The sun., 1908-05-22
DYNAMITE OPEN SHOP BRIDGE
"WRECkING CREW" TRANSFER
OPERATIONS TO THE RRONX.
Explosive Fired NJ Baychester Damaged
One Gir,ier IN y Four span viaduct
Across New Haven Tracks Long List
Of Ulnpunistied Grimes or This Kind.


Of llnpunIshed Grimes or This Kind.
That a wreclxing crew Of the Sam Parks
variety has been enlisted in the last few
months to impress upon the erectors OF
structural steel the wisdom Of employing
none but members of the Housesmiths
and Bridgemen's Union Is the conclusion
that has been forced upon good many
contractors by things that have happened
lately. "
Cutting the ropes OF derricks half in two
SO that strain would break them used to
be- one Of the favorite methods Of the old
Sam Parks crew when they wanted to show
a contractor that he was In wrong with the
union In addition to a revival of this form
Of entertainment dynamite, which was used
In those days to damage buildings in the
city. is being resorted to to damage bridges.
The cut rope of derrick serves as warn
ing that the wreckers are on the job. but
the dynamite not only does this but destroys
valuable property with no more apparent
risk to the wreckers. The jobs 1t is used on
are open shop jobs. where dynamter. II
he is a skilled ironworker. could get en-
ployment like anybody else.
Some OF the wreckers seem to have made
a dynamite call where Lewis F. Shoemaker
Il Co. are building for the New Haven
railroad big steel bridge to carry the
old Baychester road over the tracks OF
the road near the Bayohester station. The
call was made about 4 O'Clock yesterday
morning, and despite the presence OF two
watehmen the callers we're able to leave
their dynamite and get away nicely. pro-
vided, that is, that they had not left 1t there
over night. The dynamite twisted the
heavy steel beams making up one OF the
main Rirders OF one of the spans and blew
a number Of steel plates of the girder. but
didn't result in the collapse OF the bridge
as it was evidently meant TO do. As 1t was,
81 900 may cover the loss.
Some time ago the National Ereotors'
Association, to which belong most OF the
firms that are putting up the bridges over
the new six track road the New Haven is
building through The Bronx. decided on
the open shop. By that is meant that they
decided that they would employ whatever
men they chose membership in the house.
smiths union not being the prime essential.
That rule went into force practically all over
the East The bridge which was picked
out for the latest object lesson to show the
unpopularity among dynamiters Of the open
shop is being erected by a Philadelphia
concern of which Lewis D. Rights is the
New York manager. 1t is one Of the largest
of the many going up in The Bronx, having
Il total length of SAG feet and a total weight
it is said, of 900 tons. There are four spans
supported on cement piers. On this job
about thirty ironworkers have been en-
ployed comprising, under the principle OF
the open shop, both union and non-union
men. The work OF erecting the steel was
practically completed. which may account
for the time selected for the dynamite call.
Two watchmen have been employed reg
ularly to watch the bridge at night, but
the Job was big one on account OF the
length OF the structure. They were stand
ing under the bridge early yesterday
morning when there was an7explosion that
almost knocked them of their feet, ratified
the windows in Unienport three miles away
and broke panes Of glass in building be-
hind the West Chester police station
Subsequent investigation disclosed that
the dynamiteat least that is what the
police and the engineers believe II was
had been put directly under one OF the
main girders Of the centre span. where IL
rested on the pier at what is called the
anchor. Had there been enough to wreck
the girder the span might have collapsed.
As il was, it simply bent and twisted the
two top and bottom steel beams of the
plate girder and destroyed some OF the
plates, besides wrecking good part Of the
anchor There was, however, plenty Of
support for the bridge left: though the
en ire structure, as ii rested on the pier,
seemed TO have been moved a trife by the
explosion. The police, after a talk with the
representative of the contractors, con-
cluded that the explosive had time fuse.
or some time device that might have been
set when the men quit work, Nobody
was seen running away. Yesterday morn
ing two loaded revolvers were found on the
West Farms road, some distance from the
bridge within few feet Of each other.
Mr. Rights. the manager OF the firm,
told the detectives from the Bronx bureau
that the firm had received no threats that
the bridge would be blown up and that no
attempt had been made 10 interfere with
the men at work. From other experiences
his firm had had, however. Mr.. Rights
said he thought il quite probable that il
was the work of wreckingw crew,
In common with lot Of other bridge
concerns. he said, we have been hairass,d
not only in The Bronx. but in other cities
including Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleve-
land and Fall River. Only month ago an
attempt was made to wreck bridge we
are building at fremont avenue"
The attempt on the fremont avenue
DrlQXe was u ueiTlCk cutting hDOut
a month ago watchmen noticed some men
lettering near the bridge When they came
to investigate they found that four guy
ropes holding up sixty ton derrick had
been sawed through The derrick was held
in place by two remaining ropes
About a month earlier some one made a
visit to the big bridge being erected across
Pelham Bay and extracted lot OF bolts.
This had the effect OF weakening the draw,
which came dangerously near tumbling
into the bay.
In all dozen big bridges are being
erected over the New Haven's tracks in
The Bronx. Although the force Of guards
has been increased the oontracto rs say thai
IL is almost impossible to guard the work
in such manner that the dynamiters could
not get IN one OF their calls f they wanted to.
In report which Walter Drew. one of
the officers of the National Erectors Asso-
citation. made month ago. attention was
called 10 the activities of the wreckers in
various p4rts of thu country in consequence
of the open shop rule. In addition to the
fremont avenue bridge incident there was
mentioued in this the dynamiting Of two
bridges in Cleveland built by the Lucius
Construction Company. the attempt to blow
up the Pennsylvania Railroads. bridge at
Perth Amboy erected by tho Pennsylvania
Steel Company. and an attempt TO destroy
a bridge at Haokensack put up by the
American Bridge Company: number OF