New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-16
FEARING on NEW BRIDGES.
DIR RAINEY ASKS THE HARBoR LINE
BOARD FOR A DELAY.


The Harbor Line Board held meeting yes'eI
day in the Army Building 10 hear oDJecuonS W
| the proposed new bridges. Nos. and T. over 'he
East River. The hearing was TO give 10 the se'l-
eral public an opportunity to present their We've
The meeting was called at the request OF =. H.
Shea Commissioner OF the Department OF D'iuses.
Colonel H. NJ Robert presided. The proposed
bridges are NO 8 between the Navy YARD ana the
present Bridge. and No. A. across b'acA"e"
Island at about Sxteth-st. .
Charles A. Schieren, ex-Mayor Of Brooklyn, said
he recognized the necessity OF more priuses' uu'
that he had not had any opportunity to see the
plans He objected TO bridge that began nowhere
and ended nowhere, and then took up the scheme
he suggested when Mayor OF Brooklyn. for the ex-
tension OF Flatbush-ave. to the river That ex-
tension should be made. Mr.. Scheren said, and the
new bridge, No. 3, should connect with such ex-
tension
81 am in favor OF more bridges and tunnels" he
said. and believe that within twenty years tun-
nels will honeycomb the land under Manhattan
and Brooklyn built by the commercial necessity Oh
handling merchandise from the interior"
do | understand you to object to the suggested
terminals OF the bridge?" asked Colonel Robert
Il have not studied the plans sufficiently TO Cd
ject" replied Mr.. Scheren. but / desire to say
that the terminals should be where the trahc Is
Mr. Shea explained that his Department had no
power to connect the terminals with FiatDush-a'e'
which would mean the condemnation or TWO oiochs
OF land Such connection he said is desirable and
will doubtless come in future.
Replying to Colonel Robert Mr.. schieren declared
the bridge No. an absolute necessity but ne op-
jected to the terminal being at Gold-st "heh II
might be made to reach Flatbush-ave
Oliver L. Jones declared his approval OF the
bridge and the Board then took UP the question OF
In his letters OF explanation to the Secretary OF
War, which Colonel Robert read. Mr.. Shea e *
planned the Topographic condition that Ieo to rG
choice OF SiXtieth-st for the Manhattan termlha,
of the Blackwells Island-Queens County Drose and
be onnd eas sec and to
from the rest of the borough HsheSr up and fr
Their south the grade is too steep. .s,.ossoa -
the of w Sso e the and
Island Bridge 1ry. The SEaesT OF president
Of oH the company in his letter told in detail Of he
work It had done in preparing TO build a nhmtes
%ond be to put re g
ity OF New-York in competition with few private ate
Expended $4,000 toward the construction OF the
bridge George F. Raney secretary OF .ne e eot,i
asked asked the Board to adjourn the further hearing
for two weeks. that the counsel to the company
Mr. Shea objected on the ground that the matter
has been in contemplation for more than year;
company has had plenty Of time already,
Or Raney then took the SOr He SAID ne e. haa
qured at Mr. shea's Office about the proposed
Backwes Island bridge he WAS told sted n for a no
adjournment that his engineers might examine
Mr.. Sheas plans. He denied that the terminals Sc
lected by Mr.. Shea are the best and declared that
the bridge. projected. would be a menace to
navigation. ,
Rudolph Horak. secretary OF the Taxpayers
Association OF Long Island City. protested against
any consideration being paid to the New-York and
Long Island Bridge Company The company, he
declared. had injured thousands OF persons who
had their promise to build and said that as
DR.. Rainey had held the franchise since 1866, he
had had plenty OF time.
F. A Seinnger took the floor for a moment to
contradict the statement of Dr. Raney that there
had been public hearing and that he could not
see the plans He said he attended two hearings
before the Board of Public Improvements and
that the chief engineer Of the Department Of
Bridges showed to him the plan.
Mr. Shea corroborated Mr.. Seinnger's statement
Dr. Rainey persisted in his request for delay. j.
NJ Manley taxpayer of Queens, urged the Board
to refuse to grant any delay. and Mr. Shea pre-
scented letter from Mayor Van Wyck asking him
TO represent the city at the hearing and to ask
an immediate and favorable decision on the plan.
Colonel Robert announced the Board would pre-
sent its decision on Tuesday. and in the meantime
Il would consider any briefs objections hled
All briefs. he said, must be confined to the single
question OF the possible interference OF navigation