New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-15
MR.. LAMONTS DECISION.
TT WAS AN UNwELCOME SURPRISE TO
THE BRIDGE PEOPLE.
THEY SAY IT is IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD SUCH A
BRIDGE AS HE WANTS AND MAKE 1T PAY
F1NANC1ERs THINK 1T HAS ENDED
THE SCHEME FOR THE PRES


THE SCHEME. FOR THE PRES
ENr. AT LEAST.
Tho leading fnanciers in Wall Street believe
that Secretary Lamonts rejection OF the plan
for a cantilever bridge with pier in the Nor'h
River. will end the scheme. for the present a,
least No able-minded capitalist believes 'ha'
the enormous sum necessary to build suspension
bridge could be raised within the next hundred
wears. and that no sensible person would care 10
invest in a venture with such slim prospects Of a
return.
Secretary Lamonts decision has produced con-
eternation among the bridge people Al'housh
they will not admit ii. il seems evident that 'heS
have almost given up hope of building prldse
across the Hudson. c. Macdonald, the engineer
Of the Union Bridge Company, said most emphdu-
callv last summer before the Governments Oo'''
mission that a suspension bridge was not Pi"'
t;cable because the cost S4S,O0O.0Oo) wouiu w ~
great that ii would not pay Inc Only ie"9'''
structure in his opinion. was cahuleNer pi'Ns'
with span of 1000 feet and a pier in the river
Mr. Swan will return from Washington 'his
evening At the office OF the New-hoiN anu
New-Jersey Bridge Company yesterda! II ""'
said that the Secretary's decision was certain!
not what they had expected but theE h"u w. w.
given I'D the project. They INTENDED 10 SIio" a.
Lamont If possible that SUSPENSION 49, ,7
which would fulfil the requirements anG anu " az u
stand the heavy traffic could not De p MI 't ia,
cost which would repay investors. tas
tended however, to get opinions anu e',i me,
from all the principal bridge englne1rs d %u with
ers in the country on a suspension piiusc WIZ ~
Q 1OO-foot span George W. Koeplhs'
engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. would De asheu
to submit estimates: IL ths! aoun nou i he built.
thev would build one. but they eviden'y .hil I'm
IL impossible. and take little STOCK I'll 'he ~
norris of the Government COMMISSION , g
nalA
the case. The Union Bridge Company mas ptv.
vsiona contract for the conslrucWsi1Sn n .. astad
200O-foot span cantile'er bridge "heh 90 -
what his company expected TO 90, ne "n rs
would wait awhile to see If any practCal an
snonsible persons came forward prepared -
build suspension bridge for the estlihate ne ..
~ tho Government Commission. As a practicai
bridge builder he knew that the estiha'e vi t
commission-s3l 900 0OO-was aitose'heI w ;n
No sensible ca pitast would invest his money III
- sus,ension bridge company had hela
charter from the Government Tor ABOUT , iDa
wears to build such br dge at lwenI! .'" ard
81 but had not been able to get the Ion,H "''N
never would bet was practically impossioie
If a suspension bridge were consIru'tt !. =, e
never could stand the wear ana tear, az &C., ., srs
impossible to make it stiff enough. NO Dig sur
nonsion bridge could stand heavy trans al d
high rate of speed. Even II the hght trains oh
the Brooklyn Bridge were run a. 'shaka The
greater than at present. they WouIu snan ,t tI
structure all to pieces. The only bridge whISn
had been built for heavy railroad tranc wa Az Si'.
one at Niagara Falls. and II was now 80 uau' az
sheken that another bridge with single arch
was TO take its place. And that oliuee ,o,,,
only 500 feet long. II would only take apouu
baif as long 10 build the proposed cantIeItI
bridge as il would to construct suspe ei
bridge He gave many apparently cohN''oi"s
reasons in support Of this statement.
Washington Dec 1i.-Charles swan. treasurer
~ the Hudson River Bridge Company saio To-
6ay that he had read the decision OF the secre-
,arv of War. and that. while ne had deciueo III"
the nroposed bridge should be SUSPENSION
structure he failed to take any action up1 r
location for the bridge. while the ACT Oh So.
gross provides that II should he between ~
ninth and Sixty-ninth SITS, in the cry OF Nv
VIZ THE Secretary confined himset 70 diitc
ing single span bridge. thinking. perhaps ti,a a,
alocation was unnecessary. Ny swan Sd'
fur.her: I'm view OF the fact that careIui 80 =,
mates Of costs OF the bridge. maze by pdi w. -.
n,hon, the Secretary has full commence VIZ
before him am at loss TO understand HOW HOW, -"
came 10 such q decision. | would IKE - MI"
~ u,hat noint the Secretary wants us 10 NiVa'
the river because the river between fIltS -lii.m
and Sxtv-rinth SITS varies In Wiuth' an" 49,
foot OF span makes great dlHerehce III @
mans and cost of the bridge am not ulSSou,
aged over the situation. We shali use an u' ~
nower 10 raise the money. and if we ran we sd
como IN the Secretary Of War ana ASK 'lal Lne
mans decided upon be changed III u iuUhy Ina .
The act of Congress provides FOR nodlilcdIo,
of the plans provided a modlhcauoh peco"'1
necessary.