New-York tribune., 1909-01-06
THE MAYOR AND THE BRIDGE EXPERTS.

.f..,. tho coIIanse Of the Cuebec bridge. also
a cantilever bridge, questions were raised IN me
engineering profession s to whether cafLIeNer
bridges were being built with p proper margin
of safety The subject was freely discussed IN
the public prints and the Bridge commissioner;
1,i+lI nv approya1 retained William II. Burr and
Boiler & Hodge TO make reports upon all ieat-
ures pertaining to the greensboro Bridge. Inc
reports have been made pubic, AND As \ re
SILT OF THEM il is deemed eXpedient 20 use
but two of the tracks on the upper deck-Lhe
Mayors message
1t is evident from this paragraph, quoted
from Mayor McClellan's message to the Board
of Aldermen, made public Monday that 1t IS
the intention Of the city administration later to
make use Of two Of the four elevated railway
tracks planned for the upper deck of the Queens
boro Bridge and the ingenious manner in which
the paragraph is worded f calculated to create
the impression that the engineering experts who
examined the bridge pronounced the use OF
these two tracks safe
If this is the impression that Mayor Me
CleIlan intends to create, his conclusion IS
strangely at variance with the facts rs stated
in the reports. Every one who has even casu-
ally read the report of MIessrs. Boiler X Hodge
knows that not only did they recommend the
abolition of all four elevated railway tracks on
the upper deck of the bridge, but that they
prepared strain sheet demonstrating that
with the removal of some seven million pounds
of dead weight and the doing away with all
elevated railway traffic, the bridge could be
made safe for the remainder Of the traffic
planned for the structure.
In his report Professor Burr did say that two
of the four elevated railway tracks could be re-
talned but he gave no evidence of the accuracy
Of his figures and submitted strain sheet to
prove his statement. Besides, the officials Of
the Bridge Department are not removing the
amount Of dead weight which Professor Burr
said in his report would have to be removed if
two Of the elevated tracks were to be used. But
more than that the elevated railway service
| contemplated in Professor Rurr's report for
these two tracks should provide for a distance
between trains of one thousand feet. It might
be possible under police supervision, SO TO space
trolley traffic, but not even on the old over
! loaded Brooklyn Bridge has it ever been seri-
ously attempted SO to space elevated railway
| traffic
| The Tribune has from the first maintained
! that the recommendation contained in the re-
| port Of Messrs. Boiler & Hodge for the removal
| of these elevated railway stringers should be
/ acted upon by the Bridge Department in COM
| peting the bridge, on the ground that their re-
| tentiOn would always be temptation to future
| administrations to make use Of them, and thus
| overload the bridge or dangerously reduce the
margin of safety deemed prudent by competent
| Investigators after Il thorough examination ~
! the structure. Mayor McClellan's statement in
| his message that It is the intention later TO
| make use of these two tracks in spite Of the
| recommendations contained in the report Of the
| engineering experts appointed by the Board Of
| Estimate to make scientific Investigation, Will
not be reassurng to the public.