They meant the bridge is from Brooklyn-- the view is from Manhattan. The dome near the right edge of the pic is still there, in Brooklyn.

Leffert Lefferts Buck died in July 1909. The obit in Railroad Age Gazette said

"Indeed, we do not recall any of his many great constructions that do not in their outlines more or less offend the artistic eye. Buck was accustomed to these criticisms, and usually replied in only one way: "It is strong." Few people can look at the towers of his Manhattan [i.e. Williamsburg] bridge without a feeling of regret, and yet they are simple, strong and on economical lines. His drawings and his structure were severely criticized by those for whom he had great respect; nevertheless, nothing that they could say swerved him."

Yes, ausonios, they can. A well trained team of horses (well any horse for that matter), can be be put in reverse. Of course, it also requires a very experienced teamster to handle them with that precision. They can be trained to voice or to rein or both.

A lot of subtleties in this picture!

One: as an ex-truck driver I wonder how teamsters would have backed those wagons in so close to each other at the loading dock; can one back a horse team with precision or would they have unhooked and pushed them by hand?