 as the latest glory of centuries of patient observation1 profound study and accumulated skill1 gained1 step by step1 in the never-ending struggle of man to subdue the forces of nature to his control and use4 ,in no previous period of the world's history could this ,bridge have been built4 ,within the last hundred years the greater part of the knowledge necessary for its erection has been gained4 ,chemistry was not born until #aggf1 the year when political economy was ushered into the world by ,adam ,smith1 and the ,declaration of ,independence was proclaimed by the ,continental ,congress1 to be maintained at the point of the sword by ,george ,washington4 ,in the same year ,watt produced his successful steam engine1 and a century has not elapsed since the first specimen of his skill was erected on this continent4 ,the law of gravitation was indeed known a hundred years ago1 but the intricate laws of force1 which now control the domain of industry1 had not been developed by the study of physical science1 and their practical applications have only been effectually accomplished within our own day1 and1 indeed1 some of the most important of them during the building of the ,bridge4 ,for use in the caissons1 the perfecting of the electric light came too late1 though1 happily1 in season for the illumination of the finished work4 ,this construction has not only employed every abstract conclusion and formula of mathematics1 whether derived from the study of the earth or the heavens1 but the whole structure may be said to rest upon a mathematical foundation4 ,the great discoveries of chemistry1 showing the composition of water1 the nature of gases1 the properties of metals2 the laws and processes of physics1 from the strains and pressures of mighty masses to the delicate vibrations of molecules1 are all recorded here4 ,every department of human industry is represented1 from the quarrying and the cutting of the stones1 the mining and smelting of the ores1 the conversion of iron into steel by the pneumatic process1 to the final shaping of the masses of metal into useful forms1 and its reduction into wire1 so as to develop in the highest degree the tensile strength which fits it for the work of suspension4 ,every tool which the ingenuity of man has invented has somewhere1 in some special detail1 contributed its share in the accomplishment of the final result4 ,ah6 what a wondrous thing it is ,to note how many wheels of toil ,one word1 one thought can set in motion4 ,but without the most recent discoveries of science1 which have enabled steel to be substituted for iron--applications made since the original plans of the ,bridge were devised--we should have had a structure fit1 indeed1 for use1 but of such moderate capacity that we could not have justified the claim which we are now able to make1 that the cities of ,new ,york and ,brooklyn have constructed1 and to-day rejoice in the possession of1 the crowning glory of an age memorable for great industrial achievements4 ,this is not the proper occasion for describing the details of this undertaking4 ,this grateful task will be performed by the engineer in the final report1 with which every great work is properly committed to the judgment of posterity4 ,but there are some lessons to be drawn from the line of thought ,i have followed which may encourage and comfort us as to the destiny of man and the outcome of human progress4 ,what message1 then1 of hope and cheer does this achievement convey to those who would fain believe that love travels hand in hand with light along the rugged pathway of time8 ,have the discoveries of science1 the triumphs of art and the progress of civilization1 which have made its accomplishment a possibility and a reality1 promoted the welfare of mankind1 and raised the great mass of the people to a higher plane of life8 ,this question can best be answered by comparing the compensation of the labor employed in the building of this ,bridge with the earnings of labor upon works of equal magnitude in ages gone by4 ,the money expended for the work of construction proper on the ,bridge1 exclusive of land damages and other outlays1 such as interest1 not entering into actual cost1 is nine million 7#i1jjj1jjj7 dollars4 ,this money has been distributed in numberless channels--for quarrying1 for mining1 for smelting1 for fabricating the metals1 for shaping the materials1 and erecting the work1 employing every kind and form of human labor4 ,the wages paid at the ,bridge itself may be taken as the fair standard of the wages paid for the work done elsewhere4 ,these wages are3 ,average4 ,laborers1 #a #ge per day4 ,blacksmiths1 #c #ej to #d #jj do4 ,carpenters1 #c #jj to #c #ej do4 ,masons and ,stonecutters1 #c #ej to #d #jj do4 ,riggers1 #b #jj to #b #ej do4 ,painters1 #b #jj to #c #ej do4 ,taking all these kinds of labor into account1 the wages paid for work on the ,bridge will thus average #b4ej per day4 ,now1 if this work had been done at the time when the ,pyramids were built1 with the skill1 appliances and tools then in use1 and if the money available for its execution had been limited to nine million 7#i1jjj1jjj7 dollars1 the laborers employed would have received an average of not more than two cents per day1 in money of the same purchasing power as the coin of the present era4 ,in other words1 the effect of the discoveries of new methods1 tools and laws of force1 has been to raise the wages of labor more than an hundred fold1 in the interval which has elapsed since the ,pyramids were built4 ,i shall not weaken the suggestive force of this statement by any comments upon its astounding evidence of progress1 beyond the obvious corollary that such a state of civilization as gave birth to the ,pyramids would now be the signal for universal bloodshed1 revolution and anarchy4 ,i do not underestimate the hardships borne by the labor of our time4 ,they are1 indeed1 grievous1 and to lighten them is1 as it should be1 the chief concern of statesmanship4 ,but this comparison proves that through forty centuries these hardships have been steadily diminished2 that all the achievements of science1 all the discoveries of art1 all the inventions of genius1 all the progress of civilization1 tend by a higher and immutable law to the steady and certain amelioration of the condition of society4 ,it shows that1 notwithstanding the apparent growth of great fortunes1 due to an era of unparalleled development1 the distribution of the fruits of labor is approaching from age to age to more equitable conditions1 and must1 at last1 reach the plane of absolute justice between man and man4 ,but this is not the only lesson to be drawn from such a comparison4 ,the ,pyramids were built by the sacrifices of the living for the dead4 ,they served no useful purpose1 except to make odious to future generations the tyranny which degrades humanity to the level of the brute4 ,in this age of the world such a waste of effort would not be tolerated4 ,to-day the expenditures of communities are directed to useful purposes4 ,except upon works designed for defence in time of war1 the wealth of society is now mainly expended in opening channels of communication for the free play of commerce1 and the communion of the human race4 ,an analysis of the distribution of the surplus earnings of man after providing food1 shelter and raiment1 shows that they are chiefly absorbed by railways1 canals1 ships1 bridges and telegraphs4 ,in ancient times these objects of expenditure were scarcely known4 ,our ,bridge is one of the most conspicuous examples of this change in the social condition of the world1 and of the feeling of men4 ,in the ,middle ,ages cities walled each other out1 and the fetters of prejudice and tyranny held the energies of man in hopeless bondage4 ,to-day men and nations seek free intercourse with each other1 and much of the force of the intellect and energy of the world is expended in breaking down the barriers established by nature1 or created by man1 to the solidarity of the human race4 ,and yet1 in view of this tendency1 the most striking and characteristic feature of the nineteenth century1 there still are those who believe and teach that obstruction is the creator of wealth2 that the peoples can be made great and free by the erection of artificial barriers to the beneficent action of commerce1 and the unrestricted intercourse of men and nations with each other4 ,if they are right1 then this ,bridge is a colossal blunder1 and the doctrine which bids us to love our neighbors as ourselves is founded upon a misconception of the divine purpose4 ,but the ,bridge is more than an embodiment of the scientific knowledge of physical laws1 or a symbol of social tendencies4 ,it is equally a monument to the moral qualities of the human soul4 ,it could never have been built by mere knowledge and scientific skill alone4 ,it required1 in addition1 the infinite patience and unwearied courage by which great results are achieved4 ,it demanded the endurance of heat1 and cold1 and physical distress4 ,its constructors have had to face death in its most repulsive form4 ,death1 indeed1 was the fate of its great projector1 and dread disease the heritage of the greater engineer who has brought it to completion4 ,the faith of the saint and the courage of the hero have been combined in the conception1 the design and the execution of this work4 ,let us1 then1 record the names of the engineers and foremen who have thus made humanity itself their debtor for a successful achievement1 not the result of accident or of chance1 but the fruit of design1 and of the consecration of all personal interest to the public weal4 ,they are3 ,john ,a4 ,roebling1 who conceived the project and formulated the plan of the ,bridge2 ,washington ,a4 ,roebling1 who1 inheriting his father's genius1 and more than his father's knowledge and skill1 has directed the execution of this great work from its inception to its completion2 aided in the several departments by ,charles ,c4 ,martin1 ,francis ,collingwood1 ,william ,h4 ,paine1 ,george ,w4 ,mc,nulty1 ,wilhelm ,hildenbrand and ,samuel ,r4 ,probasco as assistant engineers2 and as foremen by ,e4,f4 ,farrington1 ,arthur ,v4 ,abbott1 ,william ,van der ,bosch1 ,charles ,young and ,harry ,tupple1 who1 in apparently subordinate positions1 have shown themselves peculiarly fitted to command1 because they have known how to serve4 ,but the record would not be complete without reference to the unnamed men by whose unflinching courage1 in the depths of the caissons1 and upon the suspended wires1 the work was carried on amid storms1 and accidents1 and dangers1 sufficient to appall the stoutest heart4 ,to them we can only render the tribute which history accords to those who fight as privates in the battles of freedom1 with all the more devotion and patriotism because their names will never be known by the world whose benefactors they are4 ,one name1 however1 which may find no place in the official records1 cannot be passed over here in silence4 ,in ancient times when great works were constructed1 a goddess was chosen1 to whose tender care they were dedicated4 ,thus the ruins of the ,acropolis to-day recall the name of ,pallas ,athene to an admiring world4 ,in the ,middle ,ages1 the blessing of some saint was invoked to protect from the rude attacks of the barbarians1 and the destructive hand of time1 the building erected by man's devotion to the worship of ,god4 ,so1 with this ,bridge will ever be coupled the thought of one1 through the subtle alembic of whose brain1 and by whose facile fingers1 communication was maintained between the directing power of its construction1 and the obedient agencies of its execution4 ,it is thus an everlasting monument to the self-sacrificing devotion of woman1 and of her capacity for that higher education from which she has been too long debarred4 ,the name of ,mrs4 ,emily ,warren ,roebling will thus be inseparably associated with all that is admirable in human nature1 and with all that is wonderful in the constructive world of art4 ,this tribute to the engineers1 however1 would not be deserved1 if there is to be found any evidence of deception on their part in the origin of the work1 or any complicity with fraud in its execution and completion4 ,it is this consideration which induced me to accept the unexpected invitation of the trustees to speak for the city of ,new ,york on the present occasion4 ,when they thus honored me1 they did not know that ,john ,a4 ,roebling addressed to me the letter in which he first suggested 7and1 so far as ,i am aware1 he was the first engineer to suggest71 the feasibility of a bridge between the two cities1 so constructed as to preserve unimpaired the freedom of navigation4 ,this letter1 dated ,june #ai1 #aheg1 ,i caused to be printed in the ,new ,york ,journal of ,commerce1 where it attracted great attention because it came from an engineer who had already demonstrated1 by successfully building suspension bridges over the ,schuylkill1 the ,ohio and the ,niagara rivers1 that he spoke with the voice of experience and authority4 ,this letter was the first step towards the construction of the work1 which1 however1 came about in a manner different from his expectations1 and was finally completed on a plan more extensive than he had ventured to describe4 ,it has been charged that the original estimates of cost have been far exceeded by the actual outlay4 ,if this were true1 the words of praise which ,i have uttered for the engineers1 who designed and executed this work1 ought rather to have been a sentence of censure and condemnation4 ,hence1 the invitation which came to me unsought1 seemed rather to be an appeal from the grave for such vindication as it was within my power to make1 and which could not come with equal force from any other quarter4 ,engineers are of two kinds3 the creative and the constructive4 ,the power to conceive great works demands imagination and faith4 ,the creative engineer1 like the poet1 is born1 not made4 ,if to the power to conceive1 is added the ability to execute1 then have we one of those rare geniuses who not only give a decided impulse to civilization1 but add new glory to humanity4 ,such men were ,michael ,angelo1 ,leonardo da ,vinci1 ,watt1 ,wedgwood1 ,brunel1 ,stephenson and ,bessemer2 and such a man was ,john ,a4 ,roebling4 ,it was his striking peculiarity1 that while his conceptions were bold and original1 his execution was always exact1 and within the limits of cost which he assigned to the work of his brain4 ,he had made bridges a study1 and had declared in favor of the suspension principle for heavy traffic1 when the greatest living authorities had condemned it as costly and unsafe4 ,when he undertook to build a suspension bridge for railway use1 he did so in the face of the deliberate judgment of the profession1 that success would be impossible4 ,stephenson had condemned the suspension principle and approved the tubular girder for railway traffic4 ,but it was the ,nemesis of his fate1 that when he came out to approve the location of the great tubular bridge at ,montreal1 he should pass over the ,niagara ,river in a railway train1 on a suspension bridge1 which he had declared to be an impracticable undertaking4 ,when ,roebling suggested the ,bridge over the ,east ,river1 his ideas were limited to the demands of the time1 and controlled by the necessity for a profitable investment4 ,he had no expectation that the two cities would embark in the enterprise4 ,indeed1 in one of his letters so late as ,april #ad1 #ahfj1 he says1 ,as to the corporations of ,new ,york and ,brooklyn undertaking the job1 no such hope may be entertained in our time4 ,in eight years thereafter1 these cities had undertaken the task upon a scale of expense far exceeding his original ideas of a structure1 to be built exclusively by private capital for the sake of profit4 ,how came this miracle to pass8 ,the war of the rebellion occurred1 delaying for a time the further consideration of ,roebling's ideas4 ,this war accustomed the nation to expenditures on a scale of which it had no previous conception4 ,it did more than expend large sums of money4 ,officials became corrupt and organized themselves for plunder4 ,in the city of ,new ,york1 especially1 the government fell into the hands of a band of thieves1 who engaged in a series of great and beneficial public works1 not for the good they might do1 but for the opportunity which they would afford to rob the public treasury4 ,they erected court-houses and armories2 they opened roads1 boulevards and parks2 and they organized two of the grandest devices for transportation which the genius of man has ever conceived2 a rapid transit railway for ,new ,york1 and a great highway between ,new ,york and ,brooklyn4 ,the ,bridge was commenced1 but the ,ring was driven into exile by the force of public indignation1 before the rapid transit scheme1 since executed on a different route by private capital1 was undertaken4 ,the collapse of the ,ring brought the work on the ,bridge to a stand-still4 ,it was a timely event4 ,the patriotic ,new ,yorker might well have exclaimed1 just before this great deliverance1 in the words of the ,consul of ancient ,rome1 in ,macaulay's stirring poem1 ,and if they once may win the bridge1 ,what hope to save the town8 ,meanwhile1 the elder ,roebling had died1 leaving behind him his estimates and the general plans of the structure1 to cost1 independent of land damages and interest1 about #g1jjj1jjj4 ,this great work which1 if not conceived in sin1 was brought forth in iniquity1 thus became the object of great suspicion1 and of a prejudice which has not been removed to this day4 ,i know that to many ,i make a startling announcement1 when ,i state the incontrovertible fact1 that no money was ever stolen by the ,ring from the funds of the ,bridge2 that the whole money raised has been honestly expended2 that the estimates for construction have not been materially exceeded2 and that the excess of cost over the estimates is due to purchases of land which were never included in the estimates2 to interest paid on the city subscriptions2 to the cost of additional height and breadth of the ,bridge2 and the increase in strength rendered necessary by a better comprehension of the volume of traffic between the two cities4 ,the items covered by the original estimate of #g1jjj1jjj have thus been raised to #i1jjj1jjj1 so that #b1jjj1jjj represents the addition to the original estimates4 ,for this excess1 amounting to less than thirty per cent41 there is actual value in the ,bridge in dimension and strength1 whereby its working capacity has been greatly increased4 ,the carriage-ways1 as originally designed1 would have permitted only a single line of vehicles in each direction4 ,the speed of the entire procession1 more than a mile long1 would1 therefore1 have been limited by the rate of the slowest2 and every accident causing stoppage to a single cart would have stopped everything behind it for an indefinite period4 ,it is not too much to say that the removal of this objection1 by widening the carriage-ways1 has multiplied manifold the practical usefulness of the ,bridge4 ,the statement ,i have made is due to the memory not only of ,john ,a4 ,roebling1 but also of ,henry ,c4 ,murphy1 that great man who devoted his last years to this enterprise2 and who1 having1 like ,moses1 led the people through the toilsome way1 was permitted only to look1 but not to enter upon the promised land4 ,this testimony is due also to the living trustees and to the engineers who have controlled and directed this large expenditure in the public service1 the latter1 in the conscientious discharge of professional duty2 and the former1 with no other object than the welfare of the public1 and without any other possible reward than the good opinion of their fellow-citizens4 ,i do not make this statement without a full sense of the responsibility which it involves1 and ,i realize that its accuracy will shortly be tested by the report of experts who are now examining the accounts4 ,but it will be found that ,i have spoken the words of truth and soberness4 ,when the ,ring absconded ,i was asked by ,william ,c4 ,havemeyer1 then the ,mayor of ,new ,york1 to become a trustee1 in order to investigate the expenditures1 and to report as to the propriety of going on