The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-25
THE oREAr SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Rapid Transit over the River As-ured-what
In the Event OF Fret

cum, Leonard, Kingsley. knsclla, Macay,
Hull. Carroll, Burrcl. and tho President, Henry
@. Murphy. Tho meeting was called to CON
slider tho question Of transit over the bridge.
and the specifications for iron work for the sus-
pended supcrstructurc. The board. on the re-
port Of tho Executive Committee. approved OF
the specifications as prepared by the engineer
and extended the time for receiving the bids
until Juno 10. Tho specifications call for $500
tons Of iron. Tho value of tho contract will be
about s45O.OOO. This Is the last important con-
tract to be- awarded.
The Executive Committee reported the pur.
CHASE OF thc properly Of Nj liaulcnaach .,
Mdon. ) and 10 Vandewater street; Charles l..
Noe. 3 Nandewater street; john IoYhoL o.
Frankfort and l Rose strects; lsanc l.. Tuhrn
and Samuel j. Howard in stewart 3 alley the
property Of St AIMS Church at Prospect and
tho estate Of Benz Davis at Washington and
Sands streets 1t was Ordered that the interiors
| streets be faced with brick. On motion of Mr.
Haswell the following was added to the specl-
llcations for supersrurture: In the event OF It's
| being decided to alter the form OF me over
| head transverse connection between the truss"s
| to "a curved line with versed sine of - inches.
| the additional price for such work. II any price
| per pound. to be- given. and that the spccilca-
| lions be- amended SO as 10 require satisihc-
tory Dond IN tns penalty o, tioo;gOo' IL W WAS
| should be final In the case of any dispute about
| extra compensation growing out OF the con-
| tract.
The Rapid Transit Committee Of which
| Mr. Thomas Kinsella was Chairman. and
| Messrs. Stranahan. Haswell. Hitchcock. Hall.
Kingsley. Leary. and Murphy were members.
| reported as follows:
Firs-Tha, the bridge designed TO bear dead weight
which stated in round numbers at eleven hun.
drd on-assumns OF cours uauihe load isequally dis.
may the moro fully realized when stated to be
s9g Msrne VIZ " , IONS p sne cars n
IN. would occupy lyngt 81 nii,en hnn9red a,d shy
hrigcthe space between the towers each side OF the
| river With such weight the factor Of safety IN the
nrc proper four The lowest Il these factors safety is
Vas ever desrnc2 or to winch It viii be applied audi.
about equal to the reserved strength IN other parts o the
seconi-Imporiance wa. given to the gauge OF the
bridge hy sugse sion thrown out bv engineer that
in order to insure the requisite STABILITY i1r cars Of The
weight DESIGNED for ordinary use 9n ne BRIDE Ihe
mime the question that continuous travel could not be
provided for between the two ciesthat Is that
other than those IN TIE bridge could be- taken
across u Your committee are unanimously q Tue oiln
and halt inches should he used, and NO other rhey
wind involving the stability Of car upon the roadway
that the force 81 such sale As would endanger the
cars will he broken. lessened, aud diverted ~ Ne
partial cycrnring Of car I, would ret asan. the
To lie cars The ordinary surface road ~.
posed TO danger wind hut this not held
To- he argument against surface roads In favor
using foot gauge The danger 10 life on surface
bridge roadway because Of tie .ncreasi sccurt, given
the work tile latter Violent gales BRIEF
u their duration and tn contingency q bncf and rare
detention ~ travel would "a thr opinion Of your commit
cury A. might be counted ON from the USE OF The wide
ThiriNScur committee md that the computed strength
o the door bcams 81 the bridge + equal TO uniform loa
Of I'VE tons with factor of safety OF four The beams
are sct seven tee ,h inches "Sr a4d my ar,
upon The beams Tor limited distance quite equal 10 the
pp.rt OF train Of car, Of ,wo Pundfsi Zee, IN ensi
transverse supports, heins onc,hai me with OF ue
weight Of palace or sleeping car Is about twenty.
