New-York tribune., 1908-10-30
HODGES REPORT STUNS
STEVENSON SILENT NOW.
Commissioner Puzsling OUer Queens
boro Bridge Finding.

There was an ominous silence yesterday in
the city Bridge Department regarding the facts
published exclusively in yesterday mornings
Tribune to the findings in the report of the
engineering experts appointed five months ago
by the Board Of Estimate to investigate the
safety of the Blackwells Island (Queensboro)
Bridge Commissioner Stevenson did not ap-
pear at his Office in the Park Row Building long
enough even to deny the statements made in
The Tribune that the report of the experts,
which handed to the department on Wednes
day. will disclose serious defects in New Yorks
newest bridge structure that nothing short OF
reconstruction can remedy.
At a meeting of the executive committee In
charge of the opening celebration of the new
bridge, held on Wednesday evening in the Bor-
ough of Queens it was decided on the advice OF
Mayor Mcclellan to postpone the date Tor the
holding of the ceremonies until next spring.
Already the date has been set back several
times and unfortunately there will be many
important questions to decide in connection WIN
the structure before the opening ceremonies are
likely to take place.
When The Tribune called public attention last
May to the grave apprehension entertained by
bridge engineers that the structure was being
dangerously overloaded, the Commissioner OF
Bridges was extraordinarily prompt in char
acterizing the story as utterly absurd. Mayor
Mcclellan was sarcastically facetious and I'M
plored his friend. the Bridge Commissioner. not
to forget to let him know when the bridge was
planned to fall so that he might be present
Generally the officials charged with the ad-
ministration Of the city's affairs deplored the
fact that The Tribune should indulge in ridcu-
lous sensationalism on so important a subject
More in sorrow than in anger the Board of Estt-
mate ordered expert investigation not be
cause it felt there was even a shadow OF truth
in the charges published in The Tribune but
simply to ease the public mind and forever set
at rest the absurd suspicion that anything was
wrong with. the mighty stretches of steel that
span the East River between Manhattan and
Queens
The investigation ordered five months ago
has been completed. The report Of the experts
was handed to the Commissioner OF Bridges on
Wednesday. Still the Commissioner is silent, al
though the report, which TO convict The
Tribune Of rank sensationalisn. has been in his
possession since Wednesday. The promptness
of five months ago has disappeared. and the
Mayor has not yet cracked a joke on the
subject
Commissioner Stevenson admitted yesterday
that he had received the report of Messrs. Boil
Ter & Hodge but said that he would not discuss
the subject until he had also received a report
from Professor W. H. Burr, of Columbia Uni
investigation into the condition of the new
bridge on behalf of the Bridge Commissioner.
All day yesterday. The Tribune is informed,
the Bridge Commissioner was closeted with
Professor Burr Late in the afternoon Tribune
reporter managed to find Chief Engineer Inger-
soil of the Bridge Department in his office IN
response TO queries he said that the Commits
soner was busy going over strain sheets of the
BackweIIs Island Bridge.
The report of Professor Burr said Mr.. In
gersolI, is expected tomorrow. Until it is re-
ceived neither the Commissioner nor myself has
anything to say regarding the article published
in The Tribune. When the report of Professor
Burr is received both it and that made by
Messrs. Boiler & Hodge will be given to the
public
Meantime there is absolute silence; calm, dig
nif1ed completely safe silence. The Tribune
alone is in a position to say without fear of con-
tradiction, that the Blackwells Island Bridge,
which has cost the taxpayers nearly twice what
was estimated. has turned out a huge mis-
take Upon the plea that greater traffic facili-
ties were necessary than those provided in the
original plans and specifications the cost of the
superstructure increased from s5132,9S5,
specified in the contract, to s7.442,9s5. Instead
of two elevated railway tracks. as originally
planned, the bridge was TO have four elevated
of course out it defended by the statement
that the added facilities would equip the struct-
ure for all time come.
Now, after all this money has been spent it
is discovered that some one has blundered, and
that instead of having four elevated railway
ira cks to provide for every demand of the fut-
ure, not the two tracks first planned
be placed on the bridge without endangering
its safety. New York's newest and largest
bridge is without provision for q single elevated
railway track and, what is still worse. there IS
no prospect of providing such accommodation
by the squandering of a few hundred thousand
dollars more of the taxpayers money Recon
struction is the only safe method of strengthen
ing a cantiiever structure bungled the Black
wells Island Bridge has been bungled
This is what the officials of the bridge de-
partment will ultimately have to admit is the
outcome Of the absurd sensationalism' in
dulged in by The Tribune five months ago and
so severely rebuked by officials and some of It's
contemporaries. What might have happened
had The Tribune refrained from being 'sensa-
tionai' is another story.