New-York tribune., 1908-12-11
GREENSBORO BRIDGE
PAYMENTS MADE
CONTROLLER ACTED PEND
ING EXPERT REPORT.
His Engineer 4dUised 4Houpt Er-
ceeded authorization -CityS Pos
sibIe Claims Jeopardi1ed.

--r,sfvelv in The Tribune last week showing that
more than $4,000 .o0o Of public money has been
-ss-es on The construction Of the BlaCkwells
island. OF Greensboro Bridge through the mex
-,sssh1e hlunders made in its erection the CITY
r1,e has ssked Mayor Mcclellan for a thorough
examination into the plans of the Manhattan
Bridge over tre East River. between Manhattan
sr5 BROOKLYN. the construction Of which is now
IN progress.
n is letter to the Mayor asking for an in
-esrtFztion. the City Club after reviewing the
e76inzs contained in the reports OF the en-
rsree-inC experts on the safety Of the Black
z-eIl-s Island Bridge. says that II IS ques'lon
f. re courts 70 decide whether or not the con-
-.sc-,- = responsible for the serious defects IN
he srperst--,ctu-e q this bridge which nave
resulted II such heavy loss 70 the taxpayers.
..p.7s--7ess cf where the legal responsibility
-.,- ne r1aced ." saws the letter "unQuestlohao-y
the DEPARTMENT Of Bridges is responsible 1or al
proving defective plans. or. having un"lI'lllsl'
approved them. Is responsible for not ha'lIls "e-
zec-ed their serious defects during the plOs ~
a construction" 49,.
The bl,,nders disclosed by the reports OF 1i7
--zi,ee-i-7r- experrs who investigated ule saI7'S
= =. r,7.-lr,.,eII's Island Bridge are conhneo 10
-. =.,-ars--7Ic-1Ire or river spans. thougL l--7
-,-e+z-v loss % the taxpayers Involves 1he use
rses expendiru-e Of money on all other paris u
80 bridge in providing for an increase III ea
Ing capacity which now cannot De useu oe
- = -La mistakes made il the erection OF
re superst-ucture -. -.
is <ac+ explains how il IS possible that tile
- n carry out the terms of a CONTRACT
--r--.-. TIE expenditure of S51S2.9s5 tor 1he
z---,crion Of one part Of this huge orluse
IS --es,,lted in the loss Of more than s1o'eVV'-
80 o1 -re erection Of the entire structure INC
--z-f-z Of responsibility fer the olunoeIs "H7'7
= --enerly belongs. therefore, Is 4 eI--t
-f,-sr,- simple matter. involving Only tlie l7e
--.-g ~ The specific terms Of single con-
- --,,,zb the monetary loss 10 the tax
rzve-s on account Of the blunders amounts -
80 ss much as the fun money consideration
--4-t.oned II the contract itself
OTHER GROUNDS FOR INQUIRY
- -Hara Is another aspect which also re-
--z =-z-ee-fEatfon ! careful examination o.
- terms Of the contract for the erection OF
- z-,rers.rucrure and Of the payments MADE
hv -be city 70 the contractors for Worh cone
v-=a- ne terms Of the contract Ina0e pS Inc
7,-,-u-e shows what appears 10 be me pay
- .-- re CITY 10 the contractors Of SLID
o. - II excess d the prize named n L
--z-- - made by Commissioner LlndentaaI'
- s7.So obo stiu due. making the total eN-
-asz aver contract price due the contractors
& 81 u61 - OF this excess S56o"p appears
:. have been authorized by a supplemental
contract made BY Commissioner Best leaF1ils
Ssss5 o5l - already paid 70 The contractors ap-
-s-ar-lv n addition 70 any contract authorlza-
-+-- with a balance still unpaid OF Slto'"t-
---zsa excess payments appear 70 have been
made rv the Controller against the ADVICE Oh
--e engineers Of his own department who were
--s-rAz z-i-- rhe examination of the work, and
s--z.-- on ne opinion Of the Corporation CoLn-
sal This legal opinion given by the city law
officer j, i understood, is a sufficient warrant
sa- he Controller IN making the payments, but
!, is zou 5rfuI Il the opinion would stand -eL'Te
court Of -aV. for II appears 70 oe I'D direct
-r---ave-tton Of tle specific terms of The con-
--sct.
There : also serious doubt as 10 whether
Z. rrzcticaIy frzl payments made TO the con-
--z--r-z do not carry with them g release of
he -5ap5 Of S2eraeg0 for faithful perform
are # ne contract in which case the city
has n IL possession the sum Of Sl4e8o Of
money claimed % be due the contractors,
----z. 7 Is al IN excess Of the price men
toned II tre contract. our Of which TO make
good the mistakes made IN the erection o.
ne e1ue-srrucru1e f il Is decided by the courts
that the responsibility -or the mistakes rests
z-r- cfe contractors.
z ms view - correct The taxpayers are in
-re position OF having paid ss65,o6l 8 without
authority from the Board of Aldermen IN excess
C re contract price and subsequent authorize
--8-. with balance Of S1zsoo0 stiu due for the
s-p=rstr1cJur= Of bridge which VIII carry only
r=--s- he -oaz Il was contracted 70 carry, be-
rzs.z= r~ mistakes made in the carrying oUt OF
ne work and through which more than So
COO 900 has been thrown away
FIRST BID REJECTED.
The records snow that Bridge Commission
er Lz-der-Hal first called for bids for the erec-
-scr = -r4 z-e=I supersrrElCtu-e pf The Black
p-e-'s Island B-l6ge early in 1903 The Pennsy--
vania steel Company was the only bidder and /
crered t. erect the completed superstructure
Tor S5.Z555l4 Al me time this bid was received (
there VAS evidently some ralk Of coLusion among
The steel firms. for ez-Cou0u7-ssioner LindeHthal
was quoted IN The newspapers at the time as
saying
shall reject this bio and VIII advertise again /
I s-a4l continue To advertise ard reject until I /
srL SATISFIED that there j. Uo eulll-inu the /
matter. anyhow. The bid OF the Feunsyl 'al-a /
people IS decidedly excessive
New BIDS were called for. and TWO bids were |
received THIS time one from the firm o. AIlIuheU
Brothers of Staten Island. and the other from the
Pennsylvania steel Company. The bid of The .
Pennsylvania steel Company was The lowest /
beng I15zss5, or SlZ2.52s less -han IT.. re-
tecrel hid on NoyeusE=r - 1853 a contract /
was entered into with The Pennsylvania steel
Company.
--rder the terms or the contract the super
structure was to be erected and completed hg
-1e contractors ~ so much pound # material
supplied. The prices stated ll the contract f.r
re different classes of material 90 be- used were
= Co-eT al costs of fabrication, erection and
a. other charges Incidental 20 the final compile
Tor of TIE WORK The weight of the completed
s1rerefrusfure computed from rn= plans and