Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-12-13
WORDING OF GRAND
JURY PRESENTMENT.

Herewith MS soon as it shall be com
pleted for use, including the erection
of a proper crossing OF bridge over
the "Raritan North Shore Railroad, y
the same being a railroad running
near the river and crossing said pro-
posed street.
We find that the Board of Aldermen
of Perth Amboy on July %. 1902.
adopted a resolution accepting said
deed of dedication; that said resolu.
tion is styled: "A resolution accept
lug Sheridan street from Market
street to the Raritan river as dedi-
Gated in order to aid in the construc-
tion of tho bridge or the Raritan
river authorized by law, " and r%ecites,
8 Whereas, the erection of said bridge
and creation of a suitable passage
thereto are very desirable and Will
tend greatly to the prosperity of said
citv, " that said resolution was appro-
we'd by the mayor of Perth Amboy on
July 90, 1902 that an ordinance was
passed establishing the grade of said
Sheridan street, and that the timber
deck spans of the bridge between the
steel swing span over the channel and
the Perth Amboy shore were built to
meet this grade. TIE foregoing eX-
tracts from the deed Of dedication,
and the resolution accepting said
Sheridan street show clearly the ex-
pressed purpose of the city of Perth
Amboy to build the approach to said
bridge.
We find, further, that the expendi-
ture of money authorized for the
building of the bridge was $4,000 /;
that all building contractors under-
stood that the approach of the north
side of the river was to be built by
the city of HPerth Amboy, and that
their bids were submitted with that
Freeholders would have provided for
not been assured as above that the
city of Perth Amtoy would do it.
The grand jury presents that the
moral obligation resting upon the city
of Perth Amboy to build an approach
within the city to the bridge, is clear.
We find that the Board of Aldermen
of Perth Amboy has passed no ordin-
ance authorizing the expenditure of
money for the grading of Sheridan
street, and the completing of the ap-
proach as called for in the deed of
dedication; that nevertheless the
Board of Freeholders went ahead
with the building Of the bridge, CON
tracing to spend nearly $3.50, 600 of
the peoples money, with the result
that TODAY there is q dispute as to the
legal liability of the city of Perth
Amboy to build tho approach, with no
advantage resulting to the public;
such dispute we hold to be uptimely
and its possibility should have been
averted-in other words we pre-
sent our beliefs that the freelolders
were not justified in spend
ing one cent in building this bridge until
the legal liability Of Perth Amboy to
build the approach was established be
yond cavil.
y We think that the Board of Freeholders,
in Justice to themselves and to the County,
should institute proceedings (f they
know of any to take) at once to compel
the City of Perth Amboy TO build the up-
proach.
!. The Grand Jury has not had the benefit
Of disinterested expert examination of the
bridge, as the time for such was made
quate. As to whether the bridge is built
in accordance with the plans and specifi-
cations, and whether the construction,
material and workmanship is the best that
could be obtained for the money. we are
unable TO report, having heard no expert
on this subject, save only the consulting
engineer employed by the Board of Free
holders, under whose supervision the
bridge was built, and who, of course, is
interested.
We present that in our opinion it is-the
imperative duty of the Board of Free
holders at once to nave ice breakers built
for the protection of the bridge. Last
" inter Il portion of the bridge between
the steel span and the south shore fell,
owing to the pressure of the ice breaking
off some of the piling. That the Board
of Freeholders were forew armed of this
possibility is evident from Il letter written
to them by their consulting engineer and
which is here given:
"Hoboken, N. j., August 3, 1903.
10 the Honorable Board Of Chosen Free
holders of Middlesex County. N. j..
"Gentlemen My observation and study
of the currents of the river. and also the
ice conditions, during the past fall, win
ter and spring, have convinced me that
for the future economical maintenance
of the Amboy bridge, it is absolutely
necessary to put In at each side of every
bent Brace Ice Breaker Piles and to
have the same tied together by an extra
low water horizontal brace. The present
contract only provides for ice breakers in
the channel.
"Again considering the excessive
height of the easterly portion of the struc-
ture, there should be provided at this
part, longitudinal diagonal braces ON the
upper and lower sides of each of these
high bents.
'In adding these important improve
ments to the bridge, we provide extra
precautions against damages from wind
and Ice, at the same time Increasing the
stability and rigidity of the structure,
thereby lessening the costs of maintenance.
Respectfully submitted,
'THOS. H. McCANN,
Engineer"
We have no hesitancy in asserting, the
public interest has not been served either
in the conception Of the scheme to build a
bridge, or in the execution of it.. The
necessary legal preliminaries to protect
the public and to insure a completed and