The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-16
ANOTHER BIG NEW YORK BRIDGE.
some Interesting Details About the
Great Structure.

Great Structure.
NEW YORK, May 10.-Two of the biggest
bridge projects of modern days are closely
identified with New Jersey. In each case
one end of the span starts in that state. The
hage bridge across the Arthur XIII from
Jersey to Staten Island is completed,
although as yet very little traf1c mas passed
over it. The bridge from Jersey City to
New York is still in embryo. Congress has
the say about its erection, just as congress
had the final say about the Staten Island
structure. There have been lots of
inside sauapbles over that bridge
across the narrow, but very
important. Arthur Kill. Erastus Wiman
is credited with the conception Of the enter
nrise He was looking, as he always is, for
something to boom Staten island, In whose
real estate he has most OF his fortune
Invested Mr.. Wiman eagerly jumps at
env scheme that will add to the financial
vain. of Staten Island property, from
KiraIfv,s Nero and Buffalo Bills Indians
to the terminus of a great thoroughfare
like the Baltimore and Ohio was expected
to be.
Probably Wiman was the author of the
enterprise, but he never kept the grip he
had at the start Robert Garrett was the
Canadian financier's big hacker. 1t was
TO Garrett that Wiman gave the finest
public dinner ever given by private citi-
zen 10 CT around the metropolis. The
souvenir of the occasion, issued a month
after the banquet, was the prettiest and
most artistic thing of the kind extant. Had
Garrett remained in the full possession of
his faculties, the story might have had
different sequel. But the wreck of the
Baltimore and Ohio followed CARROTS men
tai decline. The financiers here and abroad
who, through Drexel, Morgan & Co., got
hold of the road didn't adhere so closely to
Wiman. 1t is an open secret that but for
the binding nature or the contracts between
the Baltimore and Ohio and the Staten
Island Rapid Transit roads which had been
made by Wiman & Garrett, it is doubtful
whether the bridge would ever have been
finished. To-day the managers of the
Baltimore and Ohio only regard the
bridge as a great avenue for freight. They
have no idea of using it for passenger traffic,
as Garrett and Wiman did, The big scheme
of an immense passenger station at st.
George and steamboats, that would make
the trip to New York in fifteen minutes
seems to have been abandoned. Two of
the boats were built before G Jarrett lost his
hold and they have never been success,
probably for explainable reasons. The
Reading. and Baltimore and OHIO roads are
working in unison and the latter will doubt
less continue to Use the formers line into
Jersey City.
The internal troubles that the bridge to
Staten Island has caused have been kept
decidedly quiet. Mr.. Wiman, who, when
the project was contemplated managed the
Rapid Transit road as he pleased, is under
stood to have had falling out with Presi-
dent T. Frank Emmons whom he elected
TO his position, and for some reason Emmons
seems to have the grip that Wiman used to
have. Wiman has million dollars worth
of the bonds of the company and will have
to reap his reward from them, as he doubt
less will. The bonds have not doomed since
the bridge was built, but neither have they
deprecated. They are income bonds, and
that accounts for 1t. The stock has ad-
vauced slowly, and is considered a mighty
good investment. The income bondholders
will probably have to wait until Wiman's
latest scheme materializes, if ever it does,
and the rich Barring Bros and other English
capitalists establish a fast freight line from
some Scottish port direct to Staten Island.
Then there has been a neat Sub rosan fight
between some of the rapid transit people
Barnes is credited with having manipulated
some of the early financial deals
between the Staten Islanders and the
Baltimore anu Ohio. He is remembered
in Trenton as having acted as the Baltimore
and Ohio lobbyist away back in 1885, when
the first resolution to allow the building of
the bridge was introduced into the legisla-
ture. tie was badly beaten in his attempt,
and next year gave way as a lobbyist to
Vice President King, john E. Cowen and
Wiman. But the latter had very little
better success, although Wiman had petit
ton, signed by legitimate taxpayers
throughout the state, that when printed in
the fine type of the Dun Mercantile Agency,
of which Wiman is manager, stretched
twice across the assembly chamber. They
were unable to cope with the men and
methods of the Pennsylvania and Lehigh
Valley road.
Barnes is said to have profited by what ne
learned in the legislature corridors at New
ark, and he logan deal with the Lehigh
Valley to obtain control of the bridge that
at one time seemed on the eve of success.
Wlman and his friends claim that Barnes
broke faith with them, and is liable to pun
ishment under the New York laws. How
ever this may be, Barnes suddenly left his
Office in Pine street, New York, and came
over to Jersey. He hasn't been back across
the Hudson, as the narrative runs, for over
year. He has an Office in Jersey City,
and for months lived at South Beth
lehem, Pa. He rode back and fourth
daily over the Lehigh Valley,
and had an annual pass in his pocket. As
South Bethlehem is the headquarters Of the
Lehlgh company, and as Jersey City is
where the counsel of the company are, it is
natural to suppose that Barnes negotiations
with the railroad were at least satisfactory
TO the latter. There are said to be other
inside episodes as the outgrowth of the
Staten Island bridge that are not permitted
TO creep to the surface Wiman says very
little these days about the great project, and
Is more enthusiastic over the prospect of
having Barnum's show on the spot Buffalo
Bill made famous few years ago.
So much for the Staten Island bridge 1t
Is completed, whether it proves failure or
q success. The proposed bridge across the
Hudson river, from Hoboken to New York,
dwarfs the Staten Island structure almost
into insigniicance. 1t is largely Jersey
enterprise too, although its supporters come
from half dozen states. No deals are
necessary, except the one that will get the
proper permission from congress. The
money for the enterprise, which it is esti-
mated will cost at least $50, 100000, is al
ready guaranteed. Gustave Lindenthal,
the engineer, is hard at work in Washing
eon endeavoring to prove the plan
feasible. Lindenthal is really the
author of the scheme and its most active
promoter, but there Is quiet, modest Jer
SSeyman whose ability is understood to have
6een the means of securing the necessary
financial backing for the project. His name
Is Edward F. c. Young. He is president of
tae First National Bank of Jersey City, one
OF the stanchest financial institutions in
frrT hoc 6tTal