New-York tribune., 1908-05-12
BRIDGE OVERLOADED
Continued from nrst page.

7, November 1907 certificates calling for the
pavnent Of $500 600 in excess OF the contract
price and the amount of the supplemental con-
tract authorized by the Board of Aldermen were
presented to the Finance Department Tor pay
ment The attention of the Bridge commissioner
was called to the fact that if these payments
were made the amount authorized Tor the WORK
would be considerably exceeded. The Commits
sioner. in letter to the Controller dated No
vember 16. 1907. explained that in working out
the details of the plans for the superstructure
Of the bridge in the shops it was found neces-
sary to increase the weight Of the material to he
used This II was estimated, would increase the
cost of the work by 81 .526 265 He asked that
the payments then requested be authorized and
represented that under the circumstances IT was
not necessary to secure additional authority.
A CURIOUS OPINION.
The opinion of the Corporation Counsel was,
however, sought upon the subject, and under
date of January "a of the present year the Cor
poration Counsers Office wrote an opinion TO the
effect that as there was nothing in the con-
tract limiting the price be paid for the work
~ the amount mentioned in the contract, plus
the customary per cent margin over that price
TO provide for unforeseen expenditures, he did
not any legal objection to the Controller
making The payments asked. 1t is noteworthy
which accompanied this legal opinion Of the
Corporation Counsel, the following words
found; NO extras shall be allowed under this
contract in excess Of the ; per cent hereinbefore
referred to-
Acting under this extraordinary opinion. the
Controller passed the payments. amounting to
some S3O0Oo0 that had been held up, well as
others. totallfng in all S75n.0O0 in excess of the
amount of the original contract and the supple
mental contract authorized by the Board of Al
dermen early last year.
Evidently the authority conferred by the opn
ion of the Corporation Counsel for making these
payments was not regarded seriously. for.
April of the present year, the Board of Alder
men was asked to authorize another supple
mental contract with the original contractors
without public letting for 81, 100000 for the pur
pose Of completing the work of the erection of
the superstructure of the bridge. But between
November 16. 1907. and April { of the present
year the sum Of S7500t0 was paid upon the au,
thority only of the opinion given by the Cor
poration Counsel that the authorization subse-
quentIy obtained for a portion of the payments
was not necessary. The Sl,200,o0 authorized
by the Board of Aldermen on April is addi-
tional appropriation to the amounts expended up
TO that time upon the work
1t is evident from these facts that Sf11ooO0
in excess of the contract price has already been
expended upon the superstructure of the Black
wells Island Bridge, and that there is available
S1,2O,OOo more to complete the work of erec-
ton. This that altogether S2,31oOoo
worth Of extra steel Will be put into the struc-
ture than was contemplated when the con-
tract was awarded five years ago, before the
bridge is finally completed.
BRIDGE ENGINEERS DISTURBED.
After the failure of the Quebec Bridge last
OT7p fbo rjiI PriHo npI, hoo To
exhibit anxiety bout the safety of the Backwels
Island structure. Members of the engineering
staff were instructed TO go carefully over the
new bridge and check up the actual loads and
stresses. This work, it is understood. has been
recently completed, but yet report has been
made 10 the public regarding the results of the
examination.
Whatever this report may disclose careful CAL
culation made by competent bridge engineer
for The Tribune indicates that the extra weight
OF steel put into the superstructure and repre-
sented by the extra payments over the contract
price of S2,310,pO means increase OF 81 per
cent the weights estimated at the time the
contrac ct awarded. This extra weight it is
understood, has Increased the stress upon the
carrying members of the bridge to a greater de-
gree than is represented by the increase in
weight alone, for the reason that the members
that have been increased in weight are. il is
parts of the floor system and other sections Of
the superstructure. which have been changed to
increase the traffic carrying capacity of the
bridge
II Is believed that the actual stresses shown
in the contract drawings will have been ex-
ceeded by than - per when the bridge
is completed, making the stress upon the main
compression carrying, members of the struc-
ture 25.0pO pounds TO the square inch or more
contract drawings. The Quebec Bridge fell un-
der stress of $4,000 pounds square inch.
There does not seem to be much room for
doubt that even now the main compression men,
bers of the bridge under load close to the
load under which the Quebec Bridge failed
When the structure Is completed these main
compression members will be under stress
greater than that which the Quebec Bridge was
designed to carry and under three quarters OF
which it fell.
ICE TRITST CAN'T SEE JTTPv MJNIrTCc