The New York herald., 1879-02-26
BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
FURTHER TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE LEGIs-
LATIvE COMMITTEE TOUCHING ITS SAFETY.

FURTHER TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE LEGIs-
LATIvE COMMITTEE TOUCHING IT'S SAFETY.
The Assembly subcommittee Commerce and
Navigation, consisting of Messrs. Knowles, DuQuid.
Low. Wells. Sheridan and Grady. met yesterday
morning at the Metropolitan Hotel to continue the
hearing of witnesses concerning the New York and
Brooklyn Bridge. The model of full-rigged ship
occupied tho centre of the long table in parlor No.
lit. Colonel Payne, who examined by the COM
mttee at its last sitting. recalled to amplfy
tain points in his testimony already taken.
Captain d. Luce. of tho Minnesota. was called and
testified that when he broke his topmasts two years
ago. 1t accident that. under other conditions.
might have been avoided. He had to give way for
ship in tow the alternative of running into the
tow or breaking his topmasts presented.
Captain Nelson next examined:-He did not
think that the largest merchantmen in the world
would have any difficulty in going up the East River
when the bridge was completed they would, of
course have to house their topmasts This was
very inconvenicnt for the reason that the of
merchantmen generally desert Mt quarantine Staten
Island. When desertion occurs and the ship has to
berth up the East River 1t will be necessary to get
rigger's aboard to house the topmasts. The
law allows owners to deduct from the wages of
men any expense that may have been occassioned by
their desertion. The captain said some hard things
about boarding house runners, when Mr.. Grady.
with mock solemnity. asked:-"Captain are you
that these gentlemen are my worthy constitu-
ents2
THE RIVER.
Colonel Francis Collingwood a civil engineer
next called and stated that he had been engaged In
professional capacity since 1862 He gave testimony
In confederation of Colonel Payne TO the strength
and stability of the piers and cables of the bridge
He stated that in summer, allowing for the greatest
sag consequent the expansion of the cables there
would be distance of 1876 feet inches above mean
high tide. and i'm winter 13S feet inches he
remembered having seen square-rgged vessel being
worked In the East River they were invariably in
tow. Colonel Collingwood in speaking of the in
huence of the wind on the bridge. did not think
would affect the structures he had been informed
by the engineer OF the Cincinnati Bridge that the
greatest movement of the bridge foot during
the highest wind that had been known for years The
height Of the Cincinnati Bridge 100 feet clear and
1859 feet span.
To Mr.. Grady-I have not had experience on any
other bridges in the country think the New York
and Brooklyn Bridge compares quite favorably with
any similar structure in America; agree with
Colonel Payne that at times there may occur winds
which will drive pedestrians against the guards of
the BRIDGE such wind would have to have a force
of twenty pounds to the square foot force which
| Is not frequently attained; cannot conceive how
the bridge could be made safer than IL Is at present
WOODS DURABILITY.
At the suggestion of Mr.. Murphy, Colonel Colling-
wood gave the committee facts con-
| corning the durability of submerged timber While
digging for foundation for the Brooklyn pier OF the
| bridge no came upon some old piles that had been
driven fifty years before to support the foundation
of certain warehouses: These sticks were found to
be in perfect state of prcservaton-sound in every
hbre Witness had such faith In these timbers that
| he used one of them to prop up side OF the
cavaton, where strain of seventy tons was brought
| on it. In excavatng for the Brooklyn approach,
about GOO feet from the present bulkhead line, he
| found other timbers that had been driven for n
| wharf about one hundred years ago; some of the
Sticks fifteen sixteen feet long. were perfect, and
| were made into walking-sticks. Trajans Bridge.
| over the Danube, built OF wood. had lasted 900
years. aud the submerged timbcrs of the old London
Bridge found sound and perfect after 600 years.
| The committee meets again this morning at ten
| o'clock.