New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-23
ENGINEER OF THE BRIDGE.
A MOTION TO DIspLAcE MR. RoEBLIyG.


ing of tho trustees of the New-York and Brooklyn
Bridge held yesterday afternoon, after being ad-
journed from the second Monday IN the month,
owing to the published reports that important
tracts were 10 be awarded. and that motion would
be introduced to displace Chief Engineer w. A.
Roebling AS It was expected that Mayor Low, OF
Brooklyn, would introduce such resolution, be
was asked by ex-Mayor Hunter yester-
day not to do it unless it clearly
appeared that the change would cause a great bene
fit to the work. Mr.. Hunter urged the facts that
the elder Roebling lost his life in the service Of tho
trustees and that the present chief engineer con-
tracted the disease from which no suffers whilo
experimenting the work of building the towers.
He said that it would be unwse to dispace the man
who knew most about the work. Mr.. Roebling. in
Mr.. Hunters opinion, was being made scapegoat
by the trustees, who were directly responsible for
changes made in the work while it was in progress.
Mayor Low expressed his dissatisfaction with the
conflicting reports of the chief engineer as to tho
time the work be finished and with his unsatisfac-
tory statements rs 10 the details OF the work
At the hour for the meeting, D. m,
fifteen of the twenty trustees we're at the oihce IN
Water-st Brooklyn. Those present from this city
were Mayor Grace, Controller Campbell, John I.
Agnew, j. Adrlancc Bush A. 5. Swan, w. i. Mac
donald Jenkins Van Schaick, Henry Clausen and
Thomas Clarke. The Brooklyn trustees present
were Henry G. Murphy. Mayor Low, Controller
Semler. J. 5. I. Stranahan, William Marshall and
Otto Wittc Four of the Brooklyn trustees dsre-
carded Mayor Lows request TO be present After
the reading aud approval Of the minutes, President
Murphy read the announcement of the appointments
bv the Mayor Controller and President OF the Board
of Aldermen of this city of Jenkins Van Schaick and
H. K Thurber 20 succeed f.. W. Smith and sRobert
Roosevelt trustees.
DISCUSSING BIDS FOR MATERIAL.
The special business of the meeting then in
troduced by Mr Murphy, who began to read tho
bids for the iron vaducts of station buildings at
the approaches of the bridge. lie was interrupted
by Mayor Low, who said that ne had learned from
ex- Mayor Howel that since he made his bid he had
found ont that the material could be procured
more cheaply than before, and he could lessen tho
| amount of his bid by about $500. The Mayor
thought if this amount could be saved it wonld DO
| a good thing tor the cities, and he moved that
| Mr Howel's amended bid be received. Upon
| learning that the amended bid had not
been received until the other bids had
been opened, the Mayor withdrew the mo-
tion. The bids presented were as follows;
| At the Brooklyn approach-Jones q Benner,
| Sis5 876 90 X. l.. Danagh, 1912, ,044 4l Howell
| & Saxton. $194. 733 56 POuls0n Il Eyer. S2Oli-
2s5 10; J. b. IL j. NJ Cornell, $2o6357. At the New
York approlcn-Plttsbgrg B.Ggs 20 S3npsnf In.
Dalrsah SSl2 Sl2I, ,0o3 90, j. B. x j. NJ Cornell.
$l28,879 10; Howell, saxtoR q CCi slSMl,5625i M2Ii
lienyeImaa CS $1,000 N We're MdrpHg drap%g
| they provided for the delivery OF the
material by January l. 1888 and bids we're rSceiy. s
trustees to meet last week the tae for delivery lad
been extended TO April /, 1853. and the time for
Magor Grace then moved that the lowest bids.
| those Of Jones q Benner, and OF the Pitisonrg
| Bridge Company be accepted WITH iorfeitnIe
clause that the contractors pay S0OO for every days
delay beyOnd the time specified for the delivery or
| the material He said he should vote 10 award no
contract which aid not provide for a forfeit, ana
percentage OF the price should REMAIN
| unpaid until tho work was dope.
While the Mayor was putting his
| motion in writing Mr.. Stranahan called attention
to the fact that the bids were not made under suGn
| conditions aud probably the whole matter would
have TO be readyertIsed. Mayor Low aud Controller
Campbell urged that there should be forfeiture fOr
| nOnfulflment of contract. Mr.. Murphy asked what
should be done if the lowest bidder sh0uld refuse 10
accept the contract under forfeit. 1t was suggested
that it might be offered TO the next lowest pd1et,
| but Mayor Grace SAID tat TINS was dahgeIVcs
proposition and 1t would be better to readvertise:
| Mr.. Macdonald proposed To refer the wnoe matter
| to a committee of five. and CoDtroiier seid'er
moved that the proposals be advertised
| again under the new conditions. Mayor Low sug-
gested that they bound 10 give the lowest od-
der q chance under the present specincauOhs COn-
| uOler Campbell urged no delay. Messrs Agnew
| aud Bush III favor OF giving the pIeSent
| bidders chance. Controller SemleTs motion 20
readvertse was then voted down. ana Mayor
| Graces motion unanimously adopted.
| Bids were then read for the rope-drlving machln-
| cry ranging from $l7, 800 TO $4,000. hr; Busn
| moved that the contract be awarded to Nessrs.
| Dickson Il Co.. OF Pttsburg, the lowest bidderS,
| with a penalty of foreiting $50 day Tor each
DAYS delay III delivery according 70 the contract
| This was adopted. The bid OF the New-l ork re-
| Rope and Wire Company TO supply the wire ifac-
| tion rope for moving the cars over tue prlhse
at 95s cents pound for cIuclDle-east
| steel, with 10 per cent OF the money retained "
|. guarantee the rope for one year, was accepted
| THE AsSIsTANT-ENGINEER QUESTIONED.
| For the first time Acknowledgment Martin was
pres MT at a meeting of the trustees, and he was
| asked by Mayor Low to the material not yeo
| contracted for. In consequence of bis
| statements it was voted to ask manufacturers to
| submit samples of iron railing for the elevated
promenade Oh the approaches. 1t was also voted TO
give the contract for the granite coping on the New
| York approach 10 the Bodwell Granite Company al
| 1863.
Controller Campbell next asked how much steel
vet remained to be delivered by the EdgeHoor Com
pany. Mr. Martin said that the eyebars
I'D to panel No. 20 had been shipped and would be
! here by Friday. Mr.. Murphy read letter from Mr.
sellers, the contractor. to the effect that the work
upon the eye-bars was going forward without do
liy : there had been the breaking down OF dle,
hut II mad been repaired All would be competed Oy
the time already naned-Octooer 81 fney @ "tIs "a nyw %
Martin If the eye-bars already on could lot 5e used,
| but was told that they belonged 10 panels az high
as II and IA, and there were 433 panels IL al.
Secretary Quntard stated that all the steel on the
first contract of 600 tons had been delivered, and
that Oh the second contract, OF 1O6i tons.
24J had been delivered leaving SO tons yet 10
| be received.
MOVING TO DIsPLACE THE CHIEF-ENGINIER.
| At this point Engineer Martin took his hat and
left the ROOM and it was felt that important action
was about to be- precipitated. Mayor Low rose
calmly and said:
| Ihaye been impressed with the growing conviction
that this work bens conducted under many uis 90 an
tpues We have an engineer VINO - scA ana uiiapie u
he uresen wi lis. Tue trustees have brcn Trying tOf
ont ms 10 ge answers the most simple questions Now,
| wnen we have departed from the regular channels,