Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-08-29
B BRIDGE COMPANY
TELLS OF THEIR MILL
TOWN CONT RACT
Continued from page /.

llilh lHcy mlSuI w a. SiS
deal worse" was the reply from the
bridge builder.
You think you are better quail
flied to do concrete structural bridge
work than other firms?"
I'VE know as much, if not more,
about it than some who are build
ing bridges for this county.
Lawyer Alan H. Strong then look
the witness and brought out the tact
that il the county had desired to nave
had bids on the Dean, Schwelr d
Sutton plans it would have had 10
buy them from them. His firm had
built more bridges in this state than
all the others put together. There
was no difference between the coun-
ty and his plan except eye beams a
been substituted for plate girders.
Freebooter Joseph Allgair, OF the
| Midtown Bridge Committee was next
called. He said he had examined the
abutments of the bridge after the wa
ter had been drawn off and found
the walls crumbling. He had no
knowledge of the Dean, Schwelrs d
| Sutton plan until it was received with
their bid on the county plan. me
new plan seemed more substantial.
On cross-examination he said he had
never investigated as to the relative
cost of the two bridges.
"You never looked under the wa
ter line?' asked Lawyer voorhees,.
gNNTA 7 ra,yO, uunnt down " reDI1G0
the freebooter.
''Why, can't you swim?" he was
asked.
Eyes | can" said Mr.. Allgair.
But that is not the function OF a
freeholder," said Former Judge Con-
over, and all laughed.
Freebooter Jackson testified TO go
ing to Newark where the Public Ser
vice Corporation engineer vas con-
suited as to the plans. The new plan
was thought to be better than the old
and they so recommended. He a
examined the bridge before and af-
ter the water had been drawn off.
Freebooter O'Neill said he did not
go to Newark, but he had found
broken masonry in the bridge abut-
ments above water and below the wa
ter line. The abutments looked dry
as if there had never been any Gem
ent in them. He was asked as to
a resolution adopted or a rule OF
the board regarding the advertising
of every contract costing over $500.
He said there possibly was such a
resolution but he knew of no rule.
He spoke of the Landing bridge job
being amended with a contract for
$1,000 without any advertising, but
on being examined by Solicitor Will
lis, of the board, said the
state commissioner had ordered
this work done and that it was I'M
der the road law. He had opposed
that at the board meeting afterward.
John v. l.. Booraem, street COM
missioner for the borough of Mill
town, testified to six carloads OF ma
terial for the bridge being on the
ground or at the station there. He
also said the bridge had been unsafe
ever since he became commissioner
two years ago and that it was largely
travelled over. 1t was the only way
of getting across that brook. He had
told the freeholders it was unsafe.
He had lived there thirty-nine years
and never before saw the brook
drawn off.
Charles E. Elkins, of North Bruins
wick township, said the bridge was
unsafe.
County Engineer r. j. Dougherty
testified to no special privileges be-
ing extended to the Dean, Schweir
& Sutton Company. Since the ex-
animation of the abutments he had
advised that they be rebuilt as it was
not a good idea to build a new bridge
of that character on a dry wall. The
old walls had apparently been bull
without cement as was often done
in olden times.
He had not drawn the origina
plans for the bridge. They were sub
mitted to him by the committee anC
he endorsed them. He did not know
who got them up, but the plan en-
dorsed and the one submitted by tn,
Dean company were similar in gen
eral makeup. Solicitor Will
brought out the fact that som,
months ago Mr.. De Hart had plan
submitted on this same bridge an,
1.-the one now endorsed by the engin
Ger might have been one of these.
was an American Bridge Compan.
plan, he said.
5 This ended the case for the count
, and an adjournment was taken I'm
til this morning.
i, Louis A. Dietz, of New York,
{ salesman for the West Virgini
Bridge Company, a on the stan
this morning and testified that hi
. company would build the bridge az
%cording to the plans of the success
full bidders for $500 while the pres
4 ent contract price is $S,923. Their
: were some sharp questions put an
answered.
While the hearing was on, wor
came from Midtown that the prese1
! bridge, which the contract in di
e ,,,4o l.. 10 ro,,1ooa mac tho cnnna