New-York tribune., 1908-12-23
AT ODDS OVER LOOP
MURPHY STILL FIRM.
Says Bridge Department Hast Re
rise Terminal Plans.

Edward s Murphy. Superintendent OF Buildings
IN Manhattan took issue yesterday on both points
Of law and oi fact with Bridge Commissioner
Stevenson on his failure to approve the plans Tor
,ba foundation Of the municipal terminal building
T5e said YESTERDAY that he hsd disapproved OF the
plans because they we're unsafe. and that the
sof a fine sand. which IL was planned TO place
the foundations. would support only three tons 10
she square foot not the eight tons planned He IN
,ix.e5 that he had the right refuse to allow the
work &c begin under the same part Of Section .
OF the Building Code appealed to by Commissioners
Stevenson which provides that various soils shaIi
be deemed safe TO sustain certain specified loads, or
as otherwise determined by the Commissioner OF
Buildings having jurisdiction.
Commissioner Stevenson has turned the case
over 10 the Corporation Counsel for advice oul
M Murphy says that under no conditions VIII
he approve the present plans Commissioner
Stevenson also argues that the subway terminal
station which is be part OF the loop as well as
the foundation for the municipal office building
was authorized by a special act Of the Legislature
and because OF that the Superintendent OF Buiio-
ings has no jurisdiction.
II the law department Of the city fails 10 uphold
this view tho subway contractors Will have thelr
work done SIS far they so by the time the
bridge department begins work on the construC-
ZION Of the foundation and subway station II
they want 10 build a foundation with a weight OF
eight tons the square foot. they will have 10 90
bed rock and that is all there Is ABOUT H.
says Nj Murphy
Al the site for the building bed rock is lo3 feet
below water level and lS5 feet below street level
The delay which this dictum OF the Superfntelld-
ent OF buildings viii cause in the completion OF
one Of ths most important transfactes Of the city
Will De great If his contention is sustained II TOOK
seven months or more prepare the original
planR II viii take as long. or longer, to compete
new plans calling for foundation resting on oeu
rock Further delay VIII be caused by the time
taken in making the award OF the contracts, ana
the work Of construction will take much longer 10
reach a point where the subway loop may be com
pleted and thrown open TO traffic. In al rather
more than wear the least, will be added TO the
time before the much needed relief is given TO the
1lafho over the Brooklyn Bridge It was expected
that without the delay that now seems ineVltaole
the subway contractors would have their work
completed and the subway ready for operation a
year from January II the work on the 1ounoa-
lions is no; begun at once. the subway loop PROB
ably will rot be ready for operation until 1911 IN
stead OF the beginning Of 1910.
The law would not let approve Of the plans
submitted by the Bridge Department said Mr..
Murphy yesterday u treated them just as
would treat thoue submitted by any private party,
as ! am obliged do under the law Three sam
pies q the soil which the foundations are
planned 70 rest sent to me They would not
sustain eight tors 10 the square foot or even four
! could not grant permit for any building resting
CT such soil that had weight greater than three
tons TO The square foot Any one n the Bridge
Depar.41 zut who said that any buildings IN the
city resteu on such soil at weight Of from seven
plain untruth.
NV engineers went over the results Of the tests
as they were given to BY lie Bridge Depart
raert and reported absolutely against any permit
being granted. I also submitted the plans TO the
board Of examiners Il board composed OF seven
men who certainly know what they are talking
about and they absolutely refused 70 approve OF
rlaus which called for such weight TO ne I'M
posed such sell OF course. dlsapproVeo
The Mans I don't want any building like that
l,l,il- with the sanction Of my department, ana
then read little later Of its settlement and the
consequent cracking Of walls and floors, as has
happened 10 the Criminal Courts Building for eA-
ample
when il came 70 telling what steps he would
take 70 prevent the erection Of the building if As
sistaut Corporation Counsel Sterling advised Com
missioner Stevenson that he could make the award
the Superintendent Buildings did not care 10 say
ANYTHING THAT is z legal matter his an
sver To that and ali other questions bearing on
the legal aspects Of the controversy Another per
son connected with the Department Of Buildings
said that the engineers in the department were
unanimous in their condemnation OF the plans for
the foundation filed by the Bridge Department
Besides the reasons stated he said. we found
other good reasons not 20 approve OF the plans -
Pressed for these reasons he did not care TO ex-
plain them the present tirae.
AS stand present the award for the
foundation work viii 60 the J H Gray Com
pany 0 which John H Gray is the head. with
Offices in the F7atiTon Building. M. Gray is a
young contractor. with the reputation of be-
ing an able and trustworthy man He has large
business, but has not been prominently asso-
ciated with city contracts several Of
the other bidders whose estimates were far above
his. The Gray bid SssIOio. which s76,75l
below the bid of $3.50 made .by J. c. Rodgers
There was only z difference Of $3.50 between that
bid and one submitted by Ciaffney & Steers. The
other bids submitted A McAIulien, Ssl5Opo
the O-8ourke Engineering and Construction Com
pany. Se260Do: the Tidewater Building Company
1851 O3a the p. J. Carn Construction Company,
Ss56050: T. Cockeriu & Son. s95s.e0o; ,the North
Eastern Construction Company, Si,0Z1, ,7o1. and R.
(. Heningham. 81, ga, 600