New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-23
AMENDING BRIDGE BILLS.
IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE BY THREE
SENATORS.
ALTERATIONS TO THE MEASURES INTRODUCED
IN BEHALF OF II UNION ELEVATED
RAILWAY CoMpANY-NEED OF NEW
BRIDGES OF THE EAST RIVER

IN BEHALF OF II UNION
RAILWAY CoMpANY-NEED OF NEW
BRIDGES OF THE EAST RIVER
rv,ox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE %rnIBUSr.]
Albany. March ESQ far as New-York and Brook.
Ten oo concerned there is no legislative measure OF
eouaI importance with those authorizing the construc-
ton OF more bridges across the East River. fSpeclahS
is this the case with the Eastern District OF BroOhlyh'
which has suffered somewhat by the diversion OF popu-
lation TO the western and southern portion OF that Guy
owing TO the construction Of the great Brooklyn Bridge.
Population in Brooklyn has been shunted to the SOUTH
ward and southcsstward by the construction OF the
r sent Bridge, and consequently the region to the
westward OF Prospect Park and South brooklyn HES
been rapidly built up during the last TWO or 'hree
years. Meanwhile the growth OF the Older poruoh U
Brooklyn. known as williamsburg" has not been as
rapid as the owners of property there have anticipated
The bridges which the Union Elevated Railway com.
pany propose building across the East River would
undoubtedly do much TO restore the old condluoh Oh
affairs in Brooklyn when the growth OF the Guy was
TO the eastward. and the Eastern District wouiu 10
enormously benefited. II the proposed BlackwelPs lsiand
Bridge were built also. the Eastern District OF Brooklyn
would be helped stu more. The construction OF such
bridges. moreover, would, in a measure. make the
problem of rapid transit In New-iork easier 10 soi'e,
since a large number Of the workers In newborn "ouu
undoubtedly secure homes upon Long lsland' anu ,hus
the number OF people to be transported daily between
the district OF New-YOrk north Of the Harlem hVer
and the centre of the city would be much smaller.
But will the Union Elevated Railway Company DC
permltted to build the two bridges across the East
River which 1t proposes to build IL the Lesis'a'uio
gives its sanction d? The railway company has a po"e'-
full opposition confronting 1t, some OF 1t interested anu
some Of ii dislnterested. The opposition OF the New
York and Brooklyn Ferry Company and OF its president,
Joseph j. O'Donohue, TO the bill is natural; but IL
would seem that Mr.. O'Donohue Is a prejudiced per
son, and that Therefore the Senate Committee on Com-
merce and Navigation should not listen with much
credence to what he has to say. OF much more account
are the reasons which Controller Myers, OF New-fork'
has given agalnst, the bill, namely, that the Bridge Dill
will give an elevated railway franchise In disguise anu
that the tights of property owners in New-fork are
not regarded. These objections of Controller Myers
have led senators Fassett, SaAton and oCohnor 10
draw up some amendments to the Bridge Dill OF SENATOR
Birkett. These proposed amendments were gwen 10
Senator Rrkett upon Friday, and were taken Dy MN
TO BROOKLYN to be showed to the officials OF the Union
Elevated Railway Company to learn If they would be
willing 10 accept them. In the first section tie bill Is
amended so as to provide that the two bridges snail
have a common terminal in New York, and, also, that
provision shall be made upon the bridge ir us Deine
crossed by vehicles and by pedestrians. the secuoh
is also amended by the striking out OF a provision Ier-
hitting the Union Elevated Railway Company 10 asso-
ciate itself with any other company in the construction
OF the two bridges. Senator O'COnnor says nc
fears that the Union Elevated Company's officers would
organize a construction company, and have that com
pany build the bridge at the expense OF the prkic' ana
not of the railway company. The filst section OF the
bill now reads as follows. in the proposed amended Dill
of senators O'Connor, Fassett and saXt0n:
Section /. Henry w. Putnam, Hugo HOthchild. Ebert
snedecker. Simon Uhlmann. Abram J. I!ardenburgh. Adolf
Iadenburgh, Isaac Lewis, Henry w. Putnam, Jr' Reuben
T.. Pollard, George w. wingate and Frederick Uhlnann'
and their associates. are hereby created a body corporate
and politIc by the name OF the East River Bridge Com
pany,' for the purpose of constructing. maintaining ana
operating at least one and not exceeding two permanent
bridges with a common terminal for the purposes of a
drive or a roadway, and for vehicles drawn by animals,
and for the use OF eqUestrians and for passengers and
other traffic over the East River. between the cities OF
New.York and Brooklyn. together with all necessary aDpuf-
tenances and approaches thereto. and stations. and in case
OF destruction to reconstruct the same and said corpora
ton shall possess the general powers and privileges granted
10 and be subject TO the liabilities and restrictions imposed
upon corporations generally by and a. prescribed IN Ilte
Three, Chapter Eighteen Of Part One OF the Revised
statutes, and any acts IN amendment OF III s'A'
thereof.
