The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-08
DEEP BRIDGE PLOT LAID BARE
suoWyNG JOHN DE WITT WARNER
ASA TAMMANY CONSPIRATOR,

And the Administrations Chosen Wire
cable Design for the Manhattan strucf-
ure About to he Adopted TO BENEFIT
the Crokers-Plea for the Eyebar.
The old agitation as to whether the new
uanbattan Bridge to Brooklyn should be
an evebar or a wire cable structure was
revived Yesterday in long and carefully
nrepa red typewritten statement sent to
he newspapers alleging, among other
things. that there was conspiracy on foot
n commit the city to the construction OF
the bridge under a plan satisfactory to
Tammany Hall and the CrokeH, Richard
and his son, Frank Frank Croker, the
Roebling Company, which furnished the
cables for the Brooklyn and williamsburg
bridges, and Charles F. Murphy, leader OF
Tammany Hall, were named in the state
ment as the conspirators.
This. according to the statement, WAS
the conspiracy; snap meeting Of the NUM-
cipal Art Commission was to be called for
next Tuesday. At this meeting n wire cable
plan was to be rushed through with the as
sistance of Mayor Mcclellan, John d. Grim
Minis and Bridge Commissioner Best,
who sits "a member OF the commission
when matters pertaining to his department
are under consideration. Tuesday was
selected, it was explained because on that
day most Of the active or regular members
of the commission would be either out of
town or too busy to attend the meeting
and as five would constitute a quorum
The votes of the three officials named would
ne sufficient to jam the wire cable plan
through.
to oi1yap for tbasa statpplpnta
was "a prominent Tammany Hall contrac-
tor who expects to get part of the melon
when it Is cut, and who "unwittingy let
the cat out Of the bag" while discussing on
labor Day his plans for work this fall and
winter.
The effect Of the scheme and alleged
precautions to defeat it we're thus described:
II the scheme goes through as planned.
II ia arranged to let the contracts for the
ancf1orages within the following five days.
A these anchorages will cost upward OF
81. 900 .ooO Tammany Hall will consider that
a fairly good ante election plum to its favorite
contra FACTORS: and the Croker-Roebling in
terests will be sure Of profitable contract
Of several millions for wire cables. as they
have an absolute monopoly in bridge cable
work, whereas in the case OF the eyebar
bridge. eleven different bridge companies
are prepared to bid As a precautionary
measure TO CHeChildle any ppSSi'ip oHap
action by the Tammany corporations. papers
are under preparation in taxpayers suit
to bring the whole matter into court for
ventilation and adjudication.
Incidentally, Bridge Commissioner Best
was charged with trying to get the wire
cable plan adopted by questionable means.
He had already attempted (the statement
said) to get the commission to lndorse
what was little more than picture OF
bridge, and he -steadfastlv declines to
show his plans for the wire cable structure
to any one, or to submit them to an i'm
partial commission OF eminent bridge
engineers for their approval, his object be-
ing to have the art commission approve
a mere design OF some sort and leave him
free to fill In the technical details
An exhaustive history OF the Mania ttan
Bridge project, from its inception to the
present time, filed up the rest OF many
fact that the eye-bar scheme was approved
by the Low administration and by an i'm
partial commission of bridge engineers.
When the statement was shown to the
Mayor yesterday, he read 1t carefully. Then
he smiled a broad smile.
Ridiculous, he said, and that closed the
interview.
From other sources it was learned that
six, instead Of Ave- members are necessary
for a quorum In the Municipal Art Com
mission, 80 at least one more conspirator
would have to be taken into the scheme
before the snap could be worked.
1t was also learned at the Office Of the
commission, that no call for a meeting has
been issued and that none can be issued
except on the authority Of John Dewitt
Warner the president, who could scarcely
be depended upon to act with the Tammany
members in scheme hem. such hest as the stat em eE
Mayor, Mr.. Crimmins and Commissioner
Best are Frederick w. Rhinelander, John
Bigelow, A. Augustus Healy, j. Carroll
Beckwith, A.. Phimister Proctor, Henry
No., Lan Nd Ea
In regard to the assertion that Mr.. Best
Is keeping secret the plans for the wire
cable bridge, it was remembered that the
plans have already been published In the
newspapers. Moreover Mr. Best sub
on Aug. 4 a model Of the bridge, which is
still on view. Instead of trying to have
the plans pushed through at a snap meet
ing, he asked on Aug. that the matter be
laid aside until Commissioner Healy re-
turns from Europe. Mr.. Healy Is expected
home on Saturday and will probably be
present at the meeting on Tuesday, If one
is called.
No concealment is made Of the fact that
cable bridge, and that 1t wishes to start
the work without further delay. The
Mayor Is said to look upon eye-bar con-
struction as largely in the nature Of an
experiment and the wire cable as having
been demonstrated to be practical success.
The Mayor also feels, 1t is said, that the
approval OF the engineers Of the bridge de-
partment is sufficient, as he has the utmost
confidence in their Judgment. The plan
Of submitting the matter again to a COM
mission Of bridge engineers does not ap-
peal to him, because he thinks that 1t would
entail another long delay and in the end
might not prove satisfactory, even to those
who are now urging him to take that course.
The Municipal Art Society, Of which
Calvin Tompkins Is president. has been
most active in urging the appointment OF
n commission Of bridge engineers. The
statement issued yesterday says that the
society "has sent in words Of earnest OPP
position, warning the art commission OF
he gross blunders or worse, which it may
he tricked into permitting"
The Merchants Association sent a few
remarks to the Mayor yesterday to the
same effect as others frequently sent to
him on the subject by the association.