New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-18

THE HUDSON RIVER BRIDGE PEOPLE
ARE STILL HOPEFUL.
At THE SAME TIME THEY THINK SUSPENSION

At THE SAME TIME. THEY THINK SrSpENNo<
STRUCTURE COMMERCIALLY IMpRAcTIcABlg
Charles H. Swan, OF the New-York and Nev
Jersey Bridge Company. Is anxious 10 dlsabus- thu
mind Of any who thinks that the decision a,
the Secretary 81 War. given last week against tbs
cantilever bridge the Hudson River. with a
per loo feet from the Jersey shore has pr,c
,lcally had the effect Of stopping all plans for !.
bridge over the river NJ. Swan says his comnspy
H. not discouraged. He says meeting will be- hed
shortly of the officers Of the company decide
on what shall b. done. Estimates aud plans Win
bc asked. he says. from al the prominent en-.
cneers In tn country. II they can md a con-
tractor who Will build a bridge for the ,stimst.
made by the Government commission. 81 opeGa
which will fully meet the requirements Of ths
railroads and which VIII pay interest on the cam.
ia, invested and II they can get capitalists to be.
love this thoy viii then go ahead and build the
bridge He does not seem a; all hopeful Of THU
result Ho went before the Secretary and showed
him the estimate Of Mir Macdonald. OF the Un,o,
Fridge Company. bascd the estimates MAJ.
by the expert commission, and be slys tina,
amounted to nearly S9O0e0 Tor the bridge aloha
The Union Bridge Company which hal 4 pro.
,sionll contract for the proposed osu'oyer hrlise
with a 2io0-foci span. has not made an ostlnals
ON 4 suspension bridge.
NJ Swan says he showed the Secretary that A
Suspension bridge which would stand the work
cially practicable. The company main argument,
WAS that Mr.. Lirdcnihals Company had had a
charter from the Government Tor four years. 4,
build a suspension bridge at Twenty -ihiri-st and
lf sir iindcnthal could have got the none, he
wouiI have gone ahead with he structure before
this
Il said 10 the secretary" said Mr. Swan yes,er.
d,v that we couldn't understand why the North
RIVER should be- 90 sacred. Mr Lamont himself
r0u know In hs decision said that the pier would
not take up much more room than vessel Al
anchor pointed ou' 90 him ttlf the East RIVER
vse much rlrrpwcr than the Norfh. and that al.
moss an the commerce TO the East went through
% 1'"-foot channel 80 Bltekweils Island 7 told hin
that ! couldn't er, how there would loo any uoubl.
100 th0 North River ~ - far a. siNiieth-si. With
ono -Nnl-fo0i span. and another one l90 feet
long The Secretary told me that D. Couldn't ycy
wei 20 against tho report of the sNpeli commission
and tod him that il wouldn't b. the hrsi tine
such thing had been done
"rn" only thing 'haf nave - 20 ror - % act
plans AMI estimates from engineers. ana n We eau
prove Lat the Secretary AMI MS experts we're
wrong why. then viii have to correct h.s error
The men who are Interested IN mo company nav.
iponi too much money for the work 10 stop now"
Some II the reasons Of Micponal. the en-
rinecr ~ tae Union Bridge COMPANY against
suspension bridge were sven last Saturday N TIE
Tribune Accviing - his ,~'imaf's maie on tie
report ~ tho G1vernmcni commission. q sIfpenson
a
xDp1yDo He dguIes that the Interest alone On re
money f,'osslry 20 build tho tnae-s ana irsr
fluu ia ions and m" anchorage NDu' amount. H.
fore tns, we're fnlsh"I 10 about $4,000 An
o,ier reason ne gives j. thli AL "'fk Would ll'e
z % h. stopped after The towers ari fnrnlrAxs
wore BOA o. until each was ui gisIiy efflng
across iAc river We calculate that lf Hulli 'afe
o., nl miles - wire for th' cables 4nI Do N01A
isk@ a lol. While o. do this work a. oaif 'cv msa
could be- emrily on a. Vow. N.ff cirt-
ever bridge h. SAYS after Tho towers were nee W
work could proceed IN both directions from Zach y
them ami also from ths shore piers They clli BE-
covered with men AMI IN" " 'fh ''iil n' ili,a'l %
about four years. tie doesn't pretend Oh deny nat
a SUSPENSION bridge with 3iel-fn0f spar could -
built. hu' he thinks lt commercially .Wiri't''toe
The expert commission as not take INTO clnsiefa-
t1n this fact. he SAYS. Their Work vas TOO ne
pratlcal \ suspension bridge could NOT siani me
heavy trains for instance. stared linn -" New
,ork shore Al lively rate ~ speed, tnrt Noui
cause fne bridge On the north 20 INK thgnN} as
IN. cables would give somewhat That alone Neih
time other trains Shoul; approach from ne Jersey
shore. IL would badly twist the triige 4"e NV-l
rack the AFFAIR that u would nave ID % re-
placed before many years. D. INKS. rs m
,.oss ble 10 make A susYen sion bridge sun easash
He declared that precisely ms .uli "a. i,',l -
martial rebIil.ing u the suspension riiioil trsss
-" l. Viirk. the engineer who 7arAsiy rebuilt ne
b0u, hs opinion of a suspension bridge across %.
\ortn River with A span % Slp .'e'. NNel aAel
n /. .,It bc built. h. sail ir his opinion N clLh
lie f.f sure ~ that The bridge go ild De- ht j. ana
"a. hieh would he likely % 81 80 ~ 90 u" W.
not think a. Mr. Macdonald slti tn't q ~'vii
rack the bridge IN ~" least ihAt vas up ~
,ninlon. he nal not figured on the commercial pftc'
,le,hlli,v OF the scheme. ~ no one IA a,hei I'm
az maid him - 10 30. ana SO ne could not answer
4 question In regard 10 ,his pom.