The New York herald., 1877-01-14
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.


FROM ONE OF THE TRusrEEs-LETTER OF
ABRAM s. HEWITT.
The perplexng question which the trustees OF tho
New York and Brooklyn Bridge have now TO decide Is
the kind Of steel wire to be used in the cables. The
nrice of the contract for this will from
$500 900 to ST. O0 but the present consideration Is
not SO much one OF economy Of durable cons,ruc-
ton A representative OF the HERALD yesterday called
upon Mr. Thomas Kinsea, member Of the Board
when the following conversation ensued relative 10 tho
great undertaking.:
ssMr Kinseia, have you read the interview with Mr.
Hill published in this mornings HERALD concerning
the steel used the cables OF the New York and
Brooklyn Bridgey"
s.Yes, | have read all that has appeared IN the
HERALD on this subject"
show did the interview of this morning strike youy'
al, in common with, think, most OF tho trustees,
do not take very great interest the controversy
between the engineers because in the main they are
at issue upon questions Of detail and not on vital is
sues. As between the opinions OF one engineer and
another l stand by our own engineers. The great
point to tho Kind OF steel TO be used in the manu-.
facture of the wire, and on that question read Mr.
His pamphlet with great deal Of interest. am
one OF those trustees (and the Board seems pretty
evenly divded who believes that VIC ought to use cru
clbe steel"
THE QUESTION OF SUPERIOR srEE;-
.sWhat arc your reasons for this preiercnce?"
.WeI" replied Mr.. Knsella, 'thc cruciblc steel Is
admittedly higher grade. and don't think We can
aGord TO use any but the highest grade Of steel At
ptA OF the work SO important The difference In price
is not very great; the competition between the mann
ucurers OF crucble steel is sharp aud close and the
have certainty ol getting steel OF me best sort
ut the lowest price. From ali can learn from experts
about Bessemer steel! II cannot DC made OF Uniform
ouality aud vi adequate tests to insure uni
ormlty together with the delay that might follow from
failure dong SO, would IN my Judgment make this
steel costly that admitted u DC better Steel
Tor one do any risks and while shall
be entirely content and satisfied to be overruled,
want to put my sell right on the record"
.What 10 the difference in price between the Bossc-
mcr STEEL under koebings bid, and the prce OF tho
cruclble steel oIicred0the aggregate @ aa amount r.
which Will cost Sl3 V00.0 000 think wo should take 10
risk order to save upon the total cost proportion
s.Whut do you think OF General Slocum's proposition
in reply 10 tho Secretary Of War. to appoint an
engineer the supplied, Ia case the conrsct
is given tho Roebiingsy'
..WeI think II is prepasterous notion. IL seems
10 be the habit Of our time to run to tho federal gov
tor everything II the trustees OF the bridge
caunot select an engneei, u one be necessary they
might we'll turn over tho whole business ~ the
Louisiana Returning Board" !"
BEFORE Tns BOARD.
'.What will be the nature OF tnc proceedings in the
next meeting oil the Board OF lrustces!'
II have not been informed ueyoud that they are
going 10 consider the bids received Tor the WIRE.
should not wouacr, however, IT the Comptrollcr's
pohtc to act upon H. Sti do not know, ana have
talked with no one upon the subject"
MR. kinsca. how do you regard Comptroller
Kelly's motion TO rcinvite bids for Bessemer slc9
wreY' .
lings had bid once. Their proposition IS known, and
the rival bidder Will of bid fraction lower
that ". will got very Uids Besssmer steel wrs
will not come up 10 tho character 81 tho material
demanded"
.Do you presume that there will be any delay in the
work OF construction on account Of this debate con-
ceraing the materiaIT'
ave have guarded against that In the purchase OF
wire now beng delivered, and In the manipulating Of
which the men will secure the preliminary training,
ample time Tor the delivery ol The wire"
uEwIrTs LETTER.
WASHINGTON CITY, u. e., Jan. 8, 1871 .
