New-York tribune., 1877-05-16
THE PROPOSED BRInGE ar BLACKUELDS
ISLAND

DISSATISFACTION WITH THE AWARD OF PRIZES FOR
THE PLANS or THE STRUCTURE
As the construction of this bridge will 90 fartoward
solving the question of finding cheap suburban
homes within easy reach of the business portion OF
Ncw-York, everything concerning 1t must possess
great interest to citizens. THE TRIBUNE pup
hshed few weeks ago diagram OF the plan To
which the directors of the company had awarded the
first premium of 81 900, and also synopsis OF the
report of the consulting engineers. 1t has since
been ascertaned that much dissatisfaction exists al
this award. which was given to the plan of the
Delaware Bridge Co.. designed by Mr.. Mcdonald,
c. f. The following is the substance of the resolI-
tion of the board of directors inviting the suDlns-
sion of plans;
Resoired with view Of bringing out the best
talent the country that 'is COMPANY VIII pa{ TO @ rne
parry whose plan shall be adopted s me Dcet .l. H
of 81 GOO for tac second best, 500 ad Tor thc l,
$3.50 Awards ~ he made by ths Doari, uhicr
advisement OF the consulting engineers
The commission of consulting engineers to whom
the plans were referred consisted of Gems J g. Bar
nard and @. 4. Gilmore, United states Engineers,
and Mr.. O. Chanute, c. f. These gentlemen made
ioint report in which, referring to their individual
views as to the merits Of the various plans, they
make the following statement:
Two oat of the three pronounce the plan OF Clarke
Reeves Go. tHc best II L'keH apsJlu.ey "l&lout & Z U
aud specific Dns; while two out OF three pronounce th
rIoy!are Bridge Compary's plan "best" To recommend
ia il. siout,l for practical Construction hy your com
pany, with such improvements ana m0dIhcdtlohs aS
suggest themselves.
The resolution Of the Board of Directors clearly
indicated that the first prize would be awarded to
the best plan submitted, and not to a second-ratc
one which the consulting engineers, after careful
examination of all the others might improve by their
own Suggestions and thus make il virtually plan
of tine Judges themselves. There would certainly
b, only little mducemcnt 10 present n care
fllE Ihaturrd plan, which would probably
cost nearly or quite much as the hlghesI
premium offered if the awards were not TO be made
on the merits OF it, as submitted. McssrS. Barnard
and Gilmore made separate reports i'll addition to
tie Joint one made by the three consulting en-
ginccI- Gen. Barnard strongly urged the plan oi
Clarke? Reeves a Co. as greatly superior 10 all the
Others. modified or unmoliicd; while Gen. Gilmore
saws of it, "Ihe design OF Clarke Reeves " Co. Is
fine ONLY one submitted to Us that would br willing
b recommend cor adoption b. your company as II
stands and without notification The award ol
the first pichiUm to the Delaware Bridge Company
by the Directors ~ view of their resolution inviting
raus and taken IN connection with the views cN-
pressed by two of the three consulting engineers
created much surprise at the time and a subsequent
DEVELOPMENT of facts has caused this feeling to grow
those who desire the construction of iirst-class
structure.
When the commission Of engineers waited in per-
son upon tire Board Of Directors with their report
they were told that no action would be taken on it
until it was printed and that when this was done
they would be- asked 10 come before the board for
adyiscment. rs provided in tho resolution above
qlotrd. When the report was printed, however,
special meeting Of the board was held at which Il
bare quorum was present. Gems. Barnard and Gill
more were not notified 30 be present, but Mr.
Chanutc was OF hand, and without any reference of
this Important subject to committee without con-
sultng any engineer except Mr.. Chanute. who adyo-
Gated the Delaware Bridge COmpany's plan, aud
without waiting for the regular monthly meeting,
the director. present awarded the first premium to
that company. ths second one to Clarke, Reeves &Co.
and the third ono 20 Henry Flad a Co., and
il is understood by resolution adopted the plan
of the Delaware Bridge Company as the one on
which the bridge should be constructed
There is little no difference in the cost of the
plaus proposed by the Delaware Bridge Company
and that Of Clarke Reeves & Co. The first is
known as = "cantIieyer," with an intermediate
truss 300 feet long n the middle of the span which
truss is supported the two ends of the can't
levers Clarke, Reeves & Co. propose an arch
which springs from the natural rock foundation on
the main shore. with single span Of 103O feet. TO
the natural r5c, on BlackwclPs Island. Tie arch
is paraJ in form, and for bo!dncss and beauty
of design suTpasscs anything of the kind IN the
world. The center of the arch il about 200 feet
high above the river. Iron towers rising from the
waters edge ou each shore, with clear opening of
73i feet between them, secured To the arch and
virtually reduce it's span 10 this width. the pOr
tion, of the arch from the tops of these towers 10
the rock and Che towers Themselves constitute
in reality the ahutmcnts of the arch proper
If the selection OF q design for the bridge only con-
ccrucd the competitors for the premiums it would
be q matter O. snail moment, but as the public are
deeply interested ia the early erection Of thor
Oug!Ilv Substantial structure, they have right 70
cIfio,e the informal and hasty action of the direc
tors in decision which, by inviting capitalists to
invest their money upon plan yet not only un-
tried but condemned in strong language by Gen.
Barnard in hs supplementary report, delays the
time when the shores IT Ncw-York and Long Island
viii br connected 10y a steam railway bridge, and
rapid transit bo obtained 10 the cheap and SpaTscy
soti.l section tccut to the other end Of the pro
posed structure.