I'M, Weigh, rh@ anei,ndna ccntres Of It's rearing are
hirysvcn feet six inches apart and cons quenty the
he sleeper, and iccrns b, proporuonSe The beams
The chef engineer in a eommunicauon to a membef OF
yonr e9mm.e e,sune, tnsi sn,h welht %, car car
oesonasl. ,,ess ape1 Ne nSss; ram Q, h'9
rived from the stress being distributed by the trusses
We have indicated what leheNe be- the safe limit
in a train OF palace cars-noi ~ excess Of three
The report then goes on To- say that, In view
OF the fact that the reserved strength In the
beams II less than in the cables and OF the DOS
siblity OF reducing the weight ot the super
structure itself. the committee considered the
advsahility Of resorting TO a superstructurc Of
steel Aionc, or Of steel and iron combined
Some OF the committee abandon this purpos,
only on the explicit statement Of tho chief engi
neer that II Is not practicable 70 OBTAIN steel o.
the form and volume required without grea
delay possible disappmintmcnt n last ant
IN contracting for iron for the use of the super
siru fturp. TIE ultimate bus ness us" oi the road
way Will NOT he 0Xol AMI determined. cXi4,p
10 the extent that some alterations would have
a. he made Ia Accommodate the palace car II
height the use Of which apprar To Ice sonllu
when IT arises The qu stiun of the use OF th'
roadway will still b" open, and largely under
control Of the trustees. Tho committee, al"l
comforting with repr. 'utatiyes ot rapid transit
schemes. find That the adoption Of none ot then
ing ont the plans If the bridge, and 80 the com
mitt"e confined lis attention exclusively 10 tn
completion Of me bridge sirn lure. Ihgi rrpor
closed with resolutions thai the railroad gaug'
| bee fixed AZ feet 50 Inches, That II 10" d. ,it
practicable 20 transfer palace cars upon n
bridge under tho conditions stated. and that th'
commlttc" be discharged from further cohs!i
Grafton ui the subject.
The report was unanimously adopted
The President r"ud n communication IRON
, | Chiof Engineer knehing ON thu proprloty o
I using wooden thanking for the n loring Of the
bridge a'count Of its Liability e. burn. and thu
question NJ e. whether wood could hc made hr'
proof. No sat siactory results. he reports. hav
various methods known. The so-called fir"
, proof paints and soluble glass process,
are Of no value. Tungstate Of soda which IL cfl
cacious for textile fabrics. l. too expensive L
apply To- wood \ coating of clustering under
meath. the most feasible protection. could not b
maintained intact lur any IrnElh 81 ume' De
: cause of constant larring and vibrating. \ com
4 | pact, well laid noor, with no open Joints Il on
Or 10 keep on fire. The iron floor beam
, underneath the noor. divide the lower surfa'
into cells 80 wide that a local irc cannot pas
from one division Ia the other. and would sool
smother in its own smoke in ono Of thes
spaces. There are no upright wooden posts
n no wooden sides. and no wooden roofhy whcl
4 a fire II once started could propagate itself ~ II
ordinary wooden bridges. The sdcs arr pro
, tcctsd by iron and on tho urlrr surface there
4 n dausrrany how. The quantity Of plankn
n is about rs small rs II well can bc made Tn
bridgiugs between the floor beams have bee
70 almost entirely made II iron instead 81 Woo.
e. and by the introduction Of a light intrrmediHt
4 iron floor beam, onc-thlrd the thickness e.
plank my has been saved. This lpnr can oul
r. be- burned 10y fire in soma building under
70 meath, and any coniiHgratlon sufficient in u
. t.nsity and duration 10 burn NJ the lloor.wouldJ
+, the same time destroy all the iron work. no maj
l. ter whether the floor was burnt or not A fire q
/. any magnitude under the bridge would quick
d, warp and twist the iron frame work. tear
= loose from its connections and uIurv 1t o. sue
II an extent as noccss itatc it, being taken down
@ That has been the experience in all iron struC
turrs that have been exposed To fire.
The probability of such fire Is very remote
II "A burning vessel passed under the main spa
- it would not linger there long enough to set lin
n to ANYTHING. There is danger of fire only in
II small portion of the land span. and there III
buildings are low and iircproof GA the sides
! the land spans the buildings are sufficiently f.
IL of 10 make IT comparatively safe After th
fl cables are completed and the bands put on
. Will De- advisable to coat the lind cables betwr'
n the bands for distance 81 $50 feet ont from Ill
u anchorages with mn ashcstiform covering
nrpXeut M moss lille nuneultun Of the steel