New-York tribune., 1908-11-02
FINE BRIDGE IF UNUSED
NEW "EKPERT0S" SOLUTION
Good Enough Morgan" to Open
Then Keep off Cars and Reba'ld.

r-r.-,5 or oueenshoro Bridge is still delayed
Commissioner Stevenson made special e1lorl
on Saturday TO have this report and that OF
Professor William II. Burr given out hoedr
z SchiT the Commissioners secretary WIN
other members Of the staff remained in The
Bridge Department after closing hour, at noon'
on Saturday until o'clock, waiting for PRO
fcssor Burr TO turn in the final sheets of his re-
,,o-+ II was only after the receipt Of tele-
r,,one message from him at the close or the
afternoon that the announcement was made that
II would be impossible TO make the reports pun
liz until TODAY because Professor Burr had
stated that he would be unable TO hnlsh 'he
final pages of his report before that time
Meantime the work of laying the concrete and
wood block paving upon the bridge and Its ap-
rroaches has been stopped Large gangs Of men
.n7nIoved il is understood. by the Maryland
eteel COMPANY which has the contract for lay
,ns both the concrete and wood block paving
have been laid off since the actual CONDITION OF
the bridge became known to the ofhclals OF 'he
Bridge Department though the work upon
which they were engaged has only been COM
Melted upon one-half of the Manhattan ap-
proaches 10 the bridge. No paving at all has
been laid upon the cantilever spans over the
river. except upon Two passenger walks lald
upon the upper floor.
small gang Of men were employed sat
:,r6av puttfng ornamental work upon the top
of the towers, few more were engaged put
ting up hand ratings and third force was
al work laying trolley rails upon the ap-
proaches on the Queens side Of the river. Inc
paving work has been stopped. it IS under
stood by order of the Bridge Commissioner,
pending decision as to whether or not the con
crete flooring already contracted for and partly
laid cannot be replaced with something hghter'
20 reduce the dead load of the structure.
It was reported in the Bridge Department on
Saturday though not officially. that Professor
Burr expected to De able to report a sufficient
saving Of dead weight by changes Of this sort
10 make II possible retain with safety at least
two of the four elevated railway tracks planned
for the bridge II not indicated by what
means this saving in dead weight was TO be ac-
s,or7plished nor what II would cost to make the
saving
Another expert has looned up who finds none
Of the difficult problems encountered by Pro-
<essor Burr and whose report definitely settles
efter short investigation every question upon
which it has taken the other experts five long
months 10 report This new expert has been
employed by the Queensborough Bridge Cele-
bration Committee He reported on Friday. and
q summary Of his findings upon the important
question Of the safety of the bridge is contained
in a short memorandum sent out by the public
fty department OF the Bridge Celebration Com
in delightfully."- untechncaI language, but they are
at least positive and are intended to be con-
vincing In five terse sentences the whole ques-
tton or the safety Of the structure is disposed
of by this unnamed expert They are fol-
lows:
First-The bridge is not dangerously over
loaded
second-The compression members and the
tension members will suffice to carry the strain
that viii he put upon them
Third-The four elevated tracks will not have
TO he done away with q, factor of safety
Fourth-The traffic carrying capacity of the
bridge will not have TO be reduced
Fifth-The upper deck. or floor. upon which II
MS proposed 10 construct the elevated tracks viii
Jfnot have 10 be removed
Stin. with this definite and convincing report
ready at hand Professor Burr is said to be try
ing n save beggarly two Of the four elevated
tracks planned for the bridge without resortng
to the expensive necessity Of reconstruction
But this expert" from Queens continues with
significant qualifying statements that may have
eHanated from other than expert engineering
sources. He says:
The cantiiever bridge across the East River
las some minor defects. They are defects which
10 not impair the structural strength. In al
any great structure of this character there
may be found minor weaknesses which
easily be remedied In discussion of this
matter there needs be much technlc and scien-
tifc data that is not readily understood by the
1syman.
In going over this matter have learned that
no elevated trains VIII be used for at least
year. and that for some time only one line Of
trolley viii be made use Of If this is so, there
need be no fear or apprehension of the carry
ing capacity of the bridge There need be no
reduction in the dead weight Of the bridge bv
the elimination of any part Of the structure for
st least year In my opinion. the bridge could
he operated from the start with four trolley
tracks and two elevated roads. I have been
given TO understand that there will be no ele
waited roads for at least year and that
only two lines Of trolley viii be in use BY the
time II is necessary 10 Increase the traffic car
rving capacity of the bridge whatever defects
there are can be remedied in the mean time
There is always some criticism" this eng1-
reering expert goes on to remark, "and al
ways will be when some great Improvement is
opened to the public Great fears
entertained concerning the safety and carrying
capacity of the Brooklyn Bridge. II 1 remember
right the newspapers were filled with fore
bodings of what might happen every time the
live load on the bridge was increased. At that
time there were no trolley cars on the Brooklyn
Bridge and the shuttle trains run at much
less headway. Just think how much greater the
load is the Brooklyn Bridge than what was
first contemplated! The experts in those days IL
they foresaw the addition 10 the dead weight by
structural coutrivances and cables and trolley
lines, would have held up their hands in horror
The Brooklyn Bridge is doing four times the
work that the original specification called for
The same true Of the Williamsburg Bridge
The delay in putting the elevated tracks TO
usage on the Williamsburg Bridge gave ample
time and opportunity for the remedying Of all
the defects discovered after the bridge was
thrown open the public
Though il is a strange report for an engineer
ing expert to make, it is quite probable that
these same specious arguments VIII be heard
again before the present controversy is over II
obvious TO any that if the traffic facilities