New-York tribune., 1909-12-31

II Burr. of Columbia University, also
was requested to make a second exam
ination.
The reports OF the engineering experts
were made in october. 1905, and both ad-
mitted that the superstructure as erected
failed to come up to specified strains.
The report OF Mr.. Hodge stated that the
only way in which the bridge could be
made safe for public use without recon-
struction was by change in the plans
for completion, the removal of 100000
pounds of useless steel and concrete, and
then only by the complete abandonment
OF all four elevated railway tracks which
the structure was built to carry, as well
as the spacing of all trolley traffic.
Professor Burr came to the same con-
clusion, but stated that two of the four
elevated railway tracks might be re-
tained with safety provided there was
further increase in the amount Of
steel and concrete to be removed. and
provided there was a greater spacing
of the car traffic than was recommended
by Mr.. Hodge
CREATES SENSATION.
The reports OF the engineering experts
more than corroborated every charge
made by The Tribune, and created
profound sensation in the engineering
world. The City Bridge Department
came in for the severest kind of criticism
from technical Journals in every part of
the world. and the immediate result was
the retirement of the Chief Engineer of
the Bridge