New-York tribune., 1908-12-18
ASKS BOARD TO ACT
city CLUB DISSATISFIED.
Wants More Thorough Examination
or. Manhattan Bridge Plans.

The C,i-,, C',,t Is not satisfied with the announce
-,ent that the Bridge Commissioner has appointed
e. expert engineer go over the stress sheets oI
The Manhattan Bridge. That appointment was
made after the request Of the City Club 10 Mayor
Mcclellan ss president OF the Board OF Estimate
-har the board institute investigation Inc ciuo
now persists IN its original request mat lne N
,,s-v he made under the auspices Of the Board OF
Estimate I; also goes further than II did In lls
original request. and asks that the inNesue ioi'
cover not orv the general plans and stress shees'
h,,- also The work already done on the founaahohs'
riers and anchorages.
The rlub has reason believe, says letter
received hv the Mayor yesterday and signed oS
Homer Folks chairman Of the transit committee
OF rre club and by Henry c. Wright the bureau d
director That the reasons for the examination "l
-rfs bridge are in themselves imperative. ana 'hal
assurances OF the correctness of both plans ana
s,,,~-,,ra should he had before more steel Is put
i place -.
NJ Folks saws he does not wish 10 question the
selection q an engineer 10 make tle lhNeS'is0li
bv the Bridge Commissioner. nor TO assert uaI ule
fs-.ar would not proceed fairly. hut the cluo pc
lie1es that n view Of the attitude OF denial an"
Se~fsjor taken h The Commissioner Wheh 'He
charges in regard 70 the Queenshoro Bridge ~ "eIs
brought out by TIE Tribune. The lnNeS'ssl'l,"
- The Manhattan Bridge should proceed wholly
mon the inside 50 the Mayor is asked 10 nave
,he Board Of Estimate originate separate exam
,natfon
-.cs-x- If the Bridge Department SAID George
NoAnenv. president OF the city Clan, last nlsn'-
The question cf capacity IL the point anu "Gl'
r-,cb : question was asked with such results II l
to,,earxhoro Bridge. feel that no rsk should os
- a. -re Manhattan Bridge ! should like 70
s5s thai We recognize that there has been q olS-
r7osftion on the part OF the authorities % leet IN
demands Of the club VIII fairness so far ana We
Nc no reason 70 expect that this vii not be me
case in the future
:, .f,e letter Nj Folks quotes statements mace
-, Bridge Commissioner Stevenson a. the time NE
Tribune revealed the true state o. ailalls rs -
,,e-,,o, with The Queenstoro Bridge We Know
We are right in our construction OF the BaCh"el :
1900 F7-55qa We know thu bridge Is safe salu
-be Commissioner rIaI time. Referring 10 'l
finding of the experts. who were aplolnleu ioI
r. se--er saws oc these statements They sho"
+-rer that the Commissioner spoke without a KNOW
edEe Of the facts. 80 tha' hls force was sills
inefficient and unreliable.
The entire ferte- follows
The cv Club is in receipJ Of your letter oF 5 De-
= Hsfjr5ste and Apportionment 70 the club re-
quest that the 7 RoI4 s1 me- pans and stress sheets
Of the Manhattan Bridge You saH uI1r E5osr5 Of
Fs1irls5e ana Apportcr4aent that in order 10 7+ an
lay unrest he intends 70 rt,@ih t IN design and
~ method Il construction of the bridge am ;e
competed j. ". .1a-.io- m, The Commissioner OF
T2-idzes n Ralph Nodjeski, ot 1hieaso d Oh -
NJ -5ofe vour further statement that the board
= nor willing to assume that either me TtSil f
Bridge Cor2aissloneT or '9f racf he Instruction
81 the Manhattan Bridge. o. that leL nave on
fsnhe5 81 5s Ne do not suggest thai. in the sbsenge
Of specific IntoTIla ; non N4 % ~, 55rlissioner or
- ~ t-iief Engineer. v.7o since the date n your
.@rsl rs ., ne opinion that in view Of the grave
Doubt existing 10 The saieIl o. ~ .ie oT-i5a17le
i.S rc1sti5n 70 the Mammalian Bridge that will he
ire e'e1 IRON ne l7,o- Eeliese tlst the de
either direction o[,lrIo, 7 IS II r5iIs1 he in
the results of IN examination s is tle 'eS
W te-el, further submit that. 10y reason Of the
,-s- f-ie-a-z of t7e departments Terations, the
findings of ar investigation proceeding from rn oI
-hroueh ]; cannot confidently be expected to a,lsE
'e-y faulty strrlotllrss nlL MAJ ~ zi,e @
isa1@i hat has proved 10 he seriously ialsle4olIS
w. Is-i5ge i SIN under discussion. ON May IS
lssiurer Stevenson VAS quoted IL the press as
Is d, true tha, after the fsI q The Quehec
- Crosses Tof F5lackveIIs Island Bridge? A
Yes they did make an investigation oul 1 no VI
gsJion was given to The chief engineer End mysef
TerhalIv and that result was that the actual
stresses did not exceed 'Ae calcl-alee stresses ''
more than = per cent . ;t,.
ir our construction Of the Back"els Island
Bridge We kn?" jle eIluse7 s7 = - , - 2o,+oro
after the Quebec Bridge disaster and found tha1
FlsckvelI's Island structure
TFe findings Of the experts appointed i1 this case
vgelI known They show either that The comn1ls-
mat his force vas slngularly inefficient and un-
TIE Williamsburg Bridge offers another case in
-o3r7 This been in less than five
tracks. which have been put in use within The last
months. TnC1El this Is bridge and the
IS well known. il found
necessary 10 strengthen il beyond the original
4 * now stated. moreover. that the shore spans
VII require considerable reinforcement before they
safely carry a heavier load or properly resist
wind pressure
fl the case Of the other bridge that the City
Club asked Tor Q verihcsJlon Of the work done 70
date and plans Of the Manhattan Bridge The
club has reason 10 believe however, that the rea-
selves imperative. and tina assurance Of the cor
-ectuess - both plans and structure should he
f16 before more steel Is put in place Certainly
risk whatever should be taken Of the possible de-
of I'll the East River bridges The Importance Of
securing results free from suspicion Of pref
UdlCe cannot therefore, in our judgment. he over
estimated
we 30 rot assert thar The Commissioner u
bridges will not proceed fairly IN the matter Nor
60 question his selection Of q enEinee'. BlIt
SC- 1h@ reasons stated and = matter OF larger
fairness We believe that the investigation should
We would ask. TeSVr rTfllE. rha- the Boar
r. Estimate the body actually concerned il, III
f1Endness Of the work and in the ppsSiDiiiJ-- OF
losses city. initiate separate eEagniT-T ion
and THAT engineer expert work under lis drec-
7t~r. r. employed for such purpose also.
that The inquiry He sweeping one covering not
merely general plans and stress sheets -ut the
work already done fGIndsr srion- piers and an
ChocsSes II special funds required % meet The
expense 90 such examination We cannot belle. 2
that Tie Board Of Aldermen. iu matter i'm
Iorfarce that Ills has assumed. would fail 10 con
or in providing such funds