with the work4 ,this duty was performed without fear or favor4 ,the methods by which the ,ring proposed to benefit themselves were clear enough1 but its members fled before they succeeded in reimbursing themselves for the preliminary expenses which they had defrayed4 ,with their flight a new era commenced1 and during the three years when ,i acted as a trustee1 ,i am sure that no fraud was committed1 and that none was possible4 ,since that time the ,board has been controlled by trustees1 some of whom are thorough experts in bridge building1 and the others men of such high character that the suggestion of malpractice is improbable to absurdity4 ,the ,bridge has not only been honestly built1 but it may be safely asserted that it could not now be duplicated at the same cost4 ,much money might1 however1 have been saved if the work had not been delayed through want of means1 and unnecessary obstacles interposed by mistaken public officials4 ,moreover1 measured by its capacity1 and the limitations imposed on its construction by its relation to the interests of traffic and navigation1 it is the cheapest structure ever erected by the genius of man4 ,this will be made evident by a single comparison with the ,britannia ,tubular ,bridge erected by ,stephenson over the ,menai ,straits4 ,he adopted the tubular principle1 because he believed that the suspension principle could not be made practical for railway traffic1 although he had to deal with spans not greater than #dgj feet4 ,he built a structure that contained #aj1edj tons of iron1 and cost #fja1jjj pounds sterling1 or about #c1jjj1jjj4 ,fortunately he has left a calculation on record as to the possible extension of the tubular girder1 showing that it would reach the limits in which it could bear only its own weight 7#fb1jjj tons71 at #a1egj feet4 ,now1 for a span of #a1eie-a_/b feet1 the ,brooklyn ,bridge contains but #f1gdj tons of material1 and will sustain seven times its own weight4 ,its cost is #i1jjj1jjj1 whereas a tubular bridge for the same span would contain ten times the weight of metal1 and though costing twice as much money1 would be without the ability to do any useful work4 ,roebling1 therefore1 solved the problem which had defied ,stephenson2 and upon his design has been built a successful structure1 at half the cost of a tubular bridge that would have fallen when loaded in actual use4 ,it is impossible to furnish any more striking proof of the genius which originated1 and of the economy which constructed this triumph of ,american engineering4 ,we have thus a monument to the public spirit of the two cities1 created by an expenditure as honest and as economical as the management which gave us the ,erie ,canal1 the ,croton ,aqueduct1 and the ,central ,park4 ,otherwise1 it would have been a monument to the eternal infamy of the trustees and of the engineers under whose supervision it has been erected1 and this brings me to the final consideration which ,i feel constrained to offer on this point4 ,during all these years of trial1 and false report1 a great soul lay in the shadow of death1 praying only to stay long enough for the completion of the work to which he had devoted his life4 ,i say a great soul1 for in the spring-time of youth1 with friends and fortune at his command1 he gave himself to his country1 and for her sake braved death on many a well-fought battle-field4 ,when restored to civil life1 his health was sacrificed to the duties which had devolved upon him1 as the inheritor of his father's fame1 and the executor of his father's plans4 ,living only for honor1 and freed from the temptations of narrow means1 how is it conceivable that such a man--whose approval was necessary to every expenditure--should1 by conniving with jobbers1 throw away more than the life which was dear to him1 that he might fulfill his destiny1 and leave to his children the heritage of a good name and the glory of a grand achievement8 ,well may this suffering hero quote the words of ,hyperion3 ,oh1 ,i have looked with wonder upon those1 who1 in sorrow and privation1 and bodily discomfort1 and sickness1 which is the shadow of death1 have worked right on to the accomplishment of their great purposes2 toiling much1 enduring much1 fulfilling much2 and then1 with shattered nerves1 and sinews all unstrung1 have laid themselves down in the grave1 and slept the sleep of death1 and the world talks of them while they sleep6 ,and as in the sun's eclipse we can behold the great stars shining in the heavens1 so in this life-eclipse have these men beheld the lights of the great eternity1 burning solemnly and forever6 ,and now what is to be the outcome of this great expenditure upon the highway which unites the two cities1 for which ,dr4 ,storrs and ,i have the honor to speak to-day8 ,that ,brooklyn will gain in numbers and in wealth with accelerated speed is a foregone conclusion4 ,whether this gain shall in any wise be at the expense of ,new ,york1 is a matter in regard to which the great metropolis does not concern herself4 ,her citizens are content with the knowledge that she exists and grows with the growth of the whole country1 of whose progress and prosperity she is but the exponent and the index4 ,will the ,bridge lead1 as has been forcibly suggested1 and in some quarters hopefully anticipated1 to the further union of the two cities under one name and one government8 ,this suggestion is in part sentimental and in part practical4 ,so far as the union in name is concerned1 it is scarcely worth consideration1 for in any comparison which our national or local pride may institute between this metropolis and the other great cities of the world1 its environment1 whether in ,long ,island1 ,staten ,island1 or ,new ,jersey1 will always be included4 ,in considering the population of ,london1 no one ever separates the city proper from the surrounding parts4 ,they are properly regarded as one homogeneous aggregation of human beings4 ,it is only when we come to consider the problem of governing great masses that the serious elements of the question present themselves1 and must be determined before a satisfactory answer can be given4 ,the tendency of modern civilization is towards the concentration of population in dense masses4 ,this is due to the higher and more diversified life1 which can be secured by association and co-operation on a large scale1 affording not merely greater comfort and often luxury1 but actually distributing the fruits of labor on a more equitable basis than is possible in sparsely settled regions and among feeble communities4 ,the great improvements of our day in labor-saving machinery1 and its application to agriculture1 enable the nation to be fed with a less percentage of its total force thus applied1 and leave a larger margin of population free to engage in such other pursuits as are best carried on in large cities4 ,the disclosures of the last census prove the truth of this statement4 ,at the first census in #agij the population resident in cities was #c4c per cent4 of the total population4 ,this percentage slowly gained at each successive census1 until in #ahdj it had reached #h4e per cent4 ,in fifty years it had thus gained a little over five per cent4 ,but in #ahej it rose to #ab4e per cent42 in #ahfj it was #af4a per cent42 in #ahgj it was #bj4i per cent41 having in this one decade gained as much as in the first fifty years of our political existence4 ,in #ahhj the population resident in cities was #bb4e per cent4 of the whole population4 ,with this rapid growth of urban population1 have grown the contemporaneous complaints of corrupt administration and bad municipal government4 ,the outcry may be said to be universal1 for it comes from both sides of the ,atlantic2 and the complaints appear to be in direct proportion to the size of cities4 ,it is obvious1 therefore1 that the knowledge of the art of local government has not kept pace with the growth of population4 ,i am here by your favor to speak for the city of ,new ,york1 and ,i should be the last person to throw any discredit on its fair fame2 but ,i think ,i only give voice to the general feeling1 when ,i say that the citizens of ,new ,york are satisfied neither with the structure of its government1 nor with its actual administration1 even when it is in the hands of intelligent and honest officials4 ,dissatisfied as we are1 no man has been able to devise a system which commends itself to the general approval1 and it may be asserted that the remedy is not to be found in devices for any special machinery of government4 ,experiments without number have been tried1 and suggestions in infinite variety have been offered1 but to-day no man can say that we have approached any nearer to the idea of good government1 which is demanded by the intelligence and the wants of the community4 ,if1 therefore1 ,new ,york has not yet learned to govern itself1 how can it be expected to be better governed by adding half a million to its population1 and a great territory to its area1 unless it be with the idea that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump4 ,is ,brooklyn that leaven8 ,if not1 and if possibly the salt has lost its savor1 wherewith shall it be salted8 ,brooklyn is now struggling with this problem1 it remains to be seen with what success2 but meanwhile it is idle to consider the idea of getting rid of our common evils by adding them together4 ,besides it is a fundamental axiom in politics1 approved by the experience of older countries1 as well as of our own1 that the sources of power should never be far removed from those who are to feel its exercise4 ,it is the violation of this principle which produces chronic revolution in ,france1 and makes the ,british rule so obnoxious to the ,irish people4 ,this evil is happily avoided when a natural boundary circumscribes administration within narrow limits4 ,while1 therefore1 we rejoice together at the new bond between ,new ,york and ,brooklyn1 we ought to rejoice the more1 that it destroys none of the conditions which permit each city to govern itself1 but rather urges them to a generous rivalry in perfecting each its own government1 recognizing the truth1 that there is