New-York tribune., 1903-02-05
BRIDGE PLAN CRITICS.
Some Don't Like the Scheme for
7O5cerS on PirOtS.

Mechanical engineers waiting with good
deal Of curiosity for the detailed plans of Man
haitian Bridge tNo - prepared by Commissioner
LindenthaI of the Bridge Department. The idea
Of having the towers pivot. or cradle,
20 that the towers will tilt five six inches back
ward and forward the heat and cold affect
the cables strikes many Of the engineers as
risky experiment.
Commissioner Lindenthal stands pat on his
plans. His friends say he and Mr.. Horn
hostel the architect. desire to leave a distinctive
monument 10 their engineering skill. and that the
bridge. with its novel features. will fill the
bill Commissioner Lindenthal. it is understood,
will ask the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment submit his plans to a commission of
bridge experts before they finally pass on them
Il do not understand why there should he
criticism Of the pivot towers said Mr. Linden
thai Yesterday. The idea has been worked out
practically on large bridge in Scotland. The
saddles the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge.
designed TO allow the cables 10 slide backward
and forward when the heat affects the cables.
useless. They are so badly corroded that the
cables stick fast to them. and the stone towers
actually move 1.-THE top as the cables expand and
contract This is secret among engineers. and
on account of the weight the towers there is
no danger, the oscillation is very slight"
Opinions among engineers appear to vary. Colonel
H G. Prout said to a Tribune reporter yesterday.
at his office No "a Park Place
Il sent over a clerk this morning 10 get hold
of the bridge plans. ! wouldn't let anything be
said in my paper about the scheme. because its
impossible to tell from the papers what the Com
missioner is at. The published accounts tell moth
ing / believe the plans are in the hands of Horn
bostel. the architect. Now, In general on a vast
scheme like this it is we'll to go shy archi-
tect Then that pinnacle business and globular
light effect sound German. real German"
Colonel Prout said this as If the Teutonic imagina-
ton were not altogether to be trusted O. F.
Nichols. on the other hand. said that the scheme
seemed practicable, and that similar design was
employed on occasion or smaller bridges He added
that the plans and drawings were completed and
would be placed with the art commission and then
with body of engineering experts.
Samuel Winery. of No 50 Liberty-st. said: Il
shouldn't care 10 be quoted the matter. but the
plan is not without precedent 1t Is on the same
principle as arches built
leading official of the Department OF Public
Works, who would not let MS name be used, said:
Il don't the advantage OF II. II concentrates
the total weight Of the bridge, towers and all. on
the roller. That means bringing ali the pressure
on one Joint. With saddles the expansion and
contraction are distributed. being divided and sub
divided. II the roller should give way 1t would be
more difficult to get at for repairing than saddles
I don't like the idea of swinging towers. The
lowers should be rigid That is the method for all
the ages from the Tower Of Babel TO the towers of
the BROOKLYN Bridge What is the advantage OF
such an innovation? There is a building at Rector
ST and Broadway pivots. but IT seems to me that
The firm set PARK Row Building is all right. Then
I don't believe in having space for visitors on top
OF the towers The point is that there Is no reason
for giving up the good old method OF distributing
the pressure.