The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-04
MR.. HARRISOu'S DENIAL.
He Says the ''World" Story
of Boulevard Misman-
agement is False.
THAT BRIDGE is ALL RIGHT
Railroad Engineers Praise 1t as a
Fine Piece of Engineering
Mr.. Earle's Pay.

The World made one Of Its vicious at
tacks upon Chiet Engineer Harrison OF
the County Road this morning. In three
columns. most OF which was made up of
mlsstatements, it attacked Mr.. Harrisons
management of the road. and attempted
to throw out the impression that the
funds of the county were being wasted
in most prodigal manner, if not worse.
Mr.. Harrison laughed when asked by q
reporter for THE JERSEY CITY NEWS this
morning what he had to say about the
story.
why, was told three days ago that
it was coming out" he said; "but it is
statement that gave it little thought"
Mr.. Harrison then went over the story
and pointed out its inaccuracies.
Sin the first place." he went on, "much
stress is laid on the cost of the road Why
the contracts for the work were let
twenty per cent. lower than any sim liar
work in the county has been let in several
years. Again great stress is laid on the
fact that my partner, Mr.. Frank H.
Earle figures SO often on the pay
roll just now TO the exclusion
OF other engineers. The reason for that
is very simple. The work, as it is we'll
known, was divided into sections which
were surveyed by different engineers.
Mr. Earles section was the first con-
structed and was one CT the
hardest of the entire route. That is the
reason his name appears on the roll SO Of
ten. When mother section is taken action
upon, another engineers name will figure
an thatf Mr. ari1 v1il djc-
appear.
NO CoNCEALMENT ATTEMPTED.
''The Worlds story endeavors to make
out that we have attempted to conceal
our partnership. That is not SO as any
one who knows us can tell. AS to the
incidentals which appear in my
bills they are legitimate expenses
| but in the Office of the Chief Engineer of
the county rord aud by employees of that
| Office who are appointed or approved by
| the Board of Freeholders. They do not
| average more than 81 Der day.
| The chief point sought to be made by
| the World s statement is that the bridge
| over the Central railroad at BayonDe Is q
| bungling and incompetent job. That is
| absolutely false. The engineer of the
| Central Railroad Company said that il
| was a good JOB and that the masonry
| is the heaviest oh the road, ana much
| better than that which they are using il
| their extensive improvements at Eliza
| beth. They nave asked us where we 90
1t. The stone is Connecticut stone
| and was laid late in the fall
| and will not crack IN any weather. as
| will the Delaware River stone which the
| Pennsylvania Railroad Company used in
it's retaining walls in this city. The
| abutments were built between the rail-
| road tracks and had to be done very care
| fully. They wereat tentively watched bya
| man who stood by while the work was
| being done aud gave the lines. The
bridge fitted to hair, instead of being 8
| mass of miscalculatioDs and mismeas-
! urements. and the wonder is that it titteo
| so accurately.
EVERY RIvET IN PLACE.
Every rivet required is in place and
has been tested. IL is stated that the
| place locks like junk shop with scrap:
| of iron and refuse laying around. thai
must have been united before the walk
was cleaned and the chips of the work
| men were still lying about.
| 1.-THE bridge is composed of what /:
called half through riveted girders anc
| has no lattice work. The bucket plates
| have been tested and Will stand a weight
| of fifty tons in each wit perfect safety
| These are new Improvement and were
used in this State for the first time last
1 fall
1
| around the base of one OF the columns
| and not three. That is the fault OF the
| Central Railroad Company. The COM
! pany owns the land and will do
the excavating necessary TO carry
| away the water just as soon as the rush
| of summer travel is over, and less trains
| are run on its roads. An a.
tempt is made to make a mountain on
| OF mole hill in the fact that Post &
| McCord took the contract for the irou
| work when the Wallis Iron Company
| failed
| FORTUNATE FOR THE COUNTY.
| ut was fortunate thiug for Tho
| county that matters were so arranged
| that another company could be pro-
| cured at once to take an assign
| tnent of the contract and not keep the
| men on the bridge waiting while the
matter was dragged through the courts
4 with the usual legal delays. A great
| deal is also said about the pieces
of corrugated iron which
of the bridge, aud also of plates that are
| laid down and tied with wire rope in
stead of being riveted and, misleading
| photographs are produced to emphasize
| the statement
| ''The floor of the bridge is to be asphalt
/ which Is to be laid on base of CORFU
/ gated iron. These scraps of tied iron tc
which the World refers are merely
| laid over interstices in the cor
rugated floor to keep the liquid
asphalt from running through when it ii
| applied The pieces are not where they
| are required to bear any weight, but are
over the small openings between girders
| aud beams.
There is no truth In the statement
| that one of the stones is SLACK six inches
| and the space was filled in with cement,
| which is of such a poor quality
| that it is crumDling away. There
| was one stone on the south abutment
| which Is slack one half an iDch and tha
| space was filed with Portland cemeu
which is every bit equal to the rock IL
| strength"
/ TILE TInE WAS TAn InIE