New-York tribune., 1903-07-25

Marriott might consider this plausible argument.
put an engineer knows better. and ought 70 know
statement The fact is that the putting together
i 0a Jhe eEe-oars; after they come from the shop.
preparations and auxiliary structures than
Wire is made, ready too, in the shop, and the
UiTee in+ ls Mhat VIII take longer-to spin the
chain? We know it takes six months for spinning
erect the ye-B3T At the SM Budapesi o bridge The
te eTsPIe 3d OF an eye-bar chain i has taken
Iien I go1h Ok as though any time would be saved by
When MT. LindenthaI found. as stated by Mr..
SharIlott h that wire cables would cost Sl42GO more
Iridh Ina cnain cables, ne made many mistakes. as l
he assumed the strength of wire to be IS per cent
He assumed the cost of wire c9bes to be Is cents
EriS Illle IIle actu4I cost OF the Williamsburg
lie assumed the cost of eye-bar chains 10 be 61a
than they viii cost
He allowed nothing for the increase in. Weight
and cost Of the towers for an eye-bar bridge on
account @ OF the greater weight which these towers
He allowed nothing for the increased cost of the
FOUNDATIONS. which placed at only S53.000 while
increasing only one of the tower foundations,
which means about 100000 for both foundations
He charged TO the wire cable bridge extra
weight of 2S5 pounds per hreal foot for stifening
acquainted with the theory of suspension bridges
can prove layman even will understand it if l
the Williamsburg Bridge weighs only $500 pounds
per Hueal root and this bridge is so rigid tndt
the engineers Of Mayor Lows expert commission
have declared it to be sitter than necessary and
the stifening construction too heavy. Mr.. Linden
thai calculates the weight Of the stifening con-
and for the cable bridge S,135 pounds per lineal
foot, which figures show his bad and uneconomlcaI
engineering.
II all these errors are corrected 1t Will be found
that Mr. Lindenthal's design for an unsafe bridge
win still cost SI90C0o more than safe bridge can
be built for!
panies were ready to furnish the eye bars is mis-
understanding. There is no plant in the country
with which these eye-bars can be made. But such
a plant may be built Therefore, the readiness Of
the steel companies must be interpreted this way:
II one Of these companies should receive contract
for furnishing fifteen thousand or twenty thousand
featuring satisfactory bars. What the strength Of
these bars VIII he. what they Will cost and how
knows
AIr. Marriotts charge that the opposition to eye
bars originates with scheming contractors and the
ike shows indeed the weakness of his cause, If
he must resort 10 such empty argumeutsl
The TACT remains as stated IF Mr.. Linde7thalS
design be executed. the Manhattan Bridge win he
unSa1e- IT constructed with the same safety
the williamsburg Bridge the Manhattan Bridge
VIII cost $55JDO more tnan 1t ought TO if built
with wire cables and on economic principlesi In
other words. the whole eye-bar scheme Is not only.
as designated by distinguished engineer, a gigan-
tic experiment, but il is also gigantic imposition
on the credulity OF the public and on the pockets
of the taXpayersi
I hope aldermen will take notice of these facts
The disregard shown by the Board Of Estimate
to the Board Of Aldermen in overriding pTecipitate-
alter the facts, is # any argument I'm favor
Of eye-bars. Figures tell the tale and not opinions
resolutions political interests No matter how
strongly men may be attached 10 their party.
Of them viii for the partys risk his life on
unsafe bridge will pay q share of over s5-
100000 in wasteful experimental Therefore let al