The New York herald., 1879-03-07
BROOKLYN BRIDGE.

CONTINUATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE INvEsrIGA
MERGE OF THE PoRr-TEsTIMoSY OF VARIOUS
EXPERTS.
The Sub Committee on Commerce and Navigation
appointed to investigate the Brooklyn Bridge re-
sumed its sessions at the Metropolitan Hotel yester-
day morning. Messrs. Knowles. Grady. Duguid and
Low. of tho committe, were present. and Mr.. Beers
Mr.. Arnoux. Mr. Murphy and brigade Of engineers
were also in attendance. The proceedings opened
with the examination of Mr.. James L. Freeborn. a
Brooklyn warehouseman. He stated that he had
property both above and below the towers of the
bridge which was used for warehouse purposes.
Since the placing Of the cables he said that his prop
erty above the bridge had fallen of from forty to
fifty per cent. great proportion of this he said,
due to the construction of the bridge though the
general shrinkage real estate values had something
to do with it, He knew that his property was directly
affected by the bridge for that Of his neghbors like
his own, had deprecated more than the same kinds
Of property located elsewhere.
Mr.. William Cochran. who is q rigger by trade.
next called and questioned particularly for the in
formation of the committee concerning the methods
of housing topmasts. His testimony about the ex-
penses of this operation to the effect that it
would cost from $500 to $3.50 to bring ship of
SOOU tOuS uuuer tN6 struCtufc nc batu IL Woulu
take two days to lower the top and topgaant masts
unless more than gang Of men was put to work.
He said 1t would cost about $500 to bring the ship
Three Brothers under the bridge and $500 to bring
the Davy Crockett, which was much smaller craft
Mr.. NJ. N. Lawrence, the owner OF warehouses at
the foot of Market and Grand Streets testified that
during the last five years he had lost heavily in bus
ness and the value of his property owing to the the
shrunk to onequarter of it's former value.
HEIGHT
r.. ~ coILo
was examined expert. and gave the averages be-
tween tonnage and mast heights. The length of the
Would be about one hundred and twenty feet
He thought that to pass the bridge safely there
should be space of fifteen feet between the lowest
sag and the masthead. He thought that about one
half the vessels that 60 mp the East River would have
to lower'their masts. He was not sure that owners
would be willing to have their topmasts housed at
the city's expenses they would want to know the
men doing the work. He thought the bridge would
seriously affect the commerce Of tho port and in
crease the danger Of collision
Mr. David ]. Taft, o sparmaker OF Brooklyn, was
called when the committee reassembled after
He did not think, he said that any square rigged
vessels could get under tho bridge without housing
their topmasts In fact. majority of them were
now az G 70 aG no. nn So to M t
water front above it. and that 1t would have bad
effect the several businesses connected with ship
ping.
Mr.. Wilson Fisk testified that he had collected
sa bul to the po Of New
the year 1878 and docked above the bridge He gave
the following figures :-493 vessels, schooncrs and
square riggers came in through He'll Gate. as per
HERALD reports, and 5S4 from below. These figures
he did not think gave all the vessels that arrived in
port. Many vessels, he said, escaped the marine
porters Being asked to be more specific concerning
these vessels, Mr.. Fisk detailed follows:-The
number of sailing vessels on the registry books of
tho United States on November g. 1877, ~, ,S74.
which were divided follows:-90S scho0ners be-
tween 300 and zoo TONS l28 vessels between 700 and
500 tons lO4 vessels between 800 and 900 tons 95
sells between 900 and lO0O tons and 624 vessels
1000 tons OF schooners exceeding 800 tons register
and vessels square rigged exceeding 700 tons reg
lister 493 passed through He'll Gate in 1875 OF these
5si came into port through the Narrows and docked
above the bridge.
DERRICK MASTERS OPINION.
Captain Mcdonald, of the great steam derrick.
was next called He said that his craft had crossed
the line of the bridge often five times day. but
this was times. He said that the elevation Of
the derrick from the water line 139 feet. He
declared that to be perfectly efficient the derrick
should be about fifteen feet higher. 1t would, he
said materially njure the structure to lower it ten
feetin fact, any decrease i'll the height would work
mischief. In answer to Mr.. Beers it developed
that unless a derrick is high enough to elevate a
boiler clear of oil superintendent joiner work it IS
useless
/ At this point the committee adjourned In order to
meet party Of New Jersey legislators who were to
arrive at Jersey City at minutes to ve The hear
ing will be continued this morning.