New-York tribune., 1909-01-02
BIG WEIGHT ON BRIDGE
STRINGERS STILL STAND.
No Attfmpt Yet to Tighten Queens
bOrO By Their RemOraI.

No efforts have yet been made by the Bridge
Department TO remove the heavy stringers on
the greensboro Bridge on which it was planned
10 elevated tracks. The outer set Of string
ers has been utilized supports for side
walk a task for which stringers Of much less
weight would be amply sufficient. The changes
in the structure by which the Bridge Depart
ment is Tightening the bridge in the attempt to
get 1t bear the traffic he imposed upon IL
chiefly in the roadway on the lower floor, by
decreasing the depth Of the concrete pavement
and laying lighter trolley rails. These changes.
with the omission OF some ornamental work.
the brackets which planned TO carry the
footpaths outside OF the outer elevated tracks,
ETC. are expected TO reduce the dead load Of
the bridge. according to the engineers OF the
Bridge Department. about twenty five hundred
pounds for each linear foot of bridge. This re-
duction also includes the weights Of the ele
waited tracks which were 70 have been laid. A
reduction Of this much weight from the total
dead load would make il safe 70 use the lower
floor for vehicular traffic and for four lines OF
trolley cars. according TO the Boiler & Hodge
report That report also insisted on the re-
movaI OF the elevated stringsrs
The removal Of the strineers for the elevated
tracks would reduce the dead load Of the bridge
some seven hundred pounds more for each linear
2
safety But II is not the removal Of this dead
weight. engineers say. which is most important
The great danger in the retention Of these inner
stringers ia the constant temptation they will
be To future administrations in the Bridge De-
partn1ent when the growth of Queens demands
better transit facilities 70 use them for elevated
trains Engineers have declared that the
Greensboro Bridge even with the dead weight
which is II be removed is unequal 10 the task
Of supporting any elevated trains The ap-
proaches to the bridge marred. too. by the
posts and strngers for the elevated tracks
which were planned, and never should be used
tracks planned when il supposed that the
cantiIever span would be equal to the task i'm
posed upon IT by the specifications. Unsainly
in appearance they are wholly unnecessary, and
only cucumber the roadway below
Il was the recommendation of Boiler & Hodge
In their report that all elevated railway ira fhc
on the upper floor be abandoned on all four Of
the elevated tracks: that concrete foot walks he
allowed TO remain laid over the two outer
sets OF elevated railway tracks and that the
stringers Of the two inside sets Of elevated
tracks he removed This would reduce the dead
load Of the bridge by seven hundred pounds
linear foot or 2sos 500 pounds in all. The re-
duCtiun recon. nended in their report of the
weight Of the concrete pavement for the lower
hoor and for lighter trolley rails means tighten
ing Of the dead load Of $500 pounds linear
foot OF bridge or 4sl1. 200 pounds In all. This
would make the total reduction in dead weight
amount TO 744s 600 pounds, or 1000 pounds for
each linear foot Of bridge
Their plans for the roadway on the lower floor
called for what is known double crown
roadway About two hundred feet Of this roadway
was laid with concrete on the Manhattan anchor
! arms by the contractors, the Maryland Steel
/ Company before the work was ordered stopped
/ This has been stopped. and instead OF the road
way being laid double crown-that is, with
3 slight crown in the roadway between the two
! sets OF trolley tracks and independent crown
between the tracks-it now rises in single
T crown between curb and curb Cutting down
the side crowns and making the roadway a single
. crown from side to side Of the bridge curtailed
Iavfng three inches Of asphalt the sides OF the
. roadway. a saving in channel spans of $4,000
cubic feet Of concrete. costing $4,000 But this
has made necessary the tearing up OF the
) Inch trolley rails and replacing them with
4-inch trolley rails and pulling out the copper
! bonding which had been rveted in place These
changes with leaving off the side brackets FOR
foot passenger walks called for in the speCfca-
tions Of the Bridge Department. its engineers
say give a reduction Of $500 pounds linear
foot OF bridge when only 1000 pounds a linear
foot Of bridge was recommended by Boiler &
Hodge.
According 10 the engineers Of the Bridge De-
partment the dead weight is being reduced as
! recommended by Boiler & Hodge. but the Ieav-
ing Of the inside pair of elevated railway string
ers on the upper deck is regarded as menace
because there will be constant temptation to
use them in the future.
At present there is a heavy steel elevated
structure extending from the bridge approaches
in Manhattan to Second avenue. and on the
. oueens side to Vernon avenue. intended TO
carry elevated trains upon the level OF the upper
floor As no elevated trains can be used on the
upp4r deck Of the bridge these steel approaches
arc useless. and can only darken the approaches
without being OF any use
The removal of these elevated stringers would
II let 10 a contractor getting lump sum Tor the
fob take about six weeks. II IS reported that
tne Bridge Department. when it takes them
down If u does al all. plans 70 do it with the
DEPARTMENT gang which is now at work on the
Williamsburg Bridge. With Bridge Depart
mont gang to do the work engineers say that "
will take six months for the job. instead OF SIX
,.aa,.s II this work be undertaken after ths
j bridge is opened for traffic II VIII not Only oe
5if1cult. but dangerous. to any one using the
bridge The rivets used in the stringers are
under a high tension. When their heads are
" ebear.d off under such conditions they fly clear
like rife shot
The bridge is also being rghtened in way
not contemplated by the engineers VINO eN-
ar,ined il or bv the Bridge Department. IL mas
: basn discovered that the hraCing at me man
..,-orz. docs not allow sufficient clearance way
! for trolley cars and these are being cut out ~
men from the Bridge Department. who nave
heen working off and al the job for several
weeks.
Anotber mistake of this sort. which does not
! tighten the bridge at all. but shows s'n'lar
mistake which apparently could not nave heen
made if little sense and FOOT rue ha'i 'i