New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-08
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
AWARDING A LARGE CONTRACT.

The regular meeting for July Of the Trustees OF
the East River Bridge took place yesterday AFTER
noon in Brooklyn. The receipts for June were re-
ported TO be 81 432 50, and the expenditures @oo'
AL 80 The financial condition of the bridge on
June 80 was as follows: Total receipts Slo,oZo'-
492 Of total expenditures, SlO'523,o|4 30 OUT
standing liabilities SIP SO7 60. The stonecutters
employed applied for an increase of cents an hour
in their wages. The application was referred to the
Executive Committee with power.
The matter Of awarding the contract for the iron
and steel for the superstructure then taken up
Al the last meeting of the trustees tie Executive
Committee reported in favor of awarding this con-
tract TO the Edgemoor Iron Company, and recon-
mended the adoption of the following resolution;
Resolred That il be recommended % award the con-
tract for TIE iron and steel ior 'S hqsPeu|u Tr
structure to the lowest bidders, the Edsenonf iron
trustees snail not be obliged receive pay for more
than about five hundred tons OF steer uul1g tJ Sr%
tera after the st Of January 1850 aua unt the Isl O
MAY 1880 and in ease no notice shall be gwen DesoiSS
tho last ment Onod date 10y the said trustees to me sSu
company furnish the balance Of the ma era 1u9gr
The SAID contract may at the option OF the saic COM
pany, be Determined, and be no longer oheaoly upon
ihc parties. and after July, ISL, either party may
cancel said contract
Accommodation on the subject was received from
Controller Steinmctz. who said that more aStound-
ing proposition had never come to his knowledge
in all his experience than this resolution. II the
contract were awarded il would leave the trustees
completely at the mercy of the contractors, since
there seemed TO be no intention to call during 1919
for more than 500 tons of steel, while the remain
ing 1000 tons were to be called for after May
1850 after which time the contractors only should
have the right 10 determine the contract Inc
resolution. General Steinmctz claimed, indicated
an intention not to finish the bridge within the
next two years. He felt confident that if there was
on intention to finish the work speedily, econom-
ically and at stated price, all the necessary funds
youId probably be found. He also cOntcnded that
the award was not given to the lowest bidder ny
this resolution. Ii was claimed that saving OF
about 400 tons Of material had been effected by the
change from iron TO steel, whereas in reality they
would be obliged to buy nearly 400 more tons OF
steel than if iron had been used. The OnlrolleT
also referred TO the opinions 81 A ;. He"I{' ang
Captain EadS to the of BeS-emer steel, ana
asked that the award of the contract he recon-
united to the Executive Committee in order that
its report on the subject might be recOusldcrcd.
At The request of Mr.. Kingsley three communica-
tions from Chief-Eugineer Roeblng on the subject
of the superstructure We're read. Mr.. R1ebllng re-
commended that the contract he awarded 10 the
EdgemOOr Iron Company, and expressed his salts
faction that the lowest bid had come from com,
pany occupying the foremost rank as TO practical
ability and personal integrity, and whose works
Of ample capacity to meet all the requirements
Of the bridge and conveniently located 1oT super
vision. When the change from iron to steel was
first contemplated he supposed that the difference
In price wOuld he at least 100000, but IN tact the
lowest bud for steel exceeded Uy only $1,000 the
accepted bid for iron last year. The difference be-
tween the lowest bid and the lowest bid for crucible
steel was 1864 900.
In tue discussion which followed Mr. Steinmetz
became at times very excited. Mr.. Kingsley said
that If unconditional contract was awarded, the
approaches, which it would take SIX OF eight months
longer 10 finish than the sureistructTe
would be lett unfinished BY starting small
pant of the work on the superrtructuTe
and getting the necessary machinery ready, they
would be able to 90 on and complete the bridge on
OF before January l, 1851. If the supeIstrqcture
were finished at It would do no good, as 1t
could not he made available. Besides, on account
of the delay in awarding the contract, no material
could be delivered before October. The contract
must be awarded with some conditions. The bridge
could now require the delivery of the entire amount
this year if il was thought best and the contractor
would be glad TO furnish It.
Controller Steiumetz urged the desirabity of
completing the bridge from anchorage TO anchorage
before the approaches were finished. That portion
constituted the bridge proper and the approaches
could easily be built at any time.
The resolution given above was adopted after
further discussion, Mr.. Steinmetz alone voting in
the negative.
ana $4,000 pounds OF iron. he bid OF the Edge
moor Iron Company was 1900 cents pound,
amounting TO S16s, l4.
The Executive Committee was authorized TO pnr-
chase such quantities OF brick, cement and hubble
stone might be required, and then the Board
adjourned.
Both towers of the bridge have been completed,
the last work upon the Brooklyn tower having been
finished on Saturday.
A RAILROAD WAR IN EAST NETWORK.
TIE EASTERN COMPANY TEARING UP The long
ISLAND CoMPANY's TRACK.
The village of East New York was the scene, early
Sunday morning. of a railroad war, an attempt
having been made on the part of the Eastern Rail-
road Company of Long Island to lay track across
siding belonging to the Long Island Railroad
Company The frst-named company, whose preSi-
dent Is l. ID. Barton, superintendent Of the
Manhattan Beach Road, organized to
build a road to Babylon, by the way of
Jamaica, with the same guage as that of the
Manhattan Beach Road, and connecting with the
latter at East New-YoTk. II was 10 be operated in
opposition to the Southern Railroad, whichis leased
aud controlled by the Long Island Company. The
project of building the road to Babylon by the way
of Jamaica was abandoned but IT was decided 10
build "A road, five miles and half long, from East
New-York 10 Jamaica the present summer. Inc
rlgnt TO use the tracks OF the CandTslg lallroad
for a short distance was obtained from Dewitt {.
IittieiOhn who owns the road and $4,000 was pad
for the privilege, "a third raIl TO be laid Inc
CanarSie RO>d, however, Is bult on the
property of the Long Island Company, whose
cugiue-houses are the south sid" of Atantlc-aye
and connected with the main lines by short siding
which crosses the Csuarsic Road.
On Sunday morning construction tIaln OF the
Eastern Company, with about 100 WOrl,men ana a
quantity Of materials was run upon the tracks OF
the CanarSie Road aud the work OF tearing up the
siding begun. ia Ord1I that the tnliu ran might
be laid. A Waterman of the Long Island Company
saw what was going on and informed Mr.. Richard
son. the asst tant iraIn-dSpatcler VINO AT once ran
an engine down upon the siding 10 the point where
one Iall had already been removed. TINS put stop
To the work, Gut an attempt was made by some OF
the Eastern COmpauy's wCrSmen 20 remove the
engine. Tie police however, lntelleIed ana ar
rested the foreman. President Barton secured his
release upon promising that no attempt would be
made to continue The work.
me new road is opposed by the people of the
village, and an Indignation meeting was held OH
Sunday afternoon. The Highway Commissioners
were denounced for giving the company the right
10 lay ITS tracks, and the Police Comm issoners
were Tcqoosted to prevent the building OF the road