The daily gazette., 1880-04-12
FIRST EDITION.
The steel for Brooklyn Bridge.

THE EDeEMooR co. q CONTRACT WILL,
BE FULFILLED, THOUGH AT GREAT
LOSS. Fuf /.
In July last the contract for furnish-
ing 10, 726, 600 pounds Of Besseiner
steel and "a, 600 pounds of iron, to be
used In the construction of the Brook
lyn bridge, was awarded to the Edge
moor Iron Company, of which William
Sellers, the well-known machinist, ia
president. One of the terms of the
contract was that part of the mater
ial, supposed to amount to 500 tons,
was to be furnished by December LIST,
1879. Subsequently, the trustees pas, :
ed resolution requiring an additional
800 tons to be furnished by that time,
but the contract for the latter was
never executed. On Thursday last
Comptroller Steinmetz, of Brooklyn,
who is ex-officio member of the
Board Of Trustees of the bridge, ad-
dressed communication to President
Murphy, asking how much material
had been delivered by the Edgemoor
Company on account of their contract,
claiming that it was important that the
contract should be filed, as it wouId
entail a serious loss of time If the con-
tractors were not held strictly to terms.
President Murphy replied that three
hundred tons of steel had been cast
and delivered at the Midvale Iron
Works, which also have Mr.. Sellers
for president. There it was to be roll
ed preparatory to being shipped to the
Edgemoor Works, to be fitted by
their powerful hydraulic machinery.
From inquiry at the Midvale Works IL
appears that the fault is not altoget her
with these works, but that everyone, from
the engineers ON the works ut the bridge
TO the Edgemoor Iron Company. have
been doing all In their power to forsa d
the work, and IL Is claimed that all en-
gagged in the undertaking, with probably
one exception, are satisfied with the
operations. To enable the Midyae Iron
Works TO roll the huge plates and bars
of steel which were required in the work,
u was necessary to put in almost an en-
tirely new hot bed, immense cranes and
exclusive repairs 10 the engine. This
work has-aIready been done and the
mills will no doubt start in few DAYS.
Three hundred tons of steel ineots have
been received at the works within the
past week. The Cambria Iron Works
were not prepared 20 furnish the steel as
required, the works requiring larger in
gots than any they had ever made the
Aidvale Works were not prepared TO
roll the blooms, even had they been
made, as their machinery was too light.
Furthermore, the work OH the bridge has
not yet reached state to require the
iron aHd steel, and, although the contract
stipulsted for the delivery of part Of
the material by Decemner, yet It was
tacitly understood, by all parties connec-
ted with the work, that fulfilsent OF the
agreement could be postponed. Assurance
10 given that the material will be ready
as soon as 1t Is needed, and that the
work will be pushed on as rapidly as
possible. A leading member of the
Edgemoor Company, in speaking of the
contract said that their company had al
ways filled their contracts and would fill
this one to the satisfaction of at least
majority Of the trustees. IL had been
asserted, he added, that the material
could not be furnished at the price
specified in the contract without suffer
ing loss Of at least $3.50, 900 to the firm
but, he said, the company were not only
a0le but willing and determined that all
should be done which they had promised
10 do. Should there be any delay in
the opening OF the bridge to the public
1t shall not be chargeable to the man
ufacturing companies.