New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-07
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE FAST RIVER BRIDGE.

Il
TESTIMONY OF SHIPPERS AND PROPERTY o"NhNS
,c,rSsT ITS CoNsrRUCIIoN-THE DAMAGE TO
SHIFTING.
The subcommittee Of the Assembly Com
,,,ce on Commerce and Navigation appointed to take
testimony relative the Brooklyn Bridge met a'er
recess OF several days at the Metropolitan ho.ol S
terday morning. James L. Freeman tesuneu '""' i'S
business as merchant, owning warehouses; ap''' '
bridge would be greatly injured we're that -
completed. His rents which used 70 amount " A.,
nre now only IS 900. His dock property ABOVE 'no
or,or nn dcprecated fully so per cent since Work hH"
begun on the bridge. ,. al
william Cochran, Brooklyn rlgger' us''"'" t'''
.chooners Of $50 tons and over, and squareFlEheu
sels above 700 t ms, would have TO lower 'nei wy
,pasts when passing under the bridge Inc cost " ~
scnouers would be SO EACH and Tor the squarerlko
-ossois $40 each For vessels OF from loVV 10 Low
tonnage the topgaant- mast and tOpmGst would nave
IN ho housed at an expense of from 500 TO STU
the last wear he had housed the topmasts Oh Pi"''
twenty-five vessels. In the case on thc NJ = "i'''
fourten men worked eight and half hours to lower her
naSs II would cost between 800 8ud s'oo /" iO"'i
tho roosts when the bridge completed. The aoduohai
cxpense would arise from the fact that u "ouu oo
necessary TO send all the yards on DECK anu ~ '
dismantle the ship entirely except the lower HE'"A
would require seven days TO take down ana rep"co '
masts with the same number of men that arc ho" '"
Moved Il would cost over 500 to lower the mass
the principal part OF the heavy work that oanc :"
NOR, The average cost housing the masts OF NeS'c
OF from 200 to 900 would be 5000 10 9ooV' -
bis onniou fifteen feet ought 10 be allowed De'"c "
botton OF the bridge and the mast. NJ n La"I'n'0
testified that he was resident of Flushing lie was II"
tercsted IN bonded warehouses above the bridge ne
,ad that the bridge IN present condition had diverted
business from his docks. The property on the Ne"i"iN
side OF the East River had become dead since the oso
was contemplated. On the other hand BrooENn ION"
were being hut and every thing was beng uGnC W.
me BROOKLYN side to draw the trade nom INC 80
Mr. Murphy, pr sdent OF the BrldgS IInTyr r,c al
TONED the witness at some lcngtI. NJ La" -
,nittrd that between ms stores and the l1Se cIo
no other stores The waterfront above MS s'o'oS va"
cSnghie n orc1t IMPROVEMENT he thOugnt. -,
GSorcc " R"sevct a shtpwrght, thought that inc
vessels would great danger IN passing uiucI t
bridge, since they would que ereat he centre "
the bridge. lie thought that wheh tne prluES W. ~
plc ed 80 per cent of he vessels no" uI Is t H.
admitted that the tendency was 10 DO thc carIy 20
I'm steamers rather than IN vessels Win mds's "a 0
In the afternoon session David J. Taft. sparmakrI
of BROOKLYN testified that schOOners oI JVV lQ.s az"
over would have maSts of about I-V y' W. r. wharf
thought that the bridge Would De an ~ y. 10 e 49,
propcrty in the upper part OF Br0OhlYn NlHSh ISM
said statistics showed that IN 1875 40 .ro,r
through Hell Gaze. aud 5si cane thrugh inc NiT
and doc ked above the bridge Tins list dd not lncluu'
Csptain Charles Mcdonald. VINO has steam derrick
said mat the upright WAS l33 feet and inches aooHe
water The chairman OF the committee asked luc NJ
ms If # WAS 1,g feet above high low water but TINS
0ursor appeared somewhat pOnlcss 10 the o'ht ineu
6ers OF The committee and II was ordered stICAeu on
the record amld general laugh He thonght thS ,e
bridge when competed would deprive MN OF SoVV ~
bn.in,ss each week II feet had TO be cut nom inc
upright ~ the derrick the witness tuouEht tnat ms S
nrss would be damaged To- the amount OF N2OOoo shCt
H. drrr.k could NOT then handle boilers tha II now
can Inc derrick iu the Navy Yard was the onIF one
he said that was high enough 10 take the boefs from
The committee adjourned until to-day at 10 a. m