no true liberty without law1 and that eternal vigilance1 which is the only safeguard of liberty1 can best be exercised within limited areas4 ,it would be a most fortunate conclusion1 if the completion of this ,bridge should arouse public attention to the absolute necessity of good municipal government1 and recall the only principle upon which it can ever be successfully founded4 ,there is reason to hope that this result will follow1 because the erection of this structure shows how a problem1 analogous to that which confronts us in regard to the city government1 has been met and solved in the domain of physical science4 ,the men who controlled this enterprise at the outset were not all of the best type2 some of them1 as we have seen1 were public jobbers4 ,but they knew that they could not build a bridge1 although they had no doubt of their ability to govern a city4 ,they thereupon proceeded to organize the knowledge which existed as to the construction of bridges2 and they held the organization thus created responsible for results4 ,now1 we know that it is at least as difficult to govern a city as to build a bridge1 and yet1 as citizens1 we have deliberately allowed the ignorance of the community to be organized for its government1 and we then complain that it is a failure4 ,until we imitate the example of the ,ring1 and organize the intelligence of the community for its government1 our complaint is childish and unreasonable4 ,but we shall be told that there is no analogy between building a bridge and governing a city4 ,let us examine this objection4 ,a city is made up of infinite interests4 ,they vary from hour to hour1 and conflict is the law of their being4 ,many of the elements of social life are what mathematicians term variables of the independent order4 ,the problem is1 to reconcile these conflicting interests and variable elements into one organization which shall work without jar1 and allow each citizen to pursue his calling1 if it be an honest one1 in peace and quiet4 ,now1 turn to the ,bridge4 ,it looks like a motionless mass of masonry and metal2 but1 as a matter of fact1 it is instinct with motion4 ,there is not a particle of matter in it which is at rest even for the minutest portion of time4 ,it is an aggregation of unstable elements1 changing with every change in the temperature1 and every movement of the heavenly bodies4 ,the problem was1 out of these unstable elements1 to produce absolute stability2 and it was this problem which the engineers1 the organized intelligence1 had to solve1 or confess to inglorious failure4 ,the problem has been solved4 ,in the first construction of suspension bridges it was attempted to check1 repress and overcome their motion1 and failure resulted4 ,it was then seen that motion is the law of existence for suspension bridges1 and provision was made for its free play4 ,then they became a success4 ,the ,bridge before us elongates and contracts between the extremes of temperature from #ad to #af inches2 the vertical rise and fall in the centre of the main span ranges between #b ft4 #c in4 and #b ft4 #i in42 and before the suspenders were attached to the cable it actually revolved on its own axis through an arc of thirty degrees1 when exposed to the sun shining upon it on one side4 ,you do not perceive this motion1 and you would know nothing about it unless you watched the gauges which record its movement4 ,now if our political system were guided by organized intelligence1 it would not seek to repress the free play of human interests and emotions1 of human hopes and fears1 but would make provision for their development and exercise1 in accordance with the higher law of liberty and morality4 ,a large portion of our vices and crimes are created either by law1 or its maladministration4 ,these laws exist because organized ignorance1 like a highwayman with a club1 is permitted to stand in the way of wise legislation and honest administration1 and to demand satisfaction from the spoils of office1 and the profits of contracts4 ,of this state of affairs we complain1 and on great occasions the community arises in its wrath1 and visits summary punishment on the offenders of the hour1 and then relapses into chronic grumbling until grievances sufficiently accumulate to stir it again to action4 ,what is the remedy for this state of affairs8 ,shall there be no more political parties1 and shall we shatter the political machinery which1 bad as it is1 is far better than no machinery at all8 ,shall we embrace nihilism as our creed1 because we have practical communism forced upon us as the consequence of jobbery1 and the imposition of unjust taxes8 ,no1 let us rather learn the lesson of the ,bridge4 ,instead of attempting to restrict suffrage1 let us try to educate the voters2 instead of disbanding parties1 let each citizen within the party always vote1 but never for a man who is unfit to hold office4 ,thus parties1 as well as voters1 will be organized on the basis of intelligence4 ,but what man is fit to hold office8 ,only he who regards political office as a public trust1 and not as a private perquisite to be used for the pecuniary advantage of himself or his family1 or even his party4 ,is there intelligence enough in these cities1 if thus organized within the parties1 to produce the result which we desire8 ,why1 the overthrow of the ,tweed ,ring was conclusive evidence of the preponderance of public virtue in the city of ,new ,york4 ,in no other country in the world1 and in no other political system than one which provides for and secures universal suffrage1 would such a sudden and peaceful revolution have been possible4 ,the demonstration of this fact was richly worth the twenty-five or thirty millions of dollars which the thieves had stolen4 ,thereafter1 and thenceforth1 there could be no doubt whether our city population1 heterogeneous as it is1 contains within itself sufficient virtue for its own preservation4 ,let it never be forgotten that the remedy is complete2 that it is ever present2 that no man ought to be deprived of the opportunity of its exercise2 and that1 if it be exercised1 the will of the community can never be paralyzed4 ,our safety and our success rest on the ballot in the hands of freemen at the polls1 deliberately deposited1 never for an unworthy man1 but always with a profound sense of the responsibility which should govern every citizen in the exercise of this fundamental right4 ,if the lesson of the ,bridge1 which ,i have thus sought to enforce1 shall revive the confidence of the people in their own power1 and induce them to use it practically for the election to office of good men1 clothed1 as were the engineers1 with sufficient authority1 and held1 as they were1 to corresponding responsibility for results1 then1 indeed1 will its completion be a public blessing1 worthy of the new era of industrial development in which it is our fortunate lot to live4 ,great1 indeed1 has been our national progress4 ,perhaps we1 who belong to a commercial community1 do not fully realize its significance and promise4 ,we buy and sell stocks1 without stopping to think that they represent the most astonishing achievements of enterprise and skill in the magical extension of our vast railway system2 we speculate in wheat1 without reflecting on the stupendous fact that the plains of ,dakota and ,california are feeding hungry mouths in ,europe2 we hear that the ,treasury has made a call for bonds1 and forget that the rapid extinction of our national debt is a proof of our prosperity and patriotism1 as wonderful to the world as was the power we exhibited in the struggle which left that apparently crushing burden upon us4 ,if1 then1 we deal successfully with the evils which threaten our political life1 who can venture to predict the limits of our future wealth and glory--wealth that shall enrich all2 glory that shall be no selfish heritage1 but the blessing of mankind8 ,beyond all legends of oriental treasure1 beyond all dreams of the golden age1 will be the splendor1 and majesty1 and happiness of the free people dwelling upon this fair domain1 when fulfilling the promise of the ages and the hopes of humanity they shall have learned how to make equitable distribution among themselves of the fruits of their common labor4 ,then1 indeed1 will be realized by a waiting world the youthful vision of our own ,bryant3 ,here the free spirit of mankind at length ,throws its last fetters off2 and who shall place ,a limit to the giant's untamed strength1 ,or curb its swiftness in the forward race8 ,far1 like the comet's way through infinite space1 ,stretches the long untraveled path of light ,into the depths of ages2 we may trace ,distant1 the brightening glory of its flight1 ,till the receding rays are lost to human sight4 ,at the ocean gateway of such a nation well may stand the stately figure of ,liberty enlightening the ,world2 and1 in hope and faith1 as well as gratitude1 we write upon the towers of our beautiful ,bridge1 to be illuminated by her electric ray1 the words of exultation1 ,finis coronat opus4 ,,oration ,,of ,,richard ,s4 ,,storrs1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,,mr4 ,,chairman--,,fellow-,,citizens3 ,it can surprise no one that we celebrate the completion of this great work1 in which lines of delicate and aerial grace are combined with a strength more enduring than of marbles1 and the woven wires prolong to these heights the metropolitan avenues4 ,after delays which have often disturbed the popular patience1 and have oftener disappointed the hopes of the builders1 we gratefully welcome this superb consummation3 rejoicing to know that the silver streak which so long has divided this city from the continent1 is conquered1 henceforth1 by the silver band stretching above it1 careless alike of wind and tide1 of ice and fog1 of current and of calm4 ,to the mind which1 for fourteen years1 has watched1 guided1 and governed the work1 looking out upon it through physical organs almost fatally smitten in its prosecution1 we bring our eager and unanimous tribute of honor and applause4 ,he who took up1 elaborated1 and has brought to fulfillment the plans of the father whose own life