New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-26
NORTH RIVER BRIDGE CHARTER NOT 'of"'

,,,ncr ENCOURAGEMENT. LIEBER RECON-
MENps THAT THE PLANS BE APPROVED
washington. June 25-Judge- acknowledgements al
Iieber Of the Army has submitted the io"o"''"
report to Secretary Ager on the HUDSON "''
bridge case: r,, p,ver
AZ set out in my report on the n" as, author
,nns ,hn co-a,ructon OF the bridge required the
company within year Of The 35r his ii. aP
nrovaI drawings showing the location ana gem, az
pian of the bridge and its approaches. =, strncton
oures the company to commence 'nc oonnroyni
~ The br,oce within one year after the apploEt%'
Of this location and general plan but II
in tho mean time. also 10 submit 10 tne 90 sneci
81 War for his approval "all the plans ana spe.iI
hcations. with the necessary ora wanS5rovcd the
consiruction shall not he begun. The drawmEs
showing the location and general plan weir sun an
mtted by the company in due time. ana sae on nn
moved bv The Secretary of War March 10. hS1. IN
March 10 1897, the company suphlt,eu a., ira NJ
plans and specifications with the necessary o osaT s
ms Of said bridge" and the question TOW -
whether they shall be approved oy the 'e''
The Chief of Engineers says that he is OF opinion
that the secretary Of War approved in the iIist 80.
ali that it is necessary Tor nm 70 wba extent the
bridge would interfere with navieaelo, ,t ,yt n
r. excent AS If NAV interfere win navigation. ana
therefore he recommends that thc "a
War take no action on the papers now sunil',,eh'
pnt me law clearly requires that the company SUP
nit 10 the Secretary of War AL plans anu si r.,
ncations. above stated ior ,o hall not be
how I therefore do not concur in the view mat
the law contemplated only that the s anproachcs
and the general plan Of the safir snouIu ~ -
nted to and approNyed ny ,ne from the act that
even SHOULD any change be made IN s 10 in the
said plans being the pans etcJ during
progress of construction such changed plans srh an
he Submitted to said Secretary ana approved p'
think II clear from the act that. to comply with
ir iii plans and specifications must he sugnlttd 10
l,,-f he
gard to what feature OF the bridge they may ~ ne
tended TO represent or descrn" C"ntbu sc,n,erv
Of war extend only 10 the protection OF the MGR
Of navigation and ihat h the act GS a nU
with the view that tho law REQUIRES al plans a'lG
War FOR approval Tho Congress, apparently ana
not see fl leave 1t t. the company TO ga! thai
@ on the Interests OF navigation, and that
therefore IL would not submit them 10 the seer
tary of war bur thought proper 70 require that
ali he submitted with the understanding. doubtless.
that the Secretary Of War would approve each ior.
norton indicated unreasonable Interference WIN or
a considerable future danger to naVisaiioh anu ~;
my opinion it Is necessary for the secretary OF
War TO go further than this in his consideration OF
ana action the detailed pans ard specifications
An approval of this character would not make me
United States responsible FOR the strength or saiey
or stability etc, OF the bridge or place any re spon
sihilty on t. a. all in regard 10 the bridge; nor
would it make It necessary for the engineer ohGer
In charge to that the bridge vas bult ACCORDING
10 the detailed plans and specifications except 70
see that nothing was done that would interfere Win
or endanger navigation more than the approval or
the plans and specifications was intended 10 permit
My recommendation Is that the plans and specilca-
tions submitted he approved. unless they, inaica1e
that a bridge built according 10 them would unreal
sonablv interfere with or. endanger navigation
This recommendation il made under a view held
by mo that the provision Of the law that the con,
siruction OF the bridge shall not be begun until
these plans etc. are approved, prevents the one
year in which the construction Of the bridge shall
be begun Zone year from the approval OF the gen
eral plans etc. from expiring until this approval Is
made and the company is informed OF II: and on
tl,a c. NQr
view or holds on some other ground that the act
authorizing the bridge Is still In force.