New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-07
JERSEY BRIDGE PLANS.
1s THE COMPANY TRYING TO GET SOME
THING FOR NOTHING?
IT INVITES BIDS WITHOUT SPECIFYING THE 10
CATION OF THE sTRrcTrRI-PREsENT
ESTIMATES SAID TO PROVIDE FOR
100 LII. ,N.Y A STRAIN.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The building Of a bridge over the North River
Ia subject OF more than mere local puollc interest
and the different phases of development through
which II is passing cannot fail TO interest the many
intelligent readers Of your valuable paper. When
We are therefore told that bids have been Invited
for the great work, and that contracts nave been
concluded for stone and foundations. IL should be
welcome news But a search for more detailed
Information and a careful reading OF the specihca-
tons for the NewYork and New-JerSey bridge
handed to the anxious bidder show the evident
Intention of obtaining plans for work OF unpr'c-
cdented costlness and magnitude at no expense
10 the New-York and New-Jersey Bridge Company.
under the guise Of bids from responsible parties
who are to assume all the risks, prepare at ther
own expense all plans. make their own soundihgS'
and give a sufficient bond in the bargain Inc
expense to the bidder OF preparing proper plans
for such large work would not be less than Slo"''
The bridge company itself offers no bond. no terms
OF payments and gives evidence. assurance or
guarantee OF its own financial ability TO pay LOT
the work or even only for plans or the bridge
No one can tell whether the company has any
legal rights which Will bear the test OF litigation
and It can as likely happen as not that the
charters for the company may be declared in
valid after prolonged fights in the courts. There
is plenty Of such experience on hand.
The company does not trouble tsef 10 give the
exact location of its proposed bridge and Of tho
towers and anchoraGes very necessary CONDITION
for determining cost II very generously leaves that
10 the bidder In the report OF the board OF expert
engineers dated August o. 1884, 1T is stated that the
difference in cost depending solely upon location
within the limits of Fiftyninth and Sxty-ninih SITS.
may range from $4,000 to $4,000. 1t should be
the business of the bridge company TO make the To-
cation and to submit plans therefor to the Secretary
Of War and get them approved. That Is the usual
proceeding which has nothing to do with the detail
plans and specifications to be submitted TO the Sec
rotary of War after approval OF location ~ w"uId
seem that neither the New-York and N"w-Jersey
Bridge Company their engineer knows the usual
procedure in such They leave the location OF
tho bridge in a very nebulous condition. hut pre-
scribe with great c!carness that no greater variation
than .cO2 of inch will be permitted IN the thck-
ness of the cable wire.
The type Of proposed bridge described In their
speciGcations is the same chosen tentatively by
the board of bridge experts In their report when
had 70 be made within the short time Of sixty days.
for discussing the practicability of suspension
bridge OF IA single span over the eniir" river. hu'
which the board themselves say undoubtedly
would be modified II a bridge were actually but oi
course they mean that with more time and study
better and more economical design could he maze
But under the specifications as drawn other designs
are excluded although they might he better ana NOR"
economical II IS an u1~ise ana arbitrary hihi'h-
ton because there are several systems OF sGsIrn-
sion bridges from which choice can be male II
really desires 20 huiIu blIpb' u "'"'
aim TO get for the least money the host bridge and
make the competition N the widest sense Th"Tc
IS plenty Of experience as 10 how 10 make snch Il
competition successful. a.. FOR INSTANCE, coinIcnsa-
ton I'm the form Of graduated ~ 10. the smallest
sufficient - pay the expense Of preparing the plans
and 20 l.. awarded 10y board OF experts. named be
forehand Such a procedure would cost the com
pany possibly 5000" To 5000. sum ~ m"n"y IN
significantly small as compared with tn" S-"''!''
