The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-05
Plans for the Bridge to Span
the Hudson Approved by
the Commission.
RUCTURE WILL COST 100000
There Will Be Six Tracks-Descrip-
ton Sent to Secretary of War
for His Approval.

York, to consider the plans submitted
by the Union Bridge Company. All
the Commissioners were present. They
are:-Andrew H. Green, Chairman; Col.
f.. K. Hahn, Charles M. Vail, Evan
Thomas and Isidor Strauss. Theodore
Cooper. consulting engineer for the Com
mission. n Secretary Swan of the
company were also, present.
The following letter was forwarded to
the Hon. Daniel s. Lamont. Secretary of
War;
9TH Hon. Daniel S.. Lamont. Secretary
of War
Dear Sir-I have the honor. on behalf
of the New York & New Jersey Bridge
Company, to submit for your examtna-
ton and approval the drawings and
specifications, showing plan and location
of a railroad bridge across the Hudson
River and its approaches, as required
by act of Congress of June 7, 1894.
MIR. Theodore Cooper was appointed
by the New York & New Jersey Bridge
Company of New York and the New
York & New Jersey Bridge Company of
New Jersey to prepare general specif-
cations for said bridge. These specifca-
tons were forwarded to all responsible
bridge builders of Europe and America.
calling for plans and guarantee bids.
Various plans were received. The plan
of the Union Bridge Company of New
York, which is herewith presented. was
the only one that complied in all essen
tial particulars with the requirements of
said specifications.
81 also enclose copies of resolutions
and a statement adopted by the New
York and New Jersey Bridge Commits
sioners showing the change of the loca-
ton of the bridge and approaches and
approving all the dimensions of said
bridge, appurtenances and approaches
thereto; also a maj showing location CT
the bridge and connections with the rail-
roads in New Jersey; also a copy of reso-
luton adopted by the directors of the
New York & New Jersey Bridge Com
pany of New York.
while more data and information are
sent than is required by the act of Con-
gress, it is done in the spirit of facili-
tating an understanding of the project,
upon which your official Judgment is
to be pronounced.
Very respectfully,
CHARLES H. SWAN,
Secretary"
DIMENSIONS OF THE BRIDGE.
Mr.. Charles H. Swan. the secretary of
the company, said
The plans sent to the Secretary of
Wal are the only ones out of the many
that have been presented that have six
tracks and have a guarantee that the
presented by Mr.. Morrison seems to be
too light and has only four tracks, and
the cost exceeds $25, 600. ooo.
Morrison is an engineer of the com
pany; that statement is not true. in
dividuals employed Mr.. Morrison to make
THE company,s letter to the Secre-
tary of War. rejecting the views of the
Board Of Directors, gives a clear state
but that the Secretary of War will deal
with the great question fairly"
The following is a description of the
from the Union Bridge Company
IT is to span the river without any
support between the pier-head line on
Of s.11o feet. and a height at the centre
of 100 feet in the clear above high water,
with the grade. running downward from
to the mile.
designed to carry 5000 pounds per iineai
CINE loading; at as provided in your
tracks will be distributed by two stiff
III I A III III SlQc, nlllEGu III
the centre. These trusses are Of the
Of 200 feet. They are spaced 125 feet
throughout. and, after the erection is
completed, the Joints are to be riveted so
They are to be constructed of high grade
medium steel, fulfilling all the condi-
tons fyo Of the fsr best est pra9 9E .rc4-,r
THE cables sustaining the roadway
are twelve in number, two on either side
of the ~stiffening trusses and four be-
divide the cross floor beams into three
.suspenders from these intermediate
a panel, thus securing a rigid con-
n~ection with the stiffening trusses. A
system of lateral bracing at the floor
sure which is not taken directly by the
ables; There is also a vertical set of
vibration bracing at each panel point,
The cables are in vertical planes pur-
posely, without grading, as we have
found that they offer, IN this position.
wind as with any practicable system Of
grading: The cables are attached rigid
~ to the towers without roller shoes.
dIfioh pr's on The 0s aaw 4 9ors s sGE t thsy e are
secured to a. masonry anchorage through
tunnels, and are open to inspection
New Jersey side the anchorage will be
in the solid rock; also provided with tun-
nels for inspection.
1.-THE material for the cables and sus-
penders will be wire of 1870, 600 pounds I'LL
innate resistance per square inch, and
of the most approved manufacture
known The diameter of each cable is
twenty-three inches.
THE two main towers have eight
legs, braeed in two directions and rest
ing upon six masonry piers founded upon
the rock. These towers are 5S7 feet In
height above high water, and are pur-
posely designed so as to resist the bend
Ing strain due to changes Of length of
the cable under variations of tempera-
WHAT IT WILL COST
one deck Span 100 feH lode, extendhtng
's.baeK e. the glEh9A line, and ,one deck
,spaR 575i Rfeefh long, crossing over the
New York Central tracks. From the
New York anchorage, eastward, the
tracks would occupy a space 100 feet
wide OH the north side of Sixty-eighth
street. The approach on the. New Jer-
sey side Is made up of short deck spans,
as shown on the plan; but the exact
length of these spans may be slightly
modified TO accommodate street open
We have made d careful estimate Of
cost: and are prepared to enter Into q
contract 70 sxscute this work with the