New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-12-02
GREENSBORO ERROR
COST TEN MILLIONS
LISTED By FAULTY
CHANGES OF PLAN.
"a Gain in Bridge Capacity, an Spite
Of .4ddod Height and Tastly
Increased Outlay.

..-7v7- 10 increase the carrying capacity of the
.'-,re1I's Island or Queensboro, bridge has
=, SO Al 500 according TO the most con
tive estimate. and the amount may run TO
f,ooao ona before all The bills paid This
=. sum has been entirely thrown away by
= ,ft,- bridge department.
- that the grave and serious nature OF the
.sarls hlunder made in the erection of the
-, fs fuIv understood 10y every one who has
- - understand. this extravagant waste OF
90. funds becomes 3. most important subject
,,. ..,r,sideration Of taxpayers. Fortunately,
-. -,ssillc. out Of the maze of plans and
7s5 plsrs. estimates and amended esti-
- m cost 10 ind reasonable basis of judg-
.s 10 the amount OF money that has been
,s, .s9uandered upon this great public
work
---, tfse construction of the BlackweTs
,~7 Bridge was authorized. nine years ago.
--z prepared estimates Of its cost and
rsracfty were made by the Bridge Depart
The structure was TO have traffic carry
.sDscity Of $500 pounds a linear foot Of
-. - accommodate two narrow roadways.
7.-s-cd railway tracks. two trolley tracks
.-.. Messenger walks It was TO cnst Si2,-
- 5aa fr.r-v completed. and including ali land
damages
- --s-,,r,ss-ro demands made chiefly by the
-,sf5e--s of the Borough OF Queens, the capacity
the structure was twice increased. SO that the
t,f=sr as H1au- contracted for was TO have
.-4=- carving capacity Of 5000 pounds linear
.o, ,e bridge for ..-egular' and 10000 pounds a
linear foot of bridge for 'congested" load. to &C
car-no5ate one wide roadway, four elevated
railway ira Ks four trolley tracks and two pas
teneer walks,
SAME TRAFFIC CARRYING CAPACITY.
The Official report OF Messrs Boiler & Hodge.
of Estimate 10 investigate the safety of the
hr3dEe makes Il clear beyond misunderstanding
tast. instead Of having capacity of eight thou
sard pounds z linear foot of bridge. the struct-
ire as erected can carry safely only four thou
sand pounds linear foot Of bridge, and that, in
read o. being able to accommodate one wide
-osdvar. four elevated railway tracks. four troll
lsy tracks and two passenger walks. the bridge
IS erected viii be able TO accommodate only one
vide roadway. four trolley tracks and two pas
Fsneer walks. To make the bridge carry even
his reduced traf1c load il Will be necessary TO
fvsce carefully I'll trolley traffic and first
a=sp s.s4s,noo pounds Of useless steel and
Crsts from the suPerstructure to reduce the dead
Eeight-
Substituting for purposes Of comparison the
ore vide roadway of the brioge as erected for
;he two narrow roadways OF the bridge as first
Planned. and two Of the trolley tracks with
which the structure IS equipped for the two
elevated railway tracks in the first plan, the
traffic carrying facilities identical The al
l1wance for traffic carrying capacity in weight
linear foot Of bridge in the structure orig
,nally planned and in the bridge erected IS
almost the same
The Ultimate cost of the bridge as erected was
even by Bridge Commissioner Stevenson IN an
official communication - the Board Of Aldermen
On Iu7y - Of fsSf wear al S11 100000
This figure old not include. however the cost
C. making the changes recommended in the Off
Ga report Of Boiler & Hodge neces-
Esrv . the safety Of the structure before it
should he opened for public Nor did 1t al
low for any increase in the amount OF land
damages not yet paid over the estimate made
nne years ago. Taking these two considera-
tons into account. the ultimate cost Of the
BlackWeII's Island bridge VIII run close to S23.-
e1a0or. the estimate given in The Tribune five
months ago. when the recent investigation into
the safety OF the bridge was demanded
NET RESULT OF BLUNDERs.
TIE net result OF the blunders made by the
Bridge Department in the erection Of this huge
ttruoture over the East River is that the tax
payers q the greater city have been compelled
to pay al the lowest estimate sd 100000 for a
bridge substantially the same that which
was authorized 10 Le erected at a cost OF S12-
h4S go in the belief that they were getting
what they paid for in a structure capable Of
accommodating twice the traffic facilities OF the
originally planned structure. and now il is def
nitely asCertained through expert examination
that this supposedly stronger bridge can
be made 10 carry safely less than the amount
% traffic for which the original bridge was de-
signed only after 744S,ooo pounds Of useless
steel ard concrete have been removed from the
z
n Is carefully spaced.
To understand how any kind Of engineer
Ing blunder. no matter how serious, made in the
erection Of the superstructure cf bridge which |
was contracted for at 50. 132, $50 could have re-
suited II the wasting OF more than 100000 |
o. public money, il is necessary to explain that
the EuperstrUcture, or river spans. is only a |
small part OF the entire bridge The total length
Of the steel structure known as the BlackweIls /
Island bridge IS roughly mile and three-quar-
ters OF, accurately. $500 feet from the masonry
sbutrnent on the Manhattan side Of the river |
u the masonry abutrnenc on the Queens side |
q the river
The superstructUre IS only three-quarters Of a |
miie IN length. or, accurately 3.724 feet There |
ls therefore Just about a mile. or. accurately. /
$50 feet. Of steel viaduct approaches on |
The tao sides Of the river erected over streets |
and avenues ~hich lead to the superstructure |
81 bridge proper.
Zach time the traffic carrying capacity of the /
bridge waF Increased beyond the capacity |
l-anned when the construction authorized I
-A+ amount and weight 81 steel put into the !
''Fe9 spans had 10 be increased 50 that the 4
structure might carry safely the increased load. 4
ut every Increase IL the amount and weight 4
O steel put into the three-quarters Of a mile /
y suDerstruoture. or river spans. carried with !
II corresponding increase in the amount and |
= %