estimated cost OF the work AMI AZ compared WIN
the great saving that may result from conpcu-
tive plans
Such a competition - plans as tho Nowiork AMI
New-Jcrsey Bridge Company want a. other p"'-
pies expense has never before been proposed j. is
unfair and arclcal on 's face ana seems % b" cal
cu,atcI to Obs'ruct rather than 10 farA'iaie TIE
! obtaining - any plans whatever. 90 the COMPANY
may then say nobody wants to build a sirs" span
Their specification. ar, MT likely to have The N
dorscmeni of experienced bridge constructor In
ginecrs hayln; the ,kil aDHliy and know.elgc 20
design a s'ructur" - th.e kind VII hardy SUD
ordinate their judgment ana cHf'tienc" go si'. IN
unjusael standard u loa.s ara .'r4'n- .. ii".I
engineer prescr.h,s \ competition o. h",i r'~i.i-
Zach engineer 20 furnish his own Specification - "s
70 open The ned for ne ~iics' know. -. ~,
nor. can b.. trusted =, select 20" best design ana
Specification from those submitted ana m, act on
"a broad and comprehensive basic for ~" b'1' W
icr.~;s 81 the company retaining mem
IT, speeac,,on as EFrTya p'2.i ,I, r In In is@
reports 81 the hoari 81 cNp'r,s AMI OBJ: tn" uii-l
and allowable strains for very long '4ne "' com.
pared with smaller spans had ben discussed u
rhcse most important considerations are practically
ignored In II" spec.AeAi.ons iof lhr ~ .i'''' >'"
Merely 10 name one feature which very int%lli-
gent reader can understand II is pt"srilh'd inat
FOR passenger traffic must bc assumed loaded Win
heavily loaded freight cars or ordinary To- 'mo'y't.
arc' rcachnt from tower 10 tower. alo feet apar;,
bYF
thrco-tcnths OF The breaking strength This Is
equal to nine times The strength - The i;rookyn
Bfidge In otncr words II tho Iirookyn Bridge
I mad been designed and hun by Eo"hIing on such
specihcatons,h would have CosinI' times NOR man
II did cost or nine Brooklyn hridT"s couli htv"
II built under tn" N"wiork and ~" Jersey hil!Sr
specifications II IS not necessary 10 mention mat
the New-York and N"w-J.rscy Hridre would not
be used "a storage yari Tor locomotives or Tor
the heaviest loaded freight cars. II would take a
six tracts and in Il length II 3Io, feet from COZ
100 cars according to their length. and loaded -
without stopping business the railroads. It IS
safe TO that there IS not ana has not been an
where such 4 number Of m" heaviest loaded freight
cars or iocGmotlEes ~,ic crowded ,obrthrr " s.N
Union Bridge Company for sx-track cant;le'rr
Of experts only onc-thlrl u Tho above mentioned
! total live load assumed for the maximum con
hSI by y'tS the baar SiHr to be be amply
Jhr absence Of common SINS" IN ~" SPECIFICATIONS
dollars in the cost OF the bridge regardless Of the
/ difference ia cost. amounting to several NOR" mill
/ ions. from unknown location.
II the Now-lork and Ncw-Jersey Bridge Com
pany fails obtain pans. ~ should no. Complain
There nrc no Inducements held out - engineers auG
! contractors to risk thcir time and money this
! work The company for such a large Undertaking
should have the financial means either To- retain an
engineer Of ability 20 study Hua prepare complete
plans for its best nt,rest-as. for nfiaurr that
! other company for the Norm River bridge AZ ilo.
/ bok"n has done. the Pennsylvania Railroad
dd IN, rcccntlv for It's bridge over the D"a-
ware a, philadelphia or to invite IN good faith
such plans hy open competition and under adequate
! induccmen,s and compensation. The methods u
! competition that apply n ordinary. everyday
bridges cannot b" expected 10 be successful FOR a
bridge with 3.lt0 foot span. TO cost t23GGp1 par
flcularly where there is the slightest evidence
vet OF any capital going IN the venture at All
GUS e. IlENNING ~ l..
NcwYork. Apr! 1895.
GAMBLERS CONTRIBUTION
IT, ,bo If ~, Trl