had been sacrificed in their furtherance1 has builded to both the noblest memorial4 ,he may with truth have said1 heretofore1 as the furnaces have glowed from which this welded network has come1 in the words of ,schiller's ,lay of the ,bell3 ,deep hid within the nether cell ,what ,force with ,fire is moulding thus1 ,in yonder airy towers shall dwell1 ,and witness wide and far of us4 ,he may1 at this hour1 add for himself the lines which the poet hears from the lips of his ,house-,master3 ,my house is built upon a rock1 ,and sees unmoved the stormy shock ,of waves that fret below4 ,it must be a superlative moment in life when one stands on a structure as majestic as this which was at first a mere thought in the brain1 which was afterward a plan on the paper1 and which has been transported hither1 from quarry and mine1 from wood-yard and workshop1 on the point of his pencil4 ,he would be the first to acknowledge also1 if he were speaking1 the intelligent1 faithful1 indefatigable service rendered in execution of his plans by those who have been associated with him1 as assistant engineers1 as master mechanics1 or as trained1 trusted1 and experienced workmen4 ,on their knowledge and vigilance1 their practiced skill and patient fidelity1 the work has of necessity largely depended for its completed grace and strength4 ,they have wrought the zealous labor of years into all parts of it2 and it will bear to them hereafter1 as it does to-day1 most honorable witness4 ,some of our honored fellow-citizens1 who have borne a distinguished part in this enterprise1 are no more here to share our festivities4 ,mr4 ,john ,h4 ,prentice1 for years the ,treasurer of the ,board1 wise in counsel1 of a liberal yet a watchful economy1 of incorruptible integrity1 passed from the earth two years ago2 but to those who knew him his memory is as fresh as the verdure above his grave at ,greenwood4 ,more lately1 one who had been from the outset associated with what to many appeared this visionary plan1 to whose capacity and experience1 his legal skill1 his legislative influence1 his social distinction1 the work has been always largely indebted1 and who was for years the ,president of the ,board1 has followed into the silent land4 ,it is a grief to all who knew him that he is not here to see the consummation of labors and plans which for years had occupied his life4 ,but his face and figure are before us1 almost as distinctly as if he were present2 and it will be only the dullest forgetfulness which can ever cease to connect with this ,bridge the name of the accomplished scholar1 the experienced diplomatist1 the untiring worker1 the cordial and ever-helpful friend1 ,mr4 ,henry ,c4 ,murphy4 ,but others remain to whom the work has brought its burdens1 of labor1 care1 and long solicitude1 sometimes1 no doubt1 of a public criticism whose imperious sharpness they may have felt1 but who have followed their plans to completion1 without wavering or pause2 who have1 indeed1 expanded those plans as the progress of the work has suggested enlargement2 and who1 to-day1 enter the reward which belongs to those who1 after promoting a magnificent enterprise1 see it accomplished4 ,among them are two who were associated with it at the beginning1 and who have continued so associated from that day to this--,mr4 ,william ,c4 ,kingsley1 ,mr4 ,james ,s4,t4 ,stranahan4 ,the judgment cannot be mistaken which affirms that to these men1 more than to any other citizens remaining among us1 the prosecution of this work to its crowning success is properly ascribed4 ,they are the true orators of the hour4 ,we may praise1 but they have builded4 ,on the tenacity of their purpose1 of which that of these combining wires only presents the physical image1--on the lift of their wills1 stronger than of these consenting cables1--the immense structure has risen to its place4 ,no grander work has it been given to men to do for the city1 which will feel the unfailing impulse of their foresight and courage1 their wisdom in counsel1 and their resolute service1 to the end of its history6 ,mr4 ,william ,marshall1 ,gen4 ,henry ,w4 ,slocum1 were also connected with the work at the outset1 and1 with intervals in the period of their service1 have given it important assistance to the end2 while others are with us who have joined with intelligence1 enthusiasm1 and helpfulness in the councils of the ,board at different times4 ,we rejoice in the presence of all those who1 earlier or later1 have taken part in the plans1 at once vast and minute1 which now are realized4 ,we offer them the tribute of our admiring and grateful esteem4 ,we trust that their remembrance of the work they have accomplished1 and their personal experience of its manifold benefits1 may continue through many happy years4 ,and we congratulate ourselves1 as well as them1 that the city will keep the memorial of them1 not in yonder tablets alone1 but in the great fabric above which those stand1 while stone and steel retain their strength4 ,but1 after all1 the real builder of this surpassing and significant structure has been the people3 whose watchfulness of its progress has been constant1 whose desire for its benefits has been the incentive behind its plans1 by whom its treasury has been supplied1 whose exultant gladness now welcomes its success4 ,the people of ,new ,york have illustrated anew their magnanimous spirit in cheerfully supplying their share of the cost1 though not anticipating from such large outlay direct reliefs and signal advantages4 ,the people of ,brooklyn have shown at least an intelligent1 intrepid1 and far-sighted sagacity1 in readily accepting the immediate burdens in expectation of future returns4 ,such a popular achievement is one to be proud of4 ,st4 ,petersburg could be commenced #ahj years ago--almost to a day1 on ,may #bgth1 #agjc--;and could afterward be built1 by the will of an autocrat1 to give him a new centre of empire1 with a nearer outlook over ,europe2 its palaces rising on artificial foundations1 which it cost1 it is said1 #ajj1jjj lives in the first year to lay4 ,paris could be reconstructed1 twenty-five years ago1 by the mandate of an emperor1 determined to make it more beautiful than before1 to open new avenues for guns and troops1 to give to its laborers1 who might become troublesome1 desired occupation4 ,but not only have these cities of ours been founded1 built1 reconstructed by the people1 but this charming and mighty avenue in the air1 by which they are henceforth rebuilt into one1 is to the people's honor and praise4 ,it shows what multitudes1 democratically organized1 can do if they will4 ,it will show1 to those who shall succeed us1 to what largeness of enterprise1 what patience of purpose1 what liberal wisdom1 the populations now ruling these associated cities were competent in their time4 ,it takes the aspect1 as so regarded1 of a durable monument to ,democracy itself4 ,we congratulate the ,mayors of both the cities1 with their associates in the government of them1 on the public spirit manifested by both1 on the ampler opportunities offered to each1 and on those intimate alliances between them which are a source of happiness to both1 and which are almost certainly prophetic of an organic union to be realized hereafter4 ,and we trust that the crosses1 encircled by the laurel wreath1 on the original seal of ,new ,amsterdam1 with the ,dutch legend of this city1 ,union makes ,strength1 may continue to describe them1 whether or not stamped upon parchments and blazoned on banners1 as long as human eyes shall see them4 ,the work now completed is of interest to both cities1 and its enduring and multiplying benefits will be found1 we are confident1 to be common1 not local4 ,we who have made and steadfastly kept our homes in ,brooklyn1 and who are fond and proud of the city--for its fresh1 bracing1 and healthful air1 and the brilliant outstretch of sea and land which opens from its ,heights2 for its scores of thousands of prosperous homes2 for its unsurpassed schools1 its co-operating churches1 the social temper which pervades it1 the independence and enterprise of its journals1 and the local enthusiasms which they fruitfully foster2 for its general liberality1 and the occasional splendid examples of individual munificence which have given it fame2 for its recent but energetic institutions1 of literature1 art1 and a noble philanthropy2 and for the stimulating enterprise and culture of the young life which is coming to command in it--we have obvious reason to rejoice in the work which brings us into nearer connection with all that is delightful and all that is enriching in the metropolis1 and with that diverging system of railways1 overspreading the continent1 which has in the commercial capital its natural centre of radiation4 ,we have no word of criticism to speak1 only words of most hearty admiration1 for the safe and speedy water-service on the lines of the ferries which has given us heretofore such easy transportation from city to city1 without delays that were not unavoidable1 and with remarkable exemption from disaster4 ,so far as human carefulness and skill could assure safety and speed1 in the midst of conditions unfriendly to both1 the management of these ferries has been peerless1 their success unsurpassed4 ,to them is due1 in largest measure1 the rapid growth already here realized4 ,they have formed the indispensable arteries1 of supply and transmission1 through which the circulating life-blood has flowed1 and their ministry to this city has been constant and vital4 ,but we confess ourselves glad to reach1 with surer certainty and a greater rapidity1 the libraries and galleries1 the churches and the homes1 as well as the resorts of business and of pleasure1 with which we are now in instant connection2 and the horizon widens around us as we touch with more immediate contact the lines of travel which open hence to the edges of the continent4 ,if we have not as much to offer in immediate return1 we have1 at least1 a broad expanse of uncovered acres within the city1 for the easy occupation of those who wish homes1 either modest or splendid1 or who shall wish such as the growth of the metropolis