New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-02
CITY COULD ABANDON TT,
PART OF MONEY FOR NEW BRIDGES
MIGHT BE TURNED INTO
SINKING FUND

SINKING FUND.
The contract for the foundation of the Brook
lyn tower Of the Manhattan Bridge was awarded
in the closing days of the Van Wyck admins
tration TO John c. Rodgers. AS The Tribune
stated Yesterday. the total contract price is
,336, but if the work that the contractor
has undertaken is TO be finished and it is neces-
sary TO eXoavate some rock below the depth
called for in the specifications in order To have
the entire foundation rest evenly on solid rock.
Mr. Rodgers viii be entitled to an extra allow
ance. Mr.. Rodgers. who has had other contracts
for city work said yesterday in his office, at
No. 81 West one hundred and twenty -ffth-st.
that if the city authorities should decide not to
complete the work he would he entitled 10 "a fair
profit on the contract
Would you expect pay for the whole amount
Of the contract If the city decided 70 abandon
the work Of building the bridge" asked
oh, it wouldn't cost the city so much" he re-
piled.
What has been your outlay on the contract
so far?''
The cost Of the big caisson and the work of
getting IT in place and partly sinking It, to-
Eether with some expense In getting ready TO
construct the foundation
is the money for the entire work already APP
proprated 10y The city,
The bond issue was authorized before the
contract was let"
Have any other contracts I'm connection with
the Manhattan bridge been LETT"
No. My contract is the only one let far"
1t was ascertained at the Controllers office
yesterday that Mr. Rodgers had already received
S73.4fO on his contract. That sum apparently
does not represent his entire outlay on the work
far. the city keeps back II per cent of
every payment to insure compliance with the
terms Of the contract Before Mr., Rodgers be
gan his part Of the work the city spent consd-
cradle money in making borings at the sites for
the tower foundations. The bond Issue author
lied. before the first contract was let for
81 .OJ0,OOO. Bonds to the amount OF $4,000
were sold before the Van Wyck administration
went out OF power. and nearly S1JOOOO has been
spent on the bridge far. before any actual
digging for foundation has begun. Mir. Rod
gers has 32O working days in which to com
pete the foundation for the Brooklyn tower Of
the bridge.
"It does not follow" said a city official yes
terday that because 1.O5O.0o0 was authorized
for a bridge. and $4,000 of the bonds was sold
the city will be obliged TO spend all that money
on the bridge If there is a decision to stop the
work The money not used could be turned
back into the sinking fund. II the present ad-
ministration thinks that the city cannot afford
to spend %15.0OO.OOO on another bridge across
the East River in the course Of the next seven
eight years, il can stop tne "oIk II tHe
work is to be stopped, however, 1t should he
stopped soon. The contract with Mr.. Rodgers
was awarded in September, 1901. and the con-
tractor is only now ready to make a beginning
on the foundation for the Brooklyn tower. 1t
may not he possible for the present administra-
ton TO authorize a bond issue for the founda-
tion of the Manhattan tower, even If it is de-
cided go with the work on the foundation
for the Brooklyn tower
Engineers in this city are agreed that bridges
u act - RN ~
than tunnels as means of interborough com
munication. Any private corporation engaged
in the transportation business. they say, would
never dream of building bridges over the East
River They would construct half a dozen tun-
nels in preference to one bridge. Why should
not the city do what "A private corporation
would do in similar circumstances? The Penn
svlvania Railroad Company has decided to con-
meet its system with the Long Island Railroad
by a great system Of tunnels passing under the
North River under Manhattan Island and uu-
der the East River. The probability is that the
company will construct four tunnels under the
East River. as "A part of the system Charles
NJ Jacob. the chief engineer for that great
work declined yesterday TO talk about It, but
he said there was no doubt in his mind that
tunnels could he constructed in less than half
the time it would take to build bridges over
the East River, and with much less expense.
Mr. Jacob constructed one tunnel under the
East River for the Consolidated Gas Company
several years ago. 1t runs from Seventy first
st Manhattan to Webster-ave.. Long Island
CITY and is = 30 feet in length, with a diameter
Of In feet and = inches in the clear 1t was
constructed part Of the way through rock and
part of the way through sand in about eighteen
months of actual working time and it cost less
than $JOG 900
That tunnel was started by contractor who
threw up the work. and 7 stepped i'm and fin
ished it," Mr.. Jacob said yesterday. The tun-
mel has not cost dollar for repairs since it was
finished
Could a railway tunnel under the East River
be constructed In eighteen Wonths?" asked.
Il think it is safe to say that il could be
constructed in less than two years" he replied.
the average progress in tunnel work is about
seven feet day.
Bridge Commissioner Iindenthal said yester-
day that he was in favor of more tunnels be-
tween Manhattan and Brooklyn, and also in
favor Of more bridges. He thought he said, that
the increasing traffic between the boroughs d.
manded both bridges and tunnels
FOUR TRACKS IN ROCK BALLAST.
Every mile of the Pennsylvania Railroad route
the West is subject to the closest inspection
insure safety to the public.-Adyt