New-York tribune., 1908-05-23
xiRuKl
WHAT DO THEY FEARf

Inst what are the city officials afraid of that
they run as If from charge Of dynamite from
The Tribune's suggestion that an Independent
and impartial commission Of engineers COM
manding the confidence OF the public and their
profession should make a study and test Of the
Blackwell's Island Bridge?
WHY this eyasiOn2 Why these assurances OF
the Bridge Commissioner that he knows the
bridge is safe while he resolutely refrains from
meeting squarely in detail the questions which
engineers through The Tribune have asked?
Can 1t be that there Is something In the point
raised by "The Scientific American, a most
trustworthy technical journal, that the plans
have been altered to the benefit Of the contrac-
tors the change making the work of manu-
facture and handling simpler for the bridge
company but being "the worst possible change
that could have been made for the safety OF
'the bridge? Do the city officials fear that
an impartial investigation will show that
they have been made tools OF by contractors to
the sacrifice of the public interest? Are they
afraid that impartial investigators Will find, as
The Scientific American" says, that 'the CON
''struction is not even good as that adopted
in the Quebec bridge" which fell down under
a strain much less than the Bridge Commits
soner admits that the Blackwell's Island Bridge
will have TO carry? Are they afraid that the
strain sheet, apparently made by the bridge
| fabricated, and adopted by the Bridge Depart
ment as Its own If filled out by competent en-
gineers with the figures of resultant stress
now so strangely omitted from the sheet as If
In fear to put the figures paper, would show
stresses on the lower chord which every bridge
engineer would understand TO mean danger!
If the Bridge Commissioner Is so sure OF his
figures why does he conceal them: Why does he
take refuge behind Mr. Seaman, former engi-
neer of his department, who repudiates the
character assigned to him sponsor for the
safety Of the bridge?
We note that the Bridge Commissioner has
assured some land boomers In Queens, who are
nervous lest any question about the safety Of
the bridge should Interfere with their business
that the structure Is perfectly safe and that en-
gineers fully competent TO Judge such matters
have tested 1t and find it capable of sustaining
four times the weight it will have to carry.
But we also notice that he will not publish
figures which will enable an outside engineer
to satisfy himself Of that fact. He VIII not pre-
pare model of the critical compression mem-
Der to be submitted TO practical test such as
proved after the fact the weakness Of the Que
bee bridge. He talks about tests; he has made
no test Of the compression members. and so far,
apparently he has not dared to make public
mathematical calculations Of their strength and
Of the stress to be put upon them.
The Tribune has not taken up this matter to
make sensation neither has "The Scientific
American" which has followed The Tribune's
footsteps q reputation an alarInist. We
merely desire light and truth. The people OF
this city have a right to something besides
jokes from the Mayor and eyasions from the
Bridge Commissioner on this subject White
wash is not good cure for the defects of
bridge on which the lives of thousands depend.