multiplies its population into the millions1 crowds its roofs higher toward the stars1 and makes a productive silver mine of each several house-lot4 ,and to those who visit us but at intervals we can open not only yonder park1 set like an emerald in the great circular sweep of our boundaries from the waters of the ,narrows to the waters of the ,sound1 but also their readiest approach to the ocean4 ,the capital and the sea are henceforth brought to nearer neighborhood4 ,long ,island bays1 and brooks1 and beaches1 are within readier reach of the town4 ,the winds that have touched no other land this side of ,cuba are more accessible to those who seek their tonic breath4 ,the long roll of the surf on the shore breaks closer than before to office and mansion1 and to tenement chamber4 ,the benefits will1 therefore1 be reciprocal1 which pass back and forth across this solid and stately frame-work2 and both cities will rejoice1 we gladly hope1 in the patience and labor1 the disciplined skill1 the large expenditure1 of which it is the trophy and fruit4 ,new ,york has now the unique opportunity to widen its boundaries to the sea1 and around its brilliant civic shield1 more stately and manifold than that of ,achilles1 by the aid of those who have wrought already these twisted bracelets and clasping cables1 to set the glowing margin of the ,ocean-stream4 ,this work is important1 too1 we cannot but feel1 in wider relations2 for what it signifies1 as for what it secures1 and for all that it promises4 ,itself a representative product and part of the new civilization1 one standing on it finds an outlook from it of larger circumference than that of these cities4 ,every enterprise like this1 successfully accomplished1 becomes an incentive to others like it4 ,it leads on to such1 and supplies incessant encouragement to them4 ,we may not know1 or probably conjecture1 what these are to be1 in the city or the ,state1 in the years that shall come4 ,but1 whatever they may be1 for the more complete equipment of either with conditions of happiness and the instruments of progress1 they will all take an impulse from that which here has been accomplished4 ,such a trophy of triumph over an original obstacle of ,nature will not contribute to sleep in others2 and whatever is needed of material improvement1 throughout the ,state of which it is our pride to be citizens1 will be only more surely and speedily supplied because of this impressive success4 ,it is1 therefore1 most fitting to our festival that we are permitted to welcome to it the ,chief ,magistrate of the ,state1 with those representing its different regions in the legislative councils4 ,we rejoice to remember that the work before us has been assisted by the favoring action of those heretofore in authority in the ,state2 and we trust that to those now holding high offices in it1 who are present to-day1 the occasion will be one of pleasant experience1 and of enlarged and reinforced expectation4 ,indeed1 it is not extravagant to say that the future of the country opens before us1 as we see what skill and will can do to overleap obstacles1 and make nature subservient to human designs4 ,so we gladly welcome these eminent men from other ,states2 while the presence of the ,executive ,head of the ,nation1 and of some of the members of his ,cabinet1 is appropriate to the time1 as it is an occasion of sincere and profound gratification to us all4 ,without the concurrence of the ,national ,government1 this structure1 though primarily of local relations1 as reaching across these navigable waters1 could not have been built4 ,we feel assured that those honorably representing that ,government1 who favor its completion with their attendance1 and in whose presence political differences are forgotten1 will share with us in the joyful pride with which we regard it1 and in the inspiring anticipation that the physical apparatus of civilization in the land is to take fresh impulse1 not impediment or hindrance1 from that which here has been effected4 ,the day seems brought distinctly nearer when the ,nation1 equipped with the latest implements furnished by science1 shall master and use as never before its rich domain4 ,not only the modern spirit is here1 even in eminence1 which dares great effort for great advantage2 but the chiefest of modern instruments is here1 which is the ancient untractable iron1 transfigured into steel4 ,it was a sign1 and even a measure1 of ancient degeneracy1 when the age of ,gold was followed if not forgotten by one of ,iron4 ,decadence of arts1 of learning and laws1 of society itself1 was implied in the fact4 ,the more intrepid intelligence1 the more versatile energy1 amid which we live1 have achieved the success of combining the two3 so that while it is true now1 as of old1 that no mattock plunges a golden edge into the ground1 and no nail drives a silver point into the plank1 it is also true that1 under the stimulus of the larger expenditure which the added supplies of gold make possible1 the duller metal has taken a fineness1 a brightness and hardness1 with a tensile strength1 before unfamiliar4 ,the iron1 as of old1 quarries the gold1 and cuts it out from river-bed and from rock4 ,but1 under the alchemy which gold applies1 the iron takes nobler properties upon it4 ,converted into steel1 in masses that would lately have staggered men's thoughts1 it becomes the kingliest instrument of peoples for subduing the earth4 ,things dainty and things mighty are fashioned from it in equal abundance3--gun-carriage and cannon1 with the solid platforms on which they rest2 the largest castings1 and heaviest plates1 as well as wheel1 axle1 and rail1 as well as screw or file or saw4 ,it is shaped into the hulls of ships4 ,it is built alike into column and truss1 balcony1 roof1 and springing dome4 ,to the loom and the press1 and the boiler from whose fierce and untiring heart their force is supplied1 it is equally apt2 while1 as drawn into delicate wires1 it is coiled into springs1 woven into gauze1 sharpened into needles1 twisted into ropes2 it is made to yield music in all our homes2 electric currents are sent upon it1 along our streets1 around the world2 it enables us to talk with correspondents afar1 or it is knit1 as before our eyes1 into the new and noble causeways of pleasure and of commerce4 ,i hardly think that we yet appreciate the significance of this change which has passed upon iron4 ,it is the industrial victory of the century1 not to have heaped the extracted gold in higher piles1 or to have crowded the bursting vaults with accumulated silver1 but to have conferred1 by the sovereign touch of scientific invention1 flexibility1 grace1 variety of use1 an almost ethereal and spiritual virtue1 on the stubbornest of common metals4 ,the indications of physical achievement in the future1 thus inaugurated1 outrun the compass of human thought4 ,two bridges lie near each other1 across the historical stream of the ,moldau1 under the shadow of the ancient and haughty palace at ,prague--the one the picturesque bridge of ,st4 ,nepomuk1 patron of bridges throughout ,bohemia1 of massive stone1 which occupied a century and a half in its erection1 and was finished almost four centuries ago1 with stately statues along its sides1 with a superb monument at its end1 sustaining symbolic and portrait figures2 the other an iron suspension-bridge1 built and finished in three years1 a half century since1 and singularly contrasting1 in its lightness and grace1 the sombre solidity of the first4 ,it is impossible to look upon the two without feeling how distinctly the different ages to which they belong are indicated by them1 and how the ceremonial and military character of the centuries that are past has been superseded by the rapid and practical spirit of commerce4 ,but the modern bridge is there a small one1 and rests at the centre on an island and a pier4 ,the structure before us1 the largest of its class as yet in the world1 in its swifter1 more graceful1 and more daring leap from bank to bank1 across the tides of this arm of the sea1 not only illustrates the bolder temper which is natural here1 the readiness to attempt unparalleled works1 the disdain of difficulties in unfaltering reliance on exact calculation1 but1 in the material out of which it is wrought1 it shows the new supremacy of man over the metal which1 in former time1 he scarcely could use save for rude and coarse implements4 ,the steel of the blades of ,damascus or ,toledo is not here needed2 nor that of the chisel1 the knife-blade1 the watch-spring1 or the surgical instrument4 ,but the steel of the medival lance-head or sabre was hardly finer than that which is here built into a ,castle1 which the sea cannot shake1 whose binding cement the rains cannot loosen1 and before whose undecaying parapets open fairer visions of island and town1 of earth1 water1 and sky1 than from any fortress along the ,rhine4 ,there is inexhaustible promise in the fact4 ,of course1 too1 there is impressively before us--installed as on this fair and brilliant civic throne--that desire for swiftest intercommunication between towns and districts divided from each other1 which belongs to our times1 and which is to be an energetic1 enduring1 and salutary force in moulding the nation4 ,the years are not distant in which separated communities regarded each other with aversion and distrust1 and the effort was mutual to raise barriers between them1 not to unite them in closer alliance4 ,now1 the traffic of one is vitally dependent on the industries of the other2 the counting-room in the one has the factory or the warehouse tributary to it established in the other2 and the demand is imperative that the two be linked1 by all possible mechanisms1 in a union as complete as if no chasm had opened between them4 ,so these cities are henceforth united2 and so all cities1 which may minister to each other1 are bound more and more in intimate combinations4 ,santa ,f1 which soon celebrates the third of a millenium since its foundation1 reaches out its connections toward the newest log-city in ,washington ,territory2 and the oldest towns upon our seaboard find allies in those that have risen1 