Hon. HENRY G. MURPHY, Prcsident:-
MY DEAR SIR beg leave 10 oacknowedge the receipt
OF your OF the 9th inst. iEcosing copy OF The
proceedings o the Brooklyn Bridge IN regard TO the
contract oI cable wire. 1t possible Will
attend Tho meeting on Thursday next, but being In
great doubt as TO my ability 10 leave here deem my
duty this letter you to be laid before tho
trustees IN the event oil my absence.
1t seems to me that the primary question to DO
decided the trustees whether they VIII rely upon
tho inspection provided ior in tho specification IN
order secure tho quality Of wire required Tor the
cables II they intend rely upon the spccnca
and the bond ot the contractor, then tho contract
should DO awarded to the lowest bidder, without
regard to the process by which the steel Is manuac.
turcd other words, long this material Steel
will stand the tests provided Tor IN the specihca
and proper inspection Is secured, The duty of
tho trustees ~ discharged when they award the con-
tract 10 the lowest bidder.
II appears by re minutes Of the Executive Commit
ng's Sons oSpany, on a sample marked .R," at OK
cents per pound The Kind OF steel which this ba pro-
poses to furnish Is not stated IN tho printed table OF
bids. infer from the report OF the Chief Engineer,
dated December 49, 1885, mat this WIRE was made IRON
Besscmer STEEL although do not Ind anything In the
papers submitted which Of tho two samples fur.
nsncd BY that company made from Bcssemer
steel. Neither do understand that they limit them
selves 10 any special kind OF STEEL but simply propose
| IN ipl q.
spects conform 10 tho specifications and bo subjected
10 the tests therein provided ior.
Ii this view OF state OF the be correct do
not sec how the trustees do otherwise than award
the contract to the John A. Roebllnys Sons Company,
In case they decide to award II ut u.
In this event however In view vi the personal rea-
ton the Chci Engineer to the stockholders Of that
company and tor .ns o tue ssms To
that It Will be tho imperative duty OF the trustees TO
provide Tor inspection Of the wire entirely independent
the supervision and control Of the Chief Engineer
In this particular have no doubt OIL. anticipate
request which delicacy and sense OF proprcty would
have led him to mako TO tho trustees.
But there still remains the final question whether the
specifications provided sumcient the
delivcfy vi tho wire OF u suabiu quality, provided II
bo made from Besscmcr steel Ny knowIcdgo Of tha,
material leads mc 10 The conclusion that the 5pecinca
tons do not afford sufficient protection against Inc de-
livery OF strands OF wire OF unsuitable quality II they
made from Bessemcr Steel The peculiarly of that
material Is that 1t is apt to have weak spots o which
there Is external indication. This peculiarly IL
prouaby due the enclosure OF bubbles Of air IN the
mass tue material or possibly IN the OXIDATION o
minute particles oil the material whle the air ~ beinR
driven into the mass under high pressure. II viii
readily be seen that no amount visual inspection eau
determine in what part Of the ingot the rod or strand
OF wire such detects Will occur.
IL Is truc bowcvor, that test within certain limits
applied by tho strain TO winch the rod Is subjected
in beng drawn into wirc and IN the course oi my
scrvatlou OF the drawing Of Bcsscncr rods have
peaicdy seen them break under apparently very mad
nuatc strau Unfortunately however the strain thus
produced Is not sufficient TO develop all tho dcecs.
Indeed IL sometimes happens that II Is ust within the
breaking limit OF the wlrc which, having thus been
subjected 10 test beyond It's elastic limit, VIII suisse
quentiy break at load much less than that which Il
has already sustained II the view mere presented be
thcrc would appear 10 be no safety the sc
OF the Bcsscmcr wire, unless every strand should be
subjected Its entire length 10 test adequate IL
prove us ntness for cable. Now, the specil
aons provide that zone RUG 10 every iorty shall Jc
tested by cutting OF piece OF wire sixty feet long, and
that weight shall be applied ind 9Th
OF nity feet of w,re until strain of 800 pounds Il
reached - Inasnuch as the other tests apply only "a
pieces sixteen inches long, which, Ior Bessemcr steel