The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-29
COST OF 9HBBTG BRIDGE
1t Will Take s23, 900, 900 to
Spanfhe Hudson River
Engineers Report.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, .1894.-Last
January the Secretary of War appointed
an Engineer Board to make investiga-
ions as to certain bridges, the purpose
being to collect accurate and full in
formation necessary to the intelligent
and proper determination of the impor-
tant questions arising in the department
in connection with the building of
bridges over n~avigable streams.
One of the first subjects considered
when it was met was the possibility of
constructing bridges of long span-long-
err than any the world has ever seen.
The report was today made public.
1t is of particular interest to persons in
terested in the New York Bridge pro-
ject, for it scientifically disposes of all
doubt as to the feasibility of throwing a
single span over the Hudson by show
ing hat it is practicable to construct a
suspension bridge of the enormous
length of 4.335 feet-four-ffths of a mile
between spans-which is 1,5S5 feet longer
than the minimum width of the Hudson
between pier lines.
MAMOUTH CABLES.
The report adopts a steel cable of 5000
wires No. 3 as the basis of construction
for an IDEAL six-track bridge. The
strength of such cables Is 2S,440 tons,
giving a working strength of $3.50 tons.
The diameter would be 81 IL inches, as
against Is So inches for the Brooklyn
Bridge. The towers would be 7O7 feet
above the masonry, and weigh 57,172
tons, and the total weight of metal in
the bridge would be 233. 89s tons.
After giving in great detail the calcu-
lations for every point of this great
structure the board turns it's attention
to the Hudson River Bridge project. It
takes up the report of the Bridge Com
mission, which fixed the cost of the
bridge at $50, 743, 900, and, pointing out
that this was a maximum estimate, and
that the board expressly stated that it
mate, the engineers submit a new esti-
mate considerably reducing the figures.
They suppose the bridge to be located
near Sixty-ninth street, and therefore
that 81, 900,0 600 Would be saved on the cost
Of the. sub-structure as compared with
the lower side. The minimum estimate
is then given as follows
MINIMUM ESTIMATE.
New York-Weight of structural steel,
1l 507, 600 pounds, at A cents per pound,
$6, 400, 900. Wire work weight, Sc, 318,O 600
pounds, at Z cents per pound, 1892, 260;
structure, 81, 1884, 900; total cost of bridge,
So, 1856, $40.
Summing up, the board finds that s23,-
00O,00 % is a reasonable estimate for a
six-track suspension bridge, 5000 feet
long, and they consider that he amount
of traffic which such a bridge would ac-
commodate sufficient to warrant the ex-
pense of construction. They believe,
however, that the bridge should be SO
constructed that it's capacity can be
readily increased, and with the suspen-
cion system this can be provided for by
giving suitable dimensions to the towers
and anchorages. The board suggests
hat competitive designs be invited for
such a bridge.
This presentation of facts will doubt
less impress Secretary Lamont in pass
ing upon the plans to be submitted by
the New York and New Jersey Bridge
Company for their Hudson River Bridge,
although he has promised to give them
an opportunity to be heard by him be-
fore making a final decision.