New-York tribune., 1908-12-08
FEARS MORE BLUNDERS
ASKS THAT M4NHAIT4N
BRIDGE BE EXAMINED.
City Club Says Mayor Should Be
Harmed by Tribune's Queens
bOrO Exposure.

the statements Of which confirmed by the
examination of experts forced by this paper the
City Club has asked Mayor Mcclellan as chalr-
man of the Board Of Estimate and Apporuon-
ment, to have an expert examination Fol lAe
plans of the Manhattan Bridge
AS Homer Folks, chairman of the transit COM
mittee of the club who writes to the Mayor eX-
presses II after summing up the lamentapie
state of affairs in the greensboro Bridge III
view Of this neglect, or Incompetence, on the
part of the Bridge Department. 1t seems to the
club highly important that the plans OF the
Manhattan Bridge now under construction be
thoroughly inspected to guard against posi-
BILE repetition of the city's experience IN cohnec-
ton with the greensboro Bridge
Giving all credit to The Tribune for the ser
vice It rendered in revealing the true facts IN
regard to the Greensboro Bridge and persisting
in its demand for an impartial Investigation the
CITY Club has determined that history shall not
repeat itself in the bridge the construction oA
which is still I'm its first stages
Officers of the city Club say they are not
ready at this moment to take any action fur
ther than is embodied in their request for an
examination. 1t may he said however, that the
club stands ready to go into the entire question
involved In the management and construction
of bridges in this city.
THE LETTER TO THE MAYOR
The letter sent to the Mayor yesterday. which
will in due course be presented by him to the
Board Of Estimate at its meeting on Friday, Is
as follows;
The city Club hereby requests that an exam
fnation be made of the plans of the Manhatt ttan
Bridge. to insure that the city is to secure a
safe and adequate structure. The request Is
based on the following facts:
on January ;. 190s. your body authorized the
employment of the firm Of Boiler 4 Hodge, ana
also William II. Burr. to make an examination
of the Oueensboro Bridge. These engineers
love mr.
/ from which reports these facts may be taken
and conclusions drawn: ,
The contract with the Pennsylvania steer
COMPANY for this bridge stipulated that 1t should
build structure that would carry wagon roau'
two footwaIks. four trolley tracks ana four ele-
waited tracks, and that the stresses siloIu iLo'
at any points exceed designated limits i ne re-
ports reveal the fact that the bridge Is G n1'
strong enough 10 carry even one elevated track
in addition to the trolley tracks. unless very con-
siderable tightening of the structure as now
built is first made; and also that the stress
limits provided in the contract have been greatly
The contract. as originally let by Commits
sioner Lindenthal, provided for two elevated
tracks This contract was changed and supple
nented under Commissioner Best, In 0rder 10
nrovide for an additional set OF elevated tracks
The weight of steel in the structure as orleIhSI-
" planned, was to have been s4,8OO'OoO pounas,
the weight Of steel actually put into the Drluse
was 105, ,152.010 pounds Ine suppieHe1IIOd. -. ~
tract provided that the added steel in the struCt-
ure should increase the carrying capaclty OF Tue
bridge 3,400 pounds a linear 1ooI OF an dn ~! y
crease from the original provision or IZ'ooo 10
IS 600 pounds. The additional steel winch was was
mt into the structure amounting TO zU'ooZ'UVV
hounds did not secure the carrying capaclty
of IS 600 pounds a linear foot specified IN the
s,ipnIemental contract On the contrary. the
engineers find that the bridge built will sus-
tain a live load of but 1000 pounds foot:
AS a result of this serious mistake the en-.
eineers find not only that the bridge cannot
support the four elevated tracks stipulated III
the contract but it cannot carry more than one
set of trolley tracks, If the live load provided
for the wagon road and fOotwalks by the con
tract be adhered to. Moreover lnasmuch as
neither ice load is PROVIDED IoT III 'iis
calculation should the bridge at any tiihe o9
coated with ice and snow. such an addltlonaI
weight would be added to the structure thaI ne
trolley cars probably could not run with safety.
So small is the supporting capacity OF uie
bridge that it will become necessary to excIude
all elevated subway traffic and also necessary
TO reduce the live load on the roadway by %
uer cent and on the sidewalk by o3 Id per cent.
Even before these reduced live loads can %
safely carried. the weight or the structure trius
be reduced by about 1000 pounds per hnear
foot of the bridge. Moreover. 1t VIII be neces-
sary to regulate by police the distance pet"eel
trolley cars which will necessitate large an
nual outlay
A QUESTION FOR COURTS.
# is q question to he decided by the courts
whether not the contractor is responsible for
these serious defects resulting in such heavy
loss to the taxpayers. Regardless OF where the
legal responsibility may be placed, unquestion-
ahIv the Department of Bridges is responsible
for approving defective plans. or, having un-
Willingly approved them. is responsible FOR not
process of construction.
In view OF this neglect or incompetence on the
part of the Bridge Department 1t seems to the
club highly important that the plans OF the
Manhattan Bridge. now under construction, be
thoroughIy inspected to guard against pos
sibla repetition of the city's experience in con-
nection with the greensboro Bridge
We therefore request your board to appoint
cne or more competent bridge engineers to in
spect the plans and stress sheets of the Man
haitian Bridge. and to make report as to their
adequacy
MI Folks I'm discussing the action Of the club
last night said: The Tribune has rendered a
very great public service in sticking to the mat
ter Of the greensboro Bridge until finally the
facts have been brought to light While in the
case Of the greensboro Bridge it is too late to
do other than make the best of a bad bargain,
there is no reason why we should duplicate the
error in the case of the Manhattan Bridge,
which has not passed beyond the stage in which
alterations can be made. il found necessary.
without as much delay or loss as must attend
any changes that may be possible In the Queens
boro Bridge
We are not assuming any facts n regard TO
the Manhattan Bridge. but it would seem clear
that nothing less than the very best expert opin-
ion should satisfy the city authorities that these
plans are right. since 1t has been indubitabIy
demonstrated that the revised plans of the
Queensboro Bridge. though accepted and ap-
proved by the Bridge Department. We're wrong
The mere statement by the Bridge Depart
ment that the plans all right will not he
very satisfying in view of the fact that this is
what they said about the Greensboro Bridge
when The Tribune made its first charges in con-
nection with that structure.
We are sure that Is more anxious to
nave the facts made perfectly clear at this time
than the Board of Estimate and Apportionment.
because on them the responsibility for the ult-
of