The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-23
FOR THE Big BRIDGE
Three Plans for the Hudson
River Span Submitted to
the Commissioners.
CHANGE OF TERMINAL WANTED
If Placed at Fifty-ninth Street the
Cost Of the Structure Would
Be Greatly Lessened.
CHANGE OF TERMINAL WANTED

| Three plans for the proposed bridge
| over the North River were submitted to
| the Bridge Commissioners yesterday.
They were by Joseph w. Ballet, of No.
| PSI Broadway; ]. B. Brewer, of Madison
avenue. and George S. Morrison, of
| Chicago. Mr.. Ballet placed the estimated
cost of his bridge at s23,oo0,09o. Mr..
Morrison estimated it at S25, 900. but
the two estimates could scarcely be
compared with each other. because of
the fact that the Morrison estimate only
includes the cost of the structure from
anchorage to anchorage, whereas the
Ballet estimate includes the extensive
shore approaches on both sides of the
river.
The plan submitted by Mr.. Brewer was
as much more elaborate and ornate than
the other two as is the Washington
Arch in comparison with an ordinary
stone wall. Mr. Brewer did not put any
estimated cost upon his plan, and, al
though the Commissioners looked at it
with interest, they smiled sadly as they
did so. 1t calls for towers on each side
of the river. which. in the language Of
the designer, will give the architecture
al 'siihouettes of those imposing old
Egyptian pylons, which, by their monu-
abiity--in fact. eternity
THREE SEPARATE ROADWAYs.
1t ccntemplates three separate road
ways. one above the other, and supported
by separate cables swung from different
attitudes. It will certainly be. an i'm
Brooklyn Bridge entirely in the shade.
The commission, however, although its
members did not express any opinion,
plan. Mr.. Ballet IS supposed to have be
hind him the financial backing of the
firm of Cooper, Hewitt & Co: His bridge
is said to have the merit of furnishing
perfectly level or horizontal roadway,
whereas there IS a slight curve in the
Morrison plan. 1t calls for steel towers,
cables VIII be used according to this
plan, six of them extending from one of
the two towers on each :, bank to the
the bridge proper between the towers IS
to be 200 feet Each of the twelve cables
used will be almost twice the diameter
Bridge. The height of the roadway,
which will contain six tracks, IS $50 feet
above the North River at high tide.
The plan of the Morrison bridge also
furnishes a roadway of 200 feet in width
and a heighth above the. river of $50 feet.
The pier elevation is, however, but so
feet.
The Commissioners present to inspect
these plans were President Andrew H:
Green, Col. F. Z Han, Charles n l NJ Vail Val
the only absentee. Chief Engineer
Thomas C. Clarke of the Bridge Com
pany was in attendance, and was ap-
parently much surprised when, instead
of referring the plans to him, the Com
missioners referred them. to Theodore
Cooper. who was one of the experts
appointed by President Cleveland last
summer at the time the Secretary of
War took so decided a hand IN the mat
ter of bridging the Hudson.
MR.. CLARKE is SURPRISED.
Mr. Clarke expressed his surprise at
the action of the commission. but Presi-
dent Andrew H. Green plainly told him
that his duties as chief engineer to the
Bridge Commissioners had ceased sew
eral years ago, at all events when he
accepted. a similar position in the Bridge
Company Mr.. Clarke again expressed
surprise, but accepted the situation grace
Mr.. Cooper (no connection, it should be
explained, of Cooper, Hewitt & Coz,
who was by resolution appointed consult
ing engineer to the commission, and he
was asked to make a report next Mon
day.
plans be filed with the Secretary
of War is June 7.
up Just before the close of yesterdays
meeting by Mr.. Clarke, who, as chief
engineer for the Bridge Company, and
doubtless voicing their sentiments, re-
quested the Commissioners to review
York City terminal of the bridge should
be at Forty-seeond street. and to con-
slider the expediency of establishing the
terminal at Eighth avenue and Fifty
ninth street. This would mean a saving
to the Bridge Company of large sum
one another when the proposition was
made hl1t made no direct ranlV to