The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-13
did not wish THIS TO De an obstacle in the building or
the bridge and he therefore sacrificed Il.

"a.
New York, $500 osD. Observation-Disclosures. Y54, 1877
Two towers; l4O9,S2
Engines anu machinery Observation-Disclosures. 40 900
Approaches. ...........-............ 742,576
Toll houses ana gateways... ....-.......... 10000
engineering 10000
Contingencies .......... 300 ISL
Total 81 900, 900
engineer perpetrated keen but unconscious satire
when he suggested that by judlcous plan of arrange
ment the towers Of the bridge being hollow mioht he
converted into immense safes vaults for the safe
keeping of the city county and even national securities
ana treasure The dead engineer has had his surges
ton carried out in very different way from what no
intended Six millions OF city and county treasure are
so safely locked up in these towers that no burglar,
however expert need ever hope TO secure single
penny When Roeblng drew up his estimates gold and
every other commodity we're higher than they are
to-day. They were carefully digested ana honestly
rendered though II should not be very surprising 4,
like all public estimates they fell short Of the final
expenditures but nobody dreamed the rst estimates
would be less than fifth Of the ultimate cost
COST RIGHT or WAY
BY the terms of its charter the company is confined
in the location Of terminus Of the bridge on
the New York side TO latitude ranging from Chatham
square along the line Of Chatham street TO ts Junction
with Nassau. This provision rendered but two points
feasible on this side, al Chatham square and tho
other near The City Hall Park The latter was selected,
the point OF termination being at the head OF Centre
street. IN front Of Tho Stats Zeng building intercept
ing the Fourth avenue, Third avenue, Blocker street
and other lines of street cars terminus at Chat
ham square would have made the distance
from the New York pier of the bridge COZ
feet shorter but the expense likely be saved in this
direction would hardly compensate for the loss OF rao
from the west side of town, which the lower terminus
would command. The distance between the pier and
Chatham square Is 800 feet and between the pier and
Centre street little over 900 eet The floor of the
bridge would project across South and strike
the ship chandery stores facing the river between
No l60 and No ITO Passing over the blocks between
Front and Water streets the first obstruction would bo
met with In Harpers building on Pearl street The
right of way beyond this point would be enormously
expensive unless detection was given to the line OF
roadway and that II was carried up FrahkioTt
street between the houses but Frankfort street is
less the houses at one side we're torn down IL Is easy
TO conceive the vast expense involved in bringing the
approaches at the New York side through the prop
erty east of the City Hall Park Roebng had an idea
of creating new street which might be appropriately
called Bridge street.. over which the door Of the
above Centre street IL will not do
tolerate houses beneath the bridge floor,
destroyed Al the Brooklyn side the distance from the
pier to the terminus Sands street, Washington,
is $50 feet The right Of way is by no means as EN-
condemned is infinitely less valuable and the distance
to overcome IS nearly two-thirds less Mr. Roebling
had an idea that $780, 900 would have purchased the
right Of way between the western pier and Chatham
square; but real estate dealers put the figure on
fair appraisement at eight times that amount.
On the Brooklyn side the real estate by the
river has been held for years at high figure
Whom this question of right of way comes TO be scrt
ousy pondered begins TO despair Of ever seeing the
contamination Of the work Harpers building and
lots which threatened would hardly be condemned
under 100000 At least score Of buildings of like
character stand the way the rising ground above
Water street, SO that the estimate OF expense be-
comes perfectly bewildering in its vastness
MAYOR HAvEMEYER on THE BRIDGE.
Mayor Havemeyer, April II, 1874 addressed a re-
markable communication to the Committee Of Com
Of the State Senate concerning the bridge. He
sad-"The schemers in Brooklyn, having lost comb
dence in their ability 10 pass the Brooklyn Bridge bill
before your committee, have concocted another
looking to the reimbursement of the present stockhod
Tor the money they have advanced, and imposing
very large debt upon both New York and Brooklyn to
complete the There has been already spent upon
this structure S. 600 000 and we have two unhn
ished piers represent that The whole cost OF
the work estimated by Mr.. Roebling and other
competent engineers at ST. 600 which regarded
as a liberal estimate at the time. They now
require $4,000 more .,sso and from n past ,s sa
a large additional amount to complete it, and
elevation to be 1913 feet above high mark 1000
eo span and IS feet wide for railroad tracks carriage
and such subject to the gales with which We are
frequently visited will doubtless be subjected 10 con-
slant danger consider II entirely mpractcable aud,
If acticabe entirely useless as means OF increasing
the population business of our CITY, This project
conceived In sin born in niquty and, like all
similar creations must end in disaster TO all concerned
in IL :"
WHAT MERCHANT SAYS OF THE BHrDcx.
In the course or has inquiries the HERALD reporter
met with prominent merchant OF Brooklyn who did
not desire 70 be mentioned by name, and had talk
with him on the subject of the East River Bridge
what Is your opinion in regard TO the present
bridge management and It's future prospectsf"
The bridge is great enterprise and one OF vital in
portion OF New York below Fourteenth street IL
should have been completed long before this, and
would have been but Tor the gross mismanagement
which characterized its first four years existence
There some good men in the present management
but there likewise enough of the old managers in ii
TO obstruct any investigation to what has been done
heretofore responsibility Is placed upon these new
directors which experienced merchants would not ac
ccpt No man OF experience afford To accept
sponsibility without power do not understand that
these new directors have taken inventory Of the
material which into their hands Of that which
has heretofore been used In order u compare IL
with the mosey paid out II s., 00O, 600
have already been stolen by the past MANAGEMENT the
directors WILL In the tuture be held partially
sponsiole for IT, l would not accept place on the
bridge direction, much / am anxious TO the
work advanced unless | could strike balance, and
know Just exactly where l starting from In
other words would not take a bankrupt estate and
hold myself responsible for the deficit which will
time be ascertaincd To exist "
TACTICS KINGSLEY AND KRENEY.
In regard 10 Kingsley Keeneys demand on the
Water board for payment to them OF more money ON
the Reservoir contract which has slept last
May, it is looked upon having decidedly political
diplomatic and legal aspect One has II that tho
object OF these gentlemen is get all the money they
out Of the present Board Of Aldermen before Il
goes out Of Office on the 3lst OF December Another
rumor is that ii Is put up job" by which the de-
mand is to be made and refused