New-York tribune., 1908-12-11
BRIDGE PAYMENTS
Confined from nrss psge.

Weighing 81 10000 pounds vas s., ,13296a This
vas for 4 superstructure capable Of carrying
| one roadway. two passenger walks. four rrolley
tracks and two elevated railway tracks me
specifed assumed live loads were 6ouo pounos
= linear foot Of bridge for regular load ana
1900 pounds a linear foot Of bridge for con
gested' load.
BRIDGE PLANS REVISED.
Shortly after the contract for the erection OF
the superstructure was awarded Mr.. LihoeilI-lai
resigned and was succeeded as Commissioner oy
George F Best and as chief engineer by o
F Nichols Then followed a more or less com
-lete revision Of the plans for the entire bridge
including provisions for the addition Of two
elevated railway tracks involving an increase
IN the regular live Load allowance from oooo
mounds : linear foot Of bridge to 5000 POUNDS
linear foot Of bridge and an Increase Of the
''congested'' live load allowance from 1%'oop
mounds 2 linear foot Of bridge to 1900 pounds
linear foot Of bridge. Authority for making
these changes was obtained from the Board OF
Aldermen IN December 1904. about a year after
the contract for the erection of the super
structure was awarded
Under resolution Of that body the Cornrh1s-
sioner of Bridges was empowered TO enter INTO q
e,,nnlar,en+aI contract with the Pennsylvania
Steel Company for providing for an increase IN
the 18th q
the s71perstr,cture sufficient TO carry an adol-
tioraI pair Of elevated railway tracks upon the
eaoond or upper floor Of the said bridge; 70 pro
vide for the addition Of stringers etc. necessary
for this purpose: TO provide further area az tne
points Of contact between the steei super
structure and the masonry abut1nents and TO
carry out certain other minor changes n the
plans
The formal resolution states that the Com
missioner of Bridges. under and pursuant %
,ov,ars contained in the contract entered into
I,e-vraan the city and the Pennsylvania Steel
-or,,,s-,- FOR the erection Of the superstruct1re
o4 +ba said bridge has authorized and directed
+na contractor. in submitting his detailed draw
fngs TO embody therein adequate provision for
the changes and notifications described. the
estimated cost of making such changes as above
described to be S36o.ooo"
HINT FROM QUEBEC
The work upon the superstructure If the
bridge proceeded with more or less delay due TO
strikes among the employees Of the contractor
7-i+bou+ the slightest hint that there was any
thing wrong with the structure until the canti-
lever bridge at Quebec failed under a stress OF
600 pounds a square inch on the compression
members Of the bottom chord. which was only
,,rea-nuar+ers Of the load designed for that
structure
In the mean time the administration or the
Bridge Department had undergone another COM
pIete change. The present Commissioner James
" Stevenson. had succeeded Mr.. Best and the
present chief engineer, c NJ IngersolI' hd0 SUI
ceeded Mr. Nichols.
yz-ber The Tribune began its investigation
last MAY which led TO the inquiry into the
safety Of the superstructure by engineering ex-
merits the records showed that IN November OF
1907 certificates calling for the payment OF
s30413s s8 TO the Pennsylvania Steel Company IN
excess Of the amount called for In it's contract
Of So 30 ass in addition TO the amount called
for in the supplemental contract Of S36oooo,
we're presented to the Finance Department Tor
navn7ant The attention Of the Bridge Commits
storer was called to the fact by the Controllers
DEPARTMENT that if these payments were made
The amount authorized for the work would be
considerably exceeded.
NEED OF ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.
The Bridge commissioner. in a letter 70 the
Controller dated November Is 1907, replied that
in working out the details Of the plans for the
s1,perstrlcture Of the bridge in the shops It was
found necessary TO increase the weight Of ma
terfal 10 be used. This increase in the weight
of material he said. would add 20 the cost Of
the work bv $. .526 265 He asked that the paw
n7er+s then requested be made. and repressntede
that under the circumstances It was not neces-
sa-v 70 obtain additional authority for making
such ravments
The Controller instructed his engineering de
narrnent which vas charged with the duty Of
examining the work done on the bridge. 70 make
9 report 70 him in reference TO the request Of
the Bridge Commissioner This report explains
frself and IS as follows:
November %. 1907
Hon Herman A Metz. Controller
sir. Estimate No 2s in the sum Of s3o413s s8.
cer4faed bv the Department of Bridges IN favor
of tha PENNSYLVANIA Steel COMPANY for work On
re rI7C<welI'= Island Bridge. Is accompanied
I,r = communication from the Conl11issf oner in
aTrlsration Of the excess OF quantities ever the
oricirsl estimate OF ight, extended BY the
S36n mo supplementary agreement
F-,nressad IN thousand pound units. the orig
trslI, estimated weight of the six items listed
~ ,,-birb bids were invited WAS "a S01 s1d the
- ti4der's rrice was S5.122 ass This estimate
,ar-iaz material IN the shops n an aggregate
- t0a ~ 4Iuits as above. 0f a money value when
ra-r-d of IS rs S2S a., one NJ the items tstruCt-
,-.4 s,ast evebarsb being increased siTtAenfold
- ,.eizht over what was originally listed. and
~. ,tEsrs trcrea sing from IA TO ESQ per cent
S.,a-atino from this the authorized extension
,4 rortract OF s360,0o0 Ia oar sent excess over