New-York tribune., 1886-04-23
THE PROPOSED HIRLEM BRIDGE.
UPENlNG BIDS FOR THE STRUCTURE.

HOW TIE ESTIMATES vABY-AN OTTER TO BUILD
FOR 81, 100000.
The Harlem River Bridge Commissioners. jacob
Lorlard Vernon II. Brown aud David James Ming,
met Yesterday % receive bids for the proposed
bridge across the Harlem. for which the city IS TO pay
and which expected to be OF great benefit to certain
proper y-owncrs along the Harlem wi ose political
influence has created this commission. The act under
which the Commissioners are operating has been ex-
posed by THE TRIBUNE fully. 1t is extraordinary
act giving them power to spend tho peoples money
without let hindrance and making them responsible
to nobody for their work. 1hev are not even amen
able TO the ordinary city regulations with regard to
contracts and public works In arranging tor their
bridge, the commissioners acted in the spirit OF the
bill. THE TRIBUNE discovered that they were about
TO sign If indeed. they mad not already signed con-
tract with the Union Bridge Company which woulh
have cost the city nearly $4,000 900. After TIE
TRIBUNEs exposure of this fact, the contract was
quietly dropped. aud further proceedings have been
conducted in a more orderly way
The engineer of the Commission W. j. McAlpne
drew plan for bridge. 1t was exceedingly
similar to the plan of Mr. Schneider. of Philadelphia
as TO lead to the belief that Mr.. Schneider did not
have his plan copyrighted. In Mr.. Scbneiders bridge
however, aesthetics played a prominent part but
Mr. McAlpne's Ian is condemned by The Engineer
been ruthlessly sacrificed and that " the plan is
neither creditabe the good and skill Of our
bridge engineers Will it be III any degree an orna-
to the city which will be called upon to paw Tor
its construction 1t thinks tha; " the beauty and
importance of the site and the engineering skill ana
architectural finish of other structures in the lmmedi
ate neghborl OOd demand something better than bare
walls OF the cheapest masonry and pair OF metaluc
skeleton arches shorn of all ornamental detail"
Bnt the contractors to whom the plans for Mr..
McAlpnes bridge submitted for estimates show
by their bids. that though it may not lie thing OF
beauty it will take n good dc al OF money to buid it,
At their meeting Yesterday the commissioners pro-
duccd fifteen bids. Only offer was made TO build
the whoes tructurc hat was pro1ered by the New
Jersey steel and Iron Company Tor -. .J3O 100 ~.
Ten offers received for the mason work as iol-
lows Miles Iierney ! 800. al 30: John Mc3nade'
- O93, 1Ol GD William II. Browne. II 2jS.9J6 10
Boiler McGaw. ~ .396.O25; john Cox Co.,
81 l01 $40 OF Smith, kiples Drake, II 1.O,OOo;
Guidet u Darragh. - .G97 693 II: Belien. Soule
y Wright. : .G2S $50: W. s. Coleman 81 .433 2G1
and kider. Dougherty ~ Co.. ~ .25S.lj4 &C. FIVE
contractors offered to do The metal work. Their bids
were: he King Iron Bridge aud Manufacturing Co..
S11>O.OOO: Phoenix Bridge Co. 81, l16.OO0 | mon
Bridge Co.. S6-7 800; the Passaic Ro ling Mill Co.,
$3.50 -, and the New Jersey Steel and Iron Com
Daay 1899. 1j5 %. he lowest bidder for the mason
work John McQuadc whose offer was II Obj
407 CO. and the lowest for the metal work was the
Union Bridge Company at S6S7 800 these two
offers would make the whole bridge cost 81 1SO,-
9O7 60 The commissioners. however, reserve the
right to make any change they tit. so that this
offer by 10 means shows what the bridge may cost.
During the meeting the secretary. Mr.. Niven. said
he had received letter from firm of engineers
who submitted plans OF their own and offered to
build bridge for about III. .5OO,OOO. The ComnliS-
sioners laid his communication the table After
the meeting THE TRIBUNE reporter discovered
that the firm OF engineers referred to was \aux
RadfOrd Mr.. Nanx Is well known from his work III
Central PARK. The films Office il in the Bible House.
where Mr. RadfOrd WAS found Yes, sc made sucn an
offer he said, and think that our plan Is hand-
We have shown Ii TO several engineers VINO
regarded II "a admirable In aesthetics well as IN
strength. We have had contr actors estimate 1t and
find that II can spenddly constructed for rl3s2oCO
We accompanied letter to the Commissioners with
offers from well known and responsible contractors to do
par by the Commissioners far from ee-
giant and tnat they involve unnecessary expense 1t Is
possible good Job Of that brige !Or
less than g, 100000 our plan will the city
81 the will be safe, durable and
elegant.
The span is to be thrown from Aqueduct ave. TO
FOrdham, 10 Tenth ave-. New York. Tho space between
these points Is a valley with slopng banks. There are
Harlem River to This Is vadnct rathe thana
bridge. The to he crossed j. on 100 feet wide
while whole vaduct is LOO feet long. Tboir
plan proIo two great arches arches one %, across aa,
or ForlnPm, side OF sos feet each; n wall on tio
east 3s2 feet, and the west OF 3l7 rect
We propose do away with these ugly walls altogether
substitute elegant arches and pler- We viii pl ace
pie ir tho o the river making two riyrr arches
of 93 feet each This will give more room than oy
single span. for arches are higher Beauty then re-
quircs side arches the land, each span being 5
fee' long. Then the fordham side we ave I'VE
think plan is entitled to the Commissioners con
sIderation."