Brooklyn to New York via Brooklyn Bridge 1899

New Brooklyn to New York via Brooklyn Bridge, no. 2
Sept. 22, 1899. Edison Manufacturing Co.

The B.M.T. train ride from Brooklyn to Manhattan. In 1898, the modern City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then an independent city), Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens County, and Richmond County (Staten Island).
The opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in May of 1883 did for the city what railroad expansion and the Erie Canal did for the nation. The population was expanding due to immigration, industry and commerce were booming. In less than five years the need for several more bridges would be apparent as Williamsburgh and the rest of Brooklyn also grew in population. On Manhattan "uptown" was moving quickly past 14th Street. Soon, people would be calling it "downtown." The electric subway system, which would eventually connect all of it, was well on its way.

July 29, 1898
At six o'clock in the evening a traffic jam near the Brooklyn end of the Bridge ties up wagons and trolleys all the way back to the Manhattan entrance. Suddenly the Bridge sags a few inches at two points, approximately 250 feet on both sides of the Manhattan tower. On examination, engineers find that several trusses buckled under the roadbed, but they conclude that the damage is harmless, and make no attempt to straighten the kinks. For a few days after the incident the ferries running across the river (eleven now compared with the fourteen that had existed during bridge construction) do a brisk business.*

The ad for Chas. H. Fletcher's Castoria visible on the side of the building at 0:17 (a children's laxative) was advertised heavily in its day. There are still fading reminders on the sides of buildings in various locations around New York. Here's a photo of one I took near the entrance to the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=343419462352698&set=a.30317228304...

New York City in 1899:
The newly formed 'City of Greater New York' splits Queens County, Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay from Nassau County on Long Island / Sept. 9th, Henry H. Bliss steps off of a streetcar at 74th St. & Central Park West and gets struck by a vehicle becoming New York City's first automobile fatality / Dec. 2nd, trolleys begin running between Jamaica and Flushing in Queens

Recommended reading:
* The Great East River Bridge 1883-1983
- The Brooklyn Museum

01/01/12 - 137,109

Category:

Film & Animation

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• brooklyn
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• 1899
• edison manufacturing co.
• Roebling

[janicesoprano]

OMG! I an transformed back to whenJohn Roebling and his son Washington Roebling designed and built the wonderful BB. I have every book imaginable that was published about the Bridge, but this video takes the cake! Thank you so much. This is a real treasure!

[TigerRocket]

@janicesoprano It truly is an inspiring piece of architecture. And to think it still remains unsurpassed for its engineering integrity. "Eighth Wonder" is a well deserved epithet.

[nicknam4]

It's weird watching one of the oldest videos of all time on youtube.

Boy have times changed.

[LordoftheKaty]

Amazing how much that city has transformed over the years.

[ThePacmanClassic]

This was filmed when my Great-Grandparents were little & when my Great-Great-Grandparents were in their prime as adults. Wow, it feels wired watching this lol. I'm 20yrs old.

Amazing how we over the last 100yrs we humans have invented loads of things, created skyscrapers, created mega-cites, built man-made islands, had 2 world wars, nuked places/each other, population boom, ended slavery (not all but most), better healthcare & went to the moon.

[GNYBerlin]

Cool to see this old view. Thank you for sharing this!

[DetroitLove4U]

This video of a glimpse back in time is way better of a ride than any at Disney!!!

[quez76]

so this bridge got renovated at one time? cause it had a train that went over it, but theres no train anymore.

[WyomingJody]

fabulous to be able to glimpse the hand and eye of Thomas Edison. ~thanks!

[NewYorkHoliday]

Great vid

[skandrewskandrew]

fixie carriages

[DrakeMagnum]

This is great stuff to hang on to, and that is great info in the description!