like exhalations1 along the ,western lakes and rivers4 ,this mighty and symmetrical band before us seems to stand as the type of all that immeasurable communicating system which is more completely with every year to interlink cities1 to confederate ,states1 to make one country of our distributed imperial domain1 and to weave its history into a vast1 harmonious contexture1 as messages fly instantaneously across it1 and the rapid trains rush back and forth1 like shuttles upon a mighty loom4 ,it is not fanciful1 either1 to feel that in all its history1 and in what is peculiar in its constitution1 it becomes a noble1 visible symbol of that benign ,peace amid which its towers and roadway have risen1 and which1 we trust1 it may long continue to signalize and to share4 ,we may look at this moment on the site of the ship-yard from which1 in ,march1 #ahfb1 twenty-one years ago1 went forth the unmasted and raft-like ,monitor1 with its flat decks1 its low bulwarks1 its guarded mechanism1 its heavy armament1 and its impenetrable revolving turret1 to that near battle with the ,merrimac1 on which1 as it seemed to us at the time1 the destiny of the nation was perilously poised4 ,the material of which the ship was wrought was largely that which is built in beauty into this luxurious lofty fabric4 ,but no contrast could be greater among the works of human genius than between the compact and rigid solidity into which the iron had there been forged and wedged and rammed1 and these waving and graceful curves1 swinging downward and up1 almost like blossoming festooned vines along the perfumed ,italian lanes2 this alluring roadway1 resting on towers which rise like those of ancient cathedrals2 this lace-work of threads1 interweaving their separate delicate strengths into the complex solidity of the whole4 ,the ship was for war1 and the ,bridge is for peace3--the product of it2 almost1 one might say1 its express palpable emblem1 in its harmony of proportions1 its dainty elegance1 its advantages for all1 and its ample convenience4 ,the deadly raft1 floating level with waves1 was related to this ethereal structure1 whose finest curves are wrought in the strength of toughest steel4 ,we could not have had this except for that unsightly craft1 which at first refused to be steered1 which bumped headlong against our piers1 which almost sank while being towed to the field of its fame1 and which1 at last1 when its mission was fulfilled1 found its grave in the deep over whose waters1 and near their line1 its shattering lightnings had been shot4 ,this structure will stand1 we fondly trust1 for generations to come1 even for centuries1 while metal and granite retain their coherence2 not only emitting1 when the wind surges or plays through its network1 that aerial music of which it is the mighty harp1 but representing to every eye the manifold bonds of interest and affection1 of sympathy and purpose1 of common political faith and hope1 over and from whose mightier chords shall rise the living and unmatched harmonies of continental gladness and praise4 ,while no man1 therefore1 can measure in thought the vast processions--#dj1jjj1jjj a year1 it already is computed--which shall pass back and forth across this pathway1 or shall pause on its summit to survey the vast and bright panorama1 to greet the break of summer-morning1 or watch the pageant of closing day1 we may hope that the one use to which it never will need to be put is that of war2 that the one tramp not to be heard on it is that of soldiers marching to battle2 that the only wheels whose roll it shall not be called to echo are the wheels of the tumbrils of troops and artillery4 ,born of peace1 and signifying peace1 may its mission of peace be uninterrupted1 till its strong towers and cables fall6 ,if such expectations shall be fulfilled1 of mechanical invention ever advancing1 of cities and ,states linked more closely1 of beneficent peace assured to all1 it is impossible to assign any limit to the coming expansion and opulence of these cities1 or to the influence which they shall exert on the developing life of the country4 ,cities have often1 in other times1 been created by war2 as men were crowded together in them the better to escape the whirls of strife by which the unwalled districts were ravaged1 or the more effectively to combine their force against threatening foes4 ,and it is a striking suggestion of history that to the frightful ravages of the ,huns--swarthy1 ill-shaped1 ferocious1 destroying--may have been due the ,great ,wall of ,china1 for the protection of its remote towns1 as to them1 on the other hand1 was certainly due the foundation of ,venice4 ,the first inhabitants of what has been since that queenly city--along whose liquid and level streets the traveler passes1 between palaces1 churches1 and fascinating squares1 in constant delight--its first inhabitants fled before ,attila1 to the flooded lagoons which were afterward to blossom into the beauty of a consummate art4 ,the fearful crash of blood and fire in which ,aquileia and ,padua fell smote ,venice into existence4 ,but even the city thus born of war must afterward be built up by peace1 when the strifes which had pushed it to its sudden beginning had died into the distant silence4 ,the fishing industry1 the manufacture of salt1 the timid commerce1 gradually expanding till it left the rivers and sought the sea1 these1 with other related industries1 had made ,venetian galleys known on the eastern ,mediterranean before the immense rush of the crusades crowded tumultuously over its quays and many bridges4 ,its variety of industry1 and its commercial connections1 turned that vast movement into another source of wealth4 ,it rose rapidly to that naval supremacy which enabled it to capture piratical vessels and wealthy galleons1 to seize or sack ,ionian cities1 to storm ,byzantium1 and make the south of ,greece its suburb4 ,its manufactures were multiplied4 ,its dockyards were thronged with busy workmen4 ,its palaces were crowded with precious and famous works of art1 while themselves marvels of beauty4 ,st4 ,mark's unfolded its magnificent loveliness above the great square4 ,in the palace adjoining was the seat of a dominion at the time unsurpassed1 and still brilliant in history2 and it was in no fanciful or exaggerated pride that the ,doge was wont yearly1 on ,ascension ,day1 to wed the ,adriatic with a ring1 as the bridegroom weds the bride4 ,dreamlike as it seems1 equally with ,amsterdam1 the larger and richer ,venice of the ,north1 it was erected by hardy hands4 ,the various works and arts of peace1 with a prosperous commerce1 were the real piles1 sunken beneath the flashing surface1 on which church and palace1 piazza and arsenal1 all arose4 ,it was only when these unseen supports secretly failed that advancement ceased1 and the horses of ,st4 ,mark at last were bridled4 ,not all the wars1 with ,genoa1 ,hungary1 with ,western ,europe1 the ,greek ,empire1 or the ,ottoman--not earthquake1 plague1 or conflagration1 though by all it was smitten--overwhelmed the city whose place in ,europe had been so distinguished4 ,the decadence of enterprise1 the growing discredit put upon industry1 the final discovery by ,vasco da ,gama of the passage around the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 diverting traffic into new channels--these laid their silent and tightening grasp on the power of ,venice1 till the salt sea-weed ,clung to the marble of her palaces1 and the glory of the past was merged in a gloom which later centuries have not lightened4 ,there is a lesson and a promise in the fact4 ,new ,york itself may almost be said to have sprung from war2 as the vast excitements of the forty years' wrestle between ,spain and its revolted provinces gave incentive1 at least1 to the settlement of ,new ,netherland4 ,but the city1 since its real development was begun1 has been almost wholly built up by peace2 and the swiftness of its progress in our own time1 which challenges parallel1 shows what1 if the ministry of this peace shall continue1 may be looked for in the future4 ,when the ,dutch traders raised their storehouse of logs on yonder untamed and desolate strand1 perhaps as early as #afae2 when the ,walloons established their settlement on this side of the river1 in #afbd1 at that ,walloons' ,bay which we still call the ,wallabout2 or when1 later1 in #afbf1 ,manhattan ,island1 estimated to contain #bb1jjj acres1 was purchased from the ,indians for #bd1 paid in beads1 buttons and trinkets1 and the ,block ,house was built1 with cedar palisades1 on the site of the ,battery1 it is1 of course1 commonplace to say that they who had come hither could scarcely have had the least conception of what a career they thus were commencing for two great cities4 ,but it is not so wholly commonplace to say that those who saw this now wealthy and splendid ,new ,york a hundred years since1 less conspicuous than ,boston1 far smaller than ,philadelphia1 with its first bank established in #aghd1 and not fully chartered till seven years later2 with its first daily paper in #aghe2 its first ship in the ,eastern trade returning in ,may of the same year2 its first ,directory published in #aghf1 and containing only #ijj names2 its ,broadway extending only to ,st4 ,paul's2 with the grounds about ,reade street grazing-fields for cattle1 and with ducks still shot in that ,beekman's ,swamp which the traffic in leather has since made famous3 or those who saw it even fifty years ago1 when its population was little more than one-third of the present population of this younger city2 when its first ,mayor had not been chosen by popular election2 when gas had but lately been introduced1 and the superseding of the primitive pumps by ,croton water had not yet been projected--they1 all1 could hardly have imagined what already the city should have become3 the recognized centre of the commerce of the ,continent2 one of the principal cities of the world4 ,so those who have lived in this city from childhood1 and who hardly yet claim the dignities of age1 could scarcely have conjectured1 when looking on what ,mr4 ,murphy recalled as the village of his youth1 a hamlet of a