section . is also amended by the addition Of a pro
vision that "none of the capital stock Of S24,oOO,OoO
shall be used until fully paid for in money at par"
The bill now provides that when 3 per cent OF the
capital stock is paid in that money can be used. 1t
would seem that a provision virtually declaring that
none of the capital stock shall be used until every
penny OF the S24,O0O,O00 is raised Is a virtual en-
barge upon the bridge being built. Joseph J.
O'Donohue, himself, could not have framed an amend
ment better calculated 10 Kill tNc Dill anu ue OfuSO
enterprise Of the Union Elevated Railway Com
pany than this one. Senators O'Connor, Fassett and
Saxton also sketch an amendment to section Q, In
these words:
Add at the end Of Section 2 a provision the same as
now contained in the general law for street surface rail-
rOads. passed in 1854. as TO COMPENSATION &c the CITY
authorities Of New-York and Brooklyn. with reference 70
percentage OF gross operations. This percentage upon
gross operations 10 begin TO be estimated from the time
the bridge is in actual operation.
section , is also extensively amended. The fol
lowing sentence is struck out Of it:
SAID corporation shall also make compensation 70 any
owner or owners for any real or personal property injured
by the construction ard maintenance Of said bridge or
bridges, or approaches thereto. in the manner provided
by law. Provided. however. aso. that said approaches
shall not extend westwagdlv Of the Vest side OF the
Bowery. in the said city Of New-Yorh
The following is substituted for 1t:
The said corporation hereby created shall also be liable
for such Indirect or consequential damage to property pot
actually taken or appropriated for the purposes Of such
bridge or bridges, within the distance Of one hundred ana
nifty feet on either SIDE OF said bridge or DrldscS' or any
column. pier or abutment thereof. which way be occasiohed
by reason OF the construction, erection or maintenance "a
said bridge or bridges, or any Of the appurtsnances thereof.
1t would seem also that the agent Of some Terry
company was In Albany when these amendments were
drawn up, because the following amendment IS sG
gested in section o:
said company 10 take or acquire any lands under water
now used for ferry or ierrIage purposes by any CORPORA
ton ORGANIZED under the laws % the state OF New'fork'
section 7, line thirteen, is amended by striking out
q provision permitting q municipality to take
stock Of the company. section = is also amended IN
several other respects, 10 circumscrlbe the company.
The section now reads as fellows:
The said corporation may borrow such sums OF money
As NAV be necessary in the opinion OF its board OF directors
from time t. time. for constructing. completing and n'ain-
tanning and operating the SAID bridges, apputtenanccs and
approaches thereto, and stations, and for acquiring the
Necessary real estate for the site thereof, the necessary
stations. buildings ana applrtenanees thereof. ana the
approaches and avenues thereto, and 10 mortgage Us cor
poIa: property and franchises, including its franchise to
no , covporatlou. and issue its bonds u secure or provide
%. ~ ,nr,ucnt of nnv Gcht which shall be contracted BY