NEW YORK’S MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN (1901)
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The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations.
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(From the Akron Daily Democrat, Sat., 16 November 1901.)
Miss Harriet Sewell Smith, formerly of No. 177 Putnam Avenue & presently of No. 481 Franklin Avenue, who was selected by a committee of portrait painters as “THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN NEW YORK” and who lives with her father, Dr. E. F. Smith, in Brooklyn, tells the story of a perilous trip she made across the frail foot-bridge of the new East River bridge a week ago.
Miss Smith made the journey from one shore to the other in less than an hour. Her companion and guide was Dr. Orville D. Westall, a dentist, of No. 98 Lafayette ave., says she:
“Dangerous? Yes, just dangerous enough to be interesting. I heard Dr. Westall mention some time ago the fact that he had crossed the footbridge, and I immediately became possessed of a desire to perform the hazardous feat myself. I proposed that he be my guide, and he accepted, after some persuasion.
“I did not tell my folks what I was going to do. We started from the New York side at 5:30 in the evening. I had a leather belt fastened about my waist to which a strap was attached. Dr. Westall kept a firm grip on this strap and preceded me.
“Our start across the bridge was late, as we were compelled to wait until the workmen had left the structure.
“The climb to the first tower almost discouraged me from continuing any further. The incline was very stoop and we were forced to take hold of the cables on either side and pull ourselves along hand after hand, in order to make any headway.
“I was thoroughly tired when we reached the tower, but I would not go, and as it was growing dark rapidly we went ahead. The footpath was very narrow and none too steady. We kept hold of the cables and look great care not to stumble, as the footbridge is made up of very rough boards.
“The only really exciting incident of the whole trip occurred just afterwe started to climb down from the first tower. Dr. Westall, who was a little ahead of me, slipped from the rung of the ladder reaching from the tower to the footbridge below, a distance of four or five feet. He fell through an opening, but caught himself just in time. He had presence of mind to let go of the strap, or I’m afraid his weight would have carried me through. I screamed, but
the fear was all over in a minute.
We then crawled down the steep incline very cautiously and, as it was getting dark, we could see the lights of the boats far beneath us, and it made the height of the bridge seem all the greater.
“We hurried on to escape darkness, as there were no lanterns on the bridge, and reached the New York side shortly after 7 o’clock.”
Miss Smith is a tall, stately blonde with a charming manner. Sometime ago the portrait painters of Brooklyn voted her the most handsome woman in Brooklyn.
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