hundred houses1 that it should have become1 in our time1 a city of nearly #gj1jjj dwelling houses1 occupied by twice as many families2 with a population1 by the census rates1 of little less than #gjj1jjj2 with more than #aej1jjj children in its public and private schools2 with #ccj miles of paved streets1 as many as last year in ,new ,york1 and with more than #bjj additional miles impatiently waiting to be paved2 with #acj miles of street railway track1 over which last year #hh1jjj1jjj of passengers were carried2 with nearly #b1ejj miles of telegraph and telephone wire knitting it together2 with #ce1jjj1jjj of gallons of water1 the best on the continent1 to which #bj1jjj1jjj more are soon to be added1 daily distributed in its houses1 through #cfj miles of pipe2 with an aggregate value of real property exceeding certainly #djj1jjj1jjj2 with an annual tax levy of #f1ejj1jjj2 with manufactures in it whose reported product in #ahhj was #ajc1jjj1jjj2 with a water-front1 of pier1 dock1 basin1 canal1 already exceeding #be miles1 and not as yet half developed1 at which lies shipping from all the world1 more largely than at the piers of ,new ,york2 and1 finally1 with what to most modern communities appears to flash as a costly but brilliant diamond necklace1 a public debt1 beginning now to diminish1 it is true1 but still approaching1 in net amount1 #cg1ejj1jjj6 ,the child watches1 in happy wonder1 the swelling film of soapy water into whose iridescent globe he has blown the speck from the bowl of the pipe4 ,but this amazing development around us is not of airy and vanishing films4 ,it is solidly constructed1 in marble and brick1 in stone and iron1 while the proportions to which it has swelled surpass precedent1 and rebuke the timidity of the boldest prediction4 ,but that which has built it has been simply the industry1 manifold1 constant1 going on in these cities1 to which peace offers incentive and room4 ,their future advancement is to come in like manner3 not through a prestige derived from their history2 not by the gradual increments of their wealth1 already collected2 not by the riches which they invite to themselves from other cities and distant coasts2 not even from their beautiful fortune of location2 but by prosperous manufactures prosecuted in them2 by the traffic which radiates over the country2 by the foreign commerce which1 in values increasing every year1 seeks this harbor4 ,each railway whose rapid wheels roll hither1 from ,east or ,west1 from ,north or ,south1 from the rocks of ,newfoundland or the copper-deposits of ,lake ,superior1 from the orange groves of ,florida1 the ,louisiana bayous1 the silver ridges of the ,west1 the ,golden ,gate1 gives its guaranty of growth to the still young metropolis4 ,on the cotton fields of the ,south1 and its sugar plantations2 on coal mines1 and iron mines2 on the lakes which winter roofs with ice1 and from which drips refreshing coolness through our summer2 on fisheries1 factories1 wheat fields1 pine forests2 on meadows wealthy with grains or grass1 and orchards bending beneath their burdens1 this enlarging prosperity must be maintained2 and on the steamships1 and the telegraph lines1 which interweave us with all the world4 ,the swart miner must do his part for it2 the ingenious workman1 in whatever department2 the ploughman in the field1 and the fisherman on the banks2 the man of science1 putting ,nature to the question2 the laborer1 with no other capital than his muscle2 the sailor on the sea1 wherever commerce opens its wings4 ,our ,arch of ,triumph is1 therefore1 fitly this ,bridge of ,peace4 ,our ,brandenburg ,gate1 bearing on its summit no car of military victory1 is this great work of industrial skill4 ,it stands1 not1 like the ,arch famous at ,milan1 outside the city1 but in the midst of these united and busy populations4 ,and if the tranquil public order which it celebrates and prefigures shall continue as years proceed1 not ,london itself1 a century hence1 will surpass the compass of this united city by the sea1 in which all civilized nations of mankind have already their many representatives1 and to which the world shall pay an increasing annual tribute4 ,and so the last suggestion comes1 which the hour presents1 and of which the time allows the expression4 ,it was not to an ,american mind alone that we owed the ,monitor1 of which ,i have spoken1 but also to one trained in ,swedish schools1 the ,swedish army1 and representing that brave nationality4 ,it is not to a native ,american mind that the scheme of construction carried out in this ,bridge is to be ascribed1 but to one representing the ,german peoples1 who1 in such enriching and fruitful multitudes1 have found here their home4 ,american enterprise1 ,american money1 built them both4 ,but the skill which devised1 and much1 no doubt1 of the labor which wrought them1 came from afar4 ,local and particular as is the work1 therefore1 it represents that fellowship of the ,nations which is more and more prominently a fact of our times1 and which gives to these cities incessant augmentation4 ,when1 by and by1 on yonder island the majestic ,french statue of ,liberty shall stand1 holding in its hand the radiant crown of electric flames1 and answering by them to those as brilliant along this causeway1 our beautiful bay will have taken what specially illuminates and adorns it from ,central and from ,western ,europe4 ,the distant lands from which oceans divide us1 though we touch them each moment with the fingers of the telegraph1 will have set this conspicuous double crown on the head of our harbor4 ,the alliances of nations1 the peace of the world1 will seem to find illustrious prediction in such superb and novel regalia4 ,friends1 and ,fellow-,citizens3 ,let us not forget that1 in the growth of these cities1 henceforth united1 and destined ere long to be formally one1 lies either a threat1 or one of the conspicuous promises of the time4 ,cities have always been powers in history4 ,athens educated ,greece1 as well as adorned it1 while ,corinth filled the throbbing and thirsty ,hellenic veins with poisoned blood4 ,the weight of ,constantinople broke the ,roman ,empire asunder4 ,the capture of the same magnificent city gave to the ,turks their establishment in ,europe for the following centuries4 ,even where they have not had such a commanding pre-eminence of location1 the social1 political1 moral force proceeding from cities has been vigorous in impression1 immense in extent4 ,the passion of ,paris1 for a hundred years1 has created or directed the sentiment of ,france4 ,berlin is more than the legislative or administrative centre of the ,german ,empire4 ,even a government as autocratic as that of the ,czar1 in a country as undeveloped as ,russia1 has to consult the popular feeling of ,st4 ,petersburg or of ,moscow4 ,in our nation1 political power is widely distributed1 and the largest or wealthiest commercial centre can have but its share4 ,great as is the weight of the aggregate vote in these henceforth compacted cities1 the vote of the ,state will always overbear it4 ,amid the suffrages of the nation at large1 it can only be reckoned as one of many consenting or conflicting factors4 ,but the influence which constantly proceeds from these cities--on their journalism1 not only1 or on the issues of their book-presses1 or on the multitudes going forth from them1 but on the example presented by them of intellectual1 social1 religious life--this1 for shadow and check1 or for fine inspiration1 is already of unlimited extent1 of incalculable force4 ,it must increase as they expand1 and are lifted before the country to a new elevation4 ,a larger and a smaller sun are sometimes associated1 astronomers tell us1 to form a binary centre in the heavens1 for what is1 doubtless1 an unseen system receiving from them impulse and light4 ,on a scale not utterly insignificant1 a parallel may be hereafter suggested in the relation of these combined cities to a part1 at least1 of our national system4 ,their attitude and action during the war--successfully closed under the gallant military leadership of men whom we gladly welcome and honor--were of vast advantage to the national cause4 ,the moral1 political1 intellectual temper1 which dominates in them1 as years go on1 will touch with beauty1 or scar with scorching and baleful heats1 extended regions4 ,their religious life1 as it glows in intensity1 or with a faint and failing lustre1 will be repeated in answering image from the widening frontier4 ,the beneficence which gives them grace and consecration1 and which1 as lately1 they follow to the grave with universal benediction1 or1 on the other hand1 the selfish ambitions which crowd and crush along their streets1 intent only on accumulated wealth and its sumptuous display1 or the glittering vices which they accept and set on high--these will make their impression on those who never cross the continent to our homes1 to whom our journals are but names4 ,surely1 we should not go from this hour1 which marks a new era in the history of these cities1 and which points to their future indefinite expansion1 without the purpose in each of us1 that1 so far forth as in us lies1 with their increase in numbers1 wealth1 equipment1 shall also proceed1 with equal step1 their progress in whatever is noblest and best in private and in public life2 that all which sets humanity forward shall come in them to ampler endowment1 more renowned exhibition3 so that1 linked together1 as hereafter they must be1 and seeing the purple deepening in their robes of power1 they may be always increasingly conscious of fulfilled obligation to the ,nation and to ,god2 may make the land1 at whose magnificent gateway they stand1 their constant debtor2 and may contribute their mighty part toward that ultimate perfect ,human ,society for which the seer could find no image so meet or so majestic as that of a ,city1 coming down from above1 its stones laid with fair colors1 its foundations with sapphires1 its windows of agates1 its gates of carbuncles1 and all its borders of pleasant stones1 with the sovereign promise resplendent above it1-- ,and great shall be the ,peace of thy children6