New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-19
MAYOR STANDS BY BUCK
CHIEF ENGINEER TO STAY IN The
BRIDGE DEPARTMENT IN SPITE
OF LINDENTHAL.

Chief Engineer Leffert L. Buck, OF the brlose
Department, who refused to resign at 'ie sue
gestion of Commissioner Lindenthal. accoluiHs
IN apparantly trustworthy information obtained
Yesterday at the City Hall, has come OIL Win
fying colors in his difference with the CoiiiiiiiS
sioner. It, is understood now that lie VIZ -
main as chief engineer at the suggestion OF
Mayor Low and that Commissioner Lhoeii'iiai
hereafter will be more careful IN lh'eriei ms
with Mr. Bucks prerogatives. Another inter-
estins deveIopuent in the controversy IS thuI
Mr. Bucks friends in the American society Oh
Civil Engineers rallied to his support so soiio-s
that Commissioner Lindenthal was uhdple "
find an engineer of established reputation VIII
would accept Mr.. Bucks place II ne had peeA
forced to resign. An engineer thoroughly co'-
versant with the inside workings of the Bridge
Department said yesterday:
Mr. Lndentha1, after Mr.. Buck declined TO
resign planned to force him out of the depart
ment He saw several eminent engineers p"'
opa and all said the same thing, and that was
that If Mr. Buck were forced out they could
not think of taking his place Th@y sald 1t
would be violation of professional etiquette III
the absence Of proved incompetency' ana 'hd'
Mr. Buck having planned the great "lliians-
burg bridge should have the honor or cornplet-
ing it"
II is understood that the Mayor has told MI
Buck that the city desires to retain MS services
but that it is embarrassing to see evidences OF
friction between the Commissioner and himself
Inst what Mr. Lindenthal has been told by the
Nsvor has not been revealed as yet The Mayor
this week said that Mr.. Lindenthal was secure
T., his Mace so far as a compulsory resignation
WAS concerned 1t is known by the Mayor
friends however. that Mr.. LindenthaIs faliure
to keep things in his department running ami
cably has disappointed the Mayor ana prompted
him on one more occasions to Suggest 10 MI
Iindenthal that the best results were not OBTAIN
able under present conditions
More trouble in in store for Commissioner
Iindenthal on Monday next. but the same can
he said also of the John A Roebling Sons Com
PAW the contractors at work on the brldse
cables The time limit for the completion of
the big cables will expire on Monday next ana
Commissioner Lindenthal. if he carries out MS
Intention will give the company notice that
,bev are thereafter subject a penalty OF
81 600 a day while their work is uncompeted-
There are about sixty-five or seventy-days work
undone on the cables, and the exacton OF 'he
penalty stipulated in the contract would de-
nriva the Roeblings of the profit they expected
to make.
The Roeblings have informed the commas
sioner that they will be on hand on Monday at
bic ofnce nrepared to show that they should
have extension OF tllIIe- iHSS VIA N~-N N
Commissioner what he proposes to do with their
Nav bill amounting to about $4,000. II he
savs that the monthly instalment Is TO be
hung up." II is altogether likely that the
Roebings will stop work on the contract on
Monday bring a suit for the May instalment.
and tell the city to collect damages, II 1t can.
under the bond given by the Roeblings when
they contracted to build the cables for the sum
Of 81 3QS 900 The stoppage of the work at this
time would prove exceedingly embarrassing TO
the cItv as no wire making concern has the
eouipment and time to take up suddenly the
work where the Roehlings would lay 1t down
about $50 miles OF wire. weighing about forty
tons in the aggregate. day by day.
Mr. Buck has declined to talk about his con-
troversies with Commissioner Lindenthai. but
he has allowed newspaper men 10 know that
he believes his powers as chief engineer of the
department have been curtailed by the Commits
sioner in violation of provision OF the charter.
What does that mean" he has asked. pointing
to Section i53 of the charter which says that
the head of the department may appoint and
az pleasure remove chief engineer of his de-
partment, with power to appoint, remove. and
detail staff of assistant engineers
The, section apparently is intended to make
the chief engineer responsible for the staff of
assistant engineers in the department., and re-
Gently Mr.. Buck objected TO the interference
of Commissioner Lindenthal with orders the
chief engineer had given to the assistants Mr..
Lindenthal then secured from Corporation Coun-
sci Rives opinion that the Commissioner was
the head of the department. and had control
and authority all the employees in the de-
partment.
MARK TWAIN.