The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-28
SUSPEN SION BEST.
Engineers Recommends
lions for the Hudson
River Bridge.
DO NOT SATISFY LAMONT
The Secretary Said to Want
Span of More Than the 1000
Feet Mentioned in Report.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2S, lS94.-A sus-
pension bridge, with length of span 1000
feet, is the safest and most practicable
for a railroad bridge across the Hudson
River between New Jersey and New
York City.
Such in brief is understood to be the
recommendation of the Board of Engi-
neers which has just submitted its re-
port to the Secretary of War.
1t is impossible to get any of the details
of the boards report, but I was assured
yesterday by an official of the War De
partment that the board had adopted the
lowed by the act authorizing the con-
struction of the bridge-namely, 1000 rect
and that it favors a suspension bridge.
Secretary Lamont himself declines 10
make the report public. Il desire to first
consult witt the chief of engineers, Cen
eral Casey, about the matter he SAID.
land when I have approved or otherwise
disposed of the recommendation OF the
board l hall then be glad to give you the
report in full. The report is a lengthy
one and some little time must necessarily
elapse before I shall be able to fully con-
slider and act upon it,
LAMONT NOT SATISFIED.
There is a suspicion around the war
Department that the Secretary, acting
under the expert advice of General casey,
is not altogether satisfied with the boards
recommendation in regard to the length
of span. General Casey, as is well known.
has always favored a longer span so as
to bring the piers nearer shore. A ru-
NOR is current that the Secretary may
call the board together again in the hope
of securing an increase in the length OF
span. If the Secretary did not agree with
General Casey, it is argued, he would ap7,
prove the recommendation of the board
at once, in order that there might not
be any further delay in going. ahead
From the way the Secretary talked to-
day the indications are that he Will not
dispose of the matter for some days. lie
is going away with the President OH We'd
now that he will act before his depar-
ture. Under the terms of the act, the
or conclusive until it has received the
Secretary's written approval. Conse-
quently nothing can be done by the COM
pany until the Secretary has acted.
If it is true, as my informant tells me,
that the board has adopted the lowest
limit for the length of the span, it is ap-
parent that the board took into eonsider-
alton the question of cost as one OF the
elements of practicability. There are ex-
perts who AVE agreed that a safe
bridge of a greater length of span could
be constructed, but the enormous proper
ton of increase in cost has been one
of the chief arguments of the company
against increasing the span beyond 1900
feet in length. The boards recommended
tions, as far as the length of span is con-
.cerned, and this was the chief point
submitted for its consideration, would
therefore seem to be satisfactory to the
mpan
THE BRIDGE NEEDED.
Charles Swan, Secretary of the New
York and New Jersey Bridge Company,
arrived here tonight. He will try to have
an interview with Secretary Lamont
tomorrow, relative to the report of the
engineers. Mr.. Swan said last night
w are anxiously waiting to see
whether the report will allow a bridge
to be constructed over the Hudson or
not. The company can secure the money
to construct a cantilever bridge, but the
increased expense of a suspension bridge
will be so enormous that it precludes
the building of it. The kind of bridge
needed is a level and practicable canti-
ever bridge, over which trains can speed
at a rate of not less than thirty miles
an hour.
Such a structure is demanded by the
best business interests of the country,
ard will do no harm to river commerce.
If the ocean steamers can pass through
the Narrows, in some places less than one
thousand feet in width, and in water less
than thirty feet in depth, they can pass
under a cantilever span of two thousand
feet. with not less than forty feet of
water in depth; yes, and a large ocean
steamer could turn completely around
under the SPAN"