The New York herald., 1877-10-13
THE EAST RIVER BRIDGE.

THE BEssEMER-CRUcrDLE STEEL WIFE QUEs-
TON AGAIN BEFORE THE BOARD OF TRus-
TEES WHAT THE ADVOCATES OF EACH
QUALITY or STEEL sAY-PRoGREss OF THE
BRIDGE WORK.
Tho controversy wagcd with such stubborness OF
"Bessemsr" vs. ''crucibe steel last winter. when tho
subject Of which should be used Wa before the Board
OF Trustees Of The Brooklyn Bridge, has again turned
up in their councils in reference the kind Of steel
be used in the wire ropo and bar suspenders OF the
roadway OF the bridge, tho specifications Tor which
VIII bo shortly Issued The question: though OF
rs great importance that decided in favor OF cruel
bio steel Tor the manufacture OF the great cables,
still VIII cause good deal OF discussion
and should II would seem, demand careful
consideration. Colonel Roebling tho chief engineer
OF the bridge, has made specifications for these
suspcndcrs for Bessemer STEEL and In communication
10 tho Board jusLlcs lis adoption by tho economy
which win result from its and by his opinion
of It's being fully equal TO tho requirements The sub
ject before the Executive Committee OF the Board
Of Trustees a. their mc9ng last Wednesday and viii
probably DO under active discussion a. their next as
semblage The specifications cali Tor 325 600 pounds
Of steel suspen6ers for the roadway, part OF which
Will be one and Ave-cghths and tho remainder
and thrce-quarer inches In diameter. TINS contract
will $50 900 $40 000 and the saving by use
OF Besscmer steel would, u Is said, be some $4,000.
Tho question IN tho opinion OF many is not I'M
por1an one as that OF The great cables and as the
strain on tho suspcndcrs IL only ono oil tension they
say tho Bessemer stoel Ia abls TO boar IL A naw
IN the great cables could not remedic1, whereas II
q suspendcr should prove detective IL could DO
placed. Again tho advocates OF Bcssemer steel say
that many oi tho objections urged against u as 10
homoycncy, &C.. do not exist at present.
strides have been made IN tho manufacture IL is also
stated, showing what great lmproyem
place In the manufacture o Bcsscmer steel lately,
ut tho Troy they have recently succeeded
manufacturing Bcsscmer tool steel equally as good
as crucblc cast steel used or TOOLS and which be
furnished at less thun ha tho price oil the crucble
tool steel. They say II rs simply question Of adap,a-
be shortly advertised Tor; that they could DO
either iron rope, Bcssemcr or crucble steel rope.
The nrst would Sequire szo Tor tue required ten
sioe strength giving too mucn weight the Bessemcr
for tho required strength would bc much smaller and
yet large enough from an architectural point OF viow
and high grado oil crucible steel could be used
which would furnish the required strength with still
smaller diameter, but tnc Bcssomcr answering every
requirement ana being cheaper should be used that
high enough limit OF safety II furnished by this Steel
and anally they say. "what the bridge engineers
ior2"
THE OTHER SIDE oY TIKI DISCUSSION
On the other hand. those VINO believe that cruel.
bio steel should be employed point TO The fact OF It's
having been decided best Tor the cables the
comparisons made during tho discussion between tho
two stees resulting unavorably to Tho iattor and 10
tho bad showing made tho tests by The Bessemcr
steel wire offered by Rocbngs' Sons, OF Trenlon IL
| Will be remembered that tne use OF the crucible
stce III tho great cables secured by the vigorous
course OF the HERALD at that time demanding that
none but the highest quality should be used in such
dependence to be placed IN Bessemcr steel account
Oh us want OF homoseneity, which Is great element
OF weakness and uncertainty, and say that crucblo
steel, weight for weight being stronger than either
Bossemer steel or wrought iron, II follows that It's
use for suspendcrs for the bridge would be emincnty
proper the less the groa cables have to boar the
better. They also state that the question is again
brought up through influence OF personal nature In
favor OF firm unsuccessful at the tmo the contract
Tor the cable wire given out, who had brought
up the question Of quality Of MATERIAL y was thought
once nnally settled after full and careful considera
ment on.
THE BRIDGE WORK.
Tho fifth pair OF upstream strands were commenced
o downstream strands being finished yesterday alter
| Temporarily anchored tho Brooklyn anchorage,
aud tho shoes around which the wires pass pinned
into ihcr final position between the anchor bars.
They will be let on tho Now York side to-day.
On the New York anchorage the brickwork for the
first pier up halt the height OF the arch
ways; tho concrete foundation oil The second pier Is
| flushed, and stone and brick work viii he shortly
commenced, and the excavation Tor tho third pier wil
| be finished by saturday. On the Brooklyn approach
the brckwork oil the rst per eight iect above
grOund that Of tho second 10 tho Lowell and The
| third excavation was nuishcd last evening
|
Adverscmcn nts inviting bids will ee made this
| ing and specifications aud copies OF drawings will be
ready Tor 500 wrought cablc bands OF ave differ
ent and shapes and weighing iorty-nve tons in
all also tor ,232 cast iron rope suspender sockets In
/ two slZes. twenty five ions in ALL