New-York tribune., 1901-04-30
BRIDGE GRAB EXPOSED.
NO vIADUCT WOULD FOLLOW GIFT OF
FRANCHISE.
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROADS. BACKING FOR
BRIDGE AT TWENTY-TH1RD-
sT-FREIGHT STRUCTURE
IMPOSSIBLE.

II
IMPOSSIBLE.
Three facts Of great significance concerning
the proposed grab of the New-York and New
Jersey Bridge Company-al of which were
brought out clearly in Tribune articles on Sun
day and observation-disclosures themselves forcibly
yesterday upon the attention of those who are
studying this piece of snap legislation. One
that the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
has bridge scheme of its own, known as the
North River Bridge Company. This company
has charter to bridge the Hudson at Twenty
third-st, and the Pennsylvania is at present di-
recting the arrangements which are being made
with banking firms to float the scores of millions
of dollars which the structure will cost The
second important fact that the Pennsyl-
vania. the New-Jersey Central, the Delaware.
Lackawanna and Western the Philadelphia and
Reading the Erie and the Ontario and Western
railroads all opposed to the NewYork and
New-Jersey Bridge Company's plan. The third
significant fact that without the active sup
port of these roads man or body of
could be found who would finance the New
York and New-Jersey Bridge Company's scheme.
and therefore the only of profit which
could be derived from its franchise must come
from the elevated railways Manhattan ISL
and. which the grab bill vaguely describes
Controller Coler has carefully studied the bill
which is now before Governor Odell for veto
approval, and he declares that there is nothing
in it to prevent the New-York and New Jersey
Bridge Company from constructing these ele-
waited roads. leasing them running them, or
even selling them at magnificent profit, and
then failing altogether to build the bridge over
the Hudson. The wording of the proposed
charter is so loose that 1T would allow the COM
gridiron of elevated roads across the lower end
of Manhattan Island. making a vast overhead
switching yard of which the city could never rid
Itself. To this may appear exaggerated
idea OF the New-York and New-Jersey Bridge
Companys secret intentions but experts in rail-
road affairs say that nothing short of such
gridiron would suffice to distribute economically
all the freight which bridge over the Hudson
would be Obliged to bring to New-York in order
to pay expenses.
IMMENSE FREIGHT BUSINESS.
Men who have made a study Of the situation
say that about two thousand cars of freight are
brought daily 10 Jersey City by the railroads
which have terminals there. These railroads
obliged to occupy, with their stations. ware
houses. docks. piers. etc, more than four miles
of the river front the west shore of the Hud-
son. opposite Manhattan Island. Besides this.
the river front with their switching yards. They
would squeeze their tracks into less space If 1t
could possibly be done without crippling the
service Let the reader magine all those freight
cars sent directly across the river by bridge.
To handle them with dispatch upon elevated
railroads would require. IT is estimated. un-
broken about as large all Manhattan
Island below Canal-st. Since this could not pos
sibIy be obtained, a substitute would have TO
be found for it in a perfect network of elevated
tracks along the streets extending from the
Battery to the Harlem River.
If any replies to this argument that so
stupendous scheme staggers credulity the re-
joinder is, experts say that anything short Of
such a system of distribution would not bring
in enough revenue pay interest upon the
bridge, which. with its approaches. will cost
about s1o0000,oOo. 1t must be borne in mind
that the bridge would still have to compete with
the cheaper if slower, transit across the river
by ferry and well shaped is the island of
Manhattan for approach by water at every point
that this competition will always be severe
bridge or no bridge. Therefore, bridge COM
pany would be inviting ruin II 1t did not provide
for system of distributing freight on as large
a scale as its system Of bringing the freight to
the city.
Now. IL the New-York and New-Jersey Bridge
promoters deny that they have in mind any ex-
tensve plan of freight distribution to what
then. do they look for profit? Experts say their
only recourse will be to erect as many elevated
approaches and connections to their bridge as
they can sell or lease at profit and then fail
before they spend any money on the big bridge
at all.
ONLY FOR PASSENGERS
Granting the truth OF this argument it might
then be urged that the citizens of New-York
had much to fear in the way of an overhead
network from the North River Bridge Company
as from the New-York and New-Jersey Bridge