New-York tribune., 1908-12-04
THE 4QuEDUCT BRIDGE.

The intina ton that the Catskll aqueuucI
NAV have Ia he carried across the HuuFoh
River on Il bridge. instead of through Il tunnel
j. nnt surprising to those who have attentively
followed the progress cf the work of the Com
mission of Water Supply. nor Is If to he regard
etl with unmitigated dismay. The commission
has raid special attention To that part of the
work a; the crux Of the whole enterprise lis
engineers have explored the bed of the river for
\ long distance with exceptional thoroughneSs.
We may therefore he SURE that the declslot
concerning the crossing Of the river VIII nave the
fullest weight of scientific knowledge ami acrual
research Some time ago reports concerning
soundngs for the proposed tunnel seemed 10 ne
decidedly unfavorahe. When there was tax
Of being compelled TO go more than thousand
feet below the bottom OF the river. people be
gan to consider abandonment OF lhes luhlei
scheme as probable
II is quite obvious that the crossing Of the
river is indeed the cruy of the whole enter
prise not only in difficulty. but also III I'M
nortance Nowhere else would break in the
adueduct he SO troublesome. and perhaps as
astrous Elsewhere ii break might cnuse a
sma II food until the gates were closed but II
would be comparatively easy of access for re
pairs 4 break in Il tunnel under the river
vould causa no damage from foods. but the
difficulty of access for repairs would be inn
meDse A break in bore a thousand feet
under the river might he almost as hard TO
mend rs the original construction Of the entire
work
The cost of bridge will he greater than that
Of tunnel perhaps. II is possible to reckon
the cost of ! bridge with accuracy. provided
that blunderers have nothing to do with it. but
the cost of 4 tunnel of such a depth and in
such place is speculative and problematic in
the extreme But if the bridge does cost more
than Il tunnel it will he worth more The
tunnel would he used exclusively for the aque-
duct while the bridge would be part of great
highway for general use. What an unrivaed
automobile route If would he. UP the old Al
bany Post Road to Storm King over the river
ON a splendid bridge and then into the Catskill
Mountains or down the west side OF the river
over the Palisades.
1t goes without saying that the hrldSe. II
bridge there is to be- should he of suitable de
sign A repetition of the Poughkeepse horror
would he a crime. In fact Poughkeepsie Que
bee and Blackwell's Island have in the minds
of many persons considerably discredited the
cantilever style of bridge. 1t is practically i'm
possible to make it handsome. and confidence in
its security is not so great as might he desired.
There is a widespread feeling that the suspen-
sion type is by far the best. But we should
hope that a suspension bridge at Storm King
would resemble our old Brooklyn Bridge in sim
picity and majesty, rather than the glorihed
oil derricks OF Williamsburg and Manhattan.
Such a bridge across the Hudson at that point
would be of vast utility. apart from its primary
service as an aqueduct. and instead Of marring
might actually enhance the attractiveness of
one Of the nobest landscapes in the world