New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-08
DECLARE THEMSELVES BLAMELEss.

WHAT TIE OFFICIALS OF TIE CONTRACTING
FIRMS SAY OF THE BRIDGE DISASTER.
The Phoenix Bridge Company. which had INC con-
tract (or tho steel structure 81 the hridg" which
spanrc4 the .. Lawrence River M Cornwall hls
rs local office a. NJ - Wrliam-st. this city. The
main Offices ~ The company are AZ Philadelphia AMI
the works ~ ThcniNyiLe. Penn. u. ". Sieson.
one 81 the resident managers - the Local ON We.
Rhcn secn yesterday hy a Tribune reporter. stated
that so far A. hts office concerned nothing
was known OF tho unfortunate accident other than
what had appeared tn the papers. From an a.
counts he AT a loss - 500 whore his company
was in any way 90 blame. T7c work vas almost
completed. and within Two weeks the builders hat
expected 20 turn g. over 20 tho railroad company.
Had there been any detect ln tho epaa- ~ tho
bridge Mr Ssson was inclined % believe - would
have been made known q; The Tine when the tenn
pornry structure supporting tho bridge while Tho
dl~ercn; parts were hclng united WAS removed.
Again he vas inclined 20 argi@ that +, the span had
given way ~ would have pulled ~ from the top -
the stone pier. ard would have pulled tho pier
down with n lie could not recall similar acct
d~n tho history - hridG. huiid.ng Mr. Sisson
saii that tho chic, engineer - tho company. John
Sterling Dean had already started from Boston FOR
the scene OK tho wreck. and until he rendered his
report there was nothing further 70 be said on tho
suhjec, 50 FAR NJ he bridge company was con-
cerned. In speaking q, tho number o. men Killed
and wounded ne remarked t7a' they were all
poyes ~ the company. and IN skilled
workmen. The liability ior damages. ~ any. would
fall on a casualty Insurance company. the bridge
concern carried policy projecting them in such
cases
The sooysr1i,h Company. contractors ,or all kinds
OF bridge railroad and general masonry. Is one o,
the best-known concerns IN the country. II has
had charge O., important bridge constructions all
over the United States. In New YORK tho sub
masonry Of the American Surety Building. tho En-
pire Building the Manhattan Hotel ana many
others has been constructed by a. Chnrles II.
Dean. tho !ce-presi1ent and engineer o, the com
pany. Is brother OF John Sterling Dean. OF the
Phoenix Bridge Company. although the two con-
Germs have no business relation. Charles II. Dean
would have started al once for Cornwall had Il not
been for serious illness in his family. "A IT is. he
is expected to 80 to-day. and he will bs tho repre-
sentative OF the Sooysml'h Company in the lnvestl-
CATION that is to follow. Charlie sooysmith. pres-
dent 0, the company. vas seen In the office OF the
company. In the Mills Building. by Tribune re-
porter yesterday afternoon. lie said:
4 learned Of the accident this morning at the
breakf1st-rablc while reading the paper. | had
started at once FOR the city a distance OF hny
miics. hoping that ! would receive some definite
Information from our representative Mr. Thomas
VINO Is on the spot. but none has yet come. In the
absence OF any report DO not feel In position 10
discuss the situation. our contract with the New
York and Ottawa Company has been filed The
work on the piers finished. and the same had
been accepted 10y the railway company. under the
Joint supervsion Of whose engineers the piers had
been constructed and 10 their entire satisfaction
1T IL certainly a great mystery. never heard Of
such case before. feel that no blame can rest
upon shoulders. on account Of the friendly
relations with the officials OF the railroad ! took
more than a personal interest IN the work. and
went 10 Cornwall I'm person 10 the progress
From long experience. and from a personal knowl-
edge OF the building OF the piers. | In a position
10 say that they were perfect as the art ..
masonry knew how TO make them I deeply de-
More the great loss OF lie and the Injuries 10 the
workngmen. and feel sincere sympathy for the
Phoenix Bridge Company.
Mr. Sooysmith said that 20 far as the property
loss was concerned, IL not large. and could be
replaced probably for about 5000 providing
usually difficult conditions did not present them
selves.
The bridge was being built for the New-Yo and
Ottawa Railroad Company. which In time is
pected to hAv. the most direct route between
Ottawa and New-York The rOnd has been
plercd from Ottawa 10 Cornwall and there only
four miles sill lacking in the section from Cornwall
20 Jumpers Lake the present terminal OF the road
The bridge W have formed the connecting link
and the disaster is n great disappointment 10 tho
officials who had hoped TO begin operations carly
,ti. fall From Jumpers Lake the road To
have been extended 70 North Creek 10 connect with
The Delaware and Hudson. thus giving a through
service 10 New York.
George y Mofat, Of the banking firm OF Mofat
& White No ! Nassau-st, vice-rresident Of the
COMPANY said Yesterday that there was nothing
IN he said so far as the railroad concerned.
The contract for q bridge was still In the hands OF
the Phoenix Bridge Company. and in so much as the
railroad company II only an outsider go far "a
the accident was concerned He as well as other
oicas Of the road deeply regretted the unfortunate
occurrence