New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-07
STEVENSON SILENT
Continued from first page


.o,,s onxietv to contradict and to charac-
;ar,ze as utterly absurd the statement puDnsheu
=, ,rho r--,hune Ave months ago that thete was
crave apprehension among orlose 49,
that the structure was being Gang - - $500
loaded Upon the same DAY 'hd' I e.a,,ep
published this statement C0i'ii'i'S''
son said: .aos y lemon this
me Tha entire story is absurd cru hoinz
sstonisbed that it was pr1n1eo tt side Of the
referred to this department i'
case ut-ad -
.t,a the commissioner was asked IL
>. - tr,e that after the fall OF the @u7O'
,.n,ae-o his engineers were instructed ~ %
the stresses, and he replied:
We thew did make an investigation; out M, no
written report was prepared Inc ,iS aroineer
investigation was given 70 Ine es,,I+ was that
"a ,oyself verbally, and that result i-,,ra+sd
eIo ont,,aI stresses did not exceed tne ca bt
traeses bv more than p per cent ,ad ITas
of the superstructure as origlhanS, pSHaigbt will
"a GOO 600 pounds. and the actual Us, in
pr I6S ono 600 pounds. There VIII De a. 81
crease of about % per cent IN tHe mas been
s+eeI used but that increase IN Welsht nc. "a
roIlided for by an increase in the carryI"9 -
pacity Of the main compression menlDeiS
coNTRApIcTs COMMISSIONER
>-o,, Professor Burr Commissioner steven
co.'s own expert is compelled to ADMIT III an
official report that practically every
made bv the commissioner rev hoh'H9 as
,,os entirely inaccurate Instead of the actudi
stresses of the erected bridge being onS IA pc
cent higher than the stresses called lot III 'i
contract specifications Professor Burr admits
that thew run all the way from Is to 81 per cent
higher
Instead Of the increased weight OF the orldse
being nrovided for by an increased capacity
of its carrying members. as stated nFe
months ago by the commissioner, the reports OF
both experts plainly show that this statement
was absolutely incorrect. In effort to bolster
I'D the great mistake made by the Bridge De-
partment in the design of the bridge. Professor
Burr now outlines a plan for retaining two Of
the four elevated tracks planned for the struct-
ure which Messrs. Boiler & Hodge state should
be abandoned to secure a fair margin OF safety.
How this plan is to be carried out no one can
gather from the official report Of Professor Burr.
and Commissioner Stevenson declines absolutely
to offer any explanation or to state how long IL
would take to make the changes. or how much
they would cost.
COMMENTS OF MR.. CRIMMINs.
The publicity department of the greensboro
Bridge celebration committee issued yesterday
a statement containing what purported to be an
interview with John D. Crimmins. a we'll known
contractor and real estate owner in the Borough
OF Queens. upon the safety of the greensboro
Bridge. Mr.. Crimmins is credited with saying
assured him the greensboro Bridge safe
Commenting on the reports of the engineering
experts appointed to investigate the safety OF
the structure Mr.. Crimmins is credited with
saying:
You know that two engineering experts
agree any more than two experts in any other
walk of life This is an engineering problem II
has been gone over again and again by the De-
partment of Bridges. Usually in matters of this
kind there are motives that obvious Bridge
business health.
Messrs Boiler E Hodge bridge builders.
Now. will be perfectly satisfied with the re-
in the bridge building business. and what he
says wifi have back OF il only the motive of
truth and sincerity. Mind you. 1 DO not i'm
pugn any ones motives, but it is easy to
detect flaws when these flaws though trihing,
would lead to further expenditure.
Alfred p. Boiler of the firm of Boiler Sc
Hodge, was shown this statement yesterday by
a Tribune reporter. and asked If he wished to
make any statement regarding the obvious re-
Election therein contained. After carefully read
ing the statement. Mr.. Boiler said:
ON CRIMMINS's CHARGE
1T seems to me impossible that any could
even suspect either Mr.. Hodge myself OF
being actuated by any other motive than sin
cere desire TO give the public the plain truth
upon so intensely important a public question.
We simply stated in report what indisput-
able and undisputed facts disclosed From the
very beginning of the investigation into the
safety of the BlackweIs Island Bridge it was
our earnest desire TO uphold rather than dis
credit that great public work. which has cost
the taxpayers much money
With regard to the statement attributed to
Mr. Crimmns. that he had consulted several ex-
perts and that they all informed him that the
bridge was safe, only say that no engineer
ing expert worthy of the name would pronounce
Judgment upon structure of that character
after having merely looked it over. In order TO
reach any just verdict upon the question OF
the safety lack of safety Of such bridge even
the ablest experts would be compelled to spend
weeks in wearisome labor, to make close
analysis of the figures and give the utmost con-
sideration to all the points in connection with
the problem.
mo bridge engineer Of any standing what
ever would venture offhand opinion TO the
safe carrying capacity of structure like the
BlackwelIs Island Bridge by a casual exam
ination. no matter how imposing it might ap-
pear or how impressive its component parts
might be 1 am astonished that man of Mr..
Crimmins's wide experience should pronounce
an offhand. positive opinion without knowing
anything whatever about the nature OF the prob
lem
NO one can regret more than we do the out
come of this investigation. and we have strained
TO the limit our judgment in prOnouncing the
limit of safety for the bridge, in full reaIiza-
ton of the great seriousness of having to make
any adverse criticism of a structure OF such
vast cost and such great importance to the peo-
pie of greater New York
SULLIVAN MEN WILL SUFFER.
Metz to Get Revenge on Little Tim by
| Susnending Three Hundred