I present this article pertaining to the aftermath of the shooting of great grandfather George Sechler as much for the item that appears below it as for the details on the arraignment of Salvatore Governale. The clipping is from the New York Sun, April 16, 1907.
In 1907, the Williamsburg Bridge had been in service for four years, the second crossing of the East River. The Manhattan and Queensborough Bridges were still two years from completion. On the Hudson side, the Holland Tunnel was still 20 years in the future. Although the Brooklyn Bridge was 24 years old, we would not recognize the tangle of railway stations and elevated tracks that existed on the Manhattan side of the bridge near City Hall, all of which are gone today or moved underground. It was a time of incredible change and growth in New York City.
Construction of a short elevated connecting railway from existing Brooklyn transit lines to the Williamsburg Bridge in six months for $100,000 is something to think about. Today such a project would take 10 years and we couldn’t lay out the detour signs for $100,000.
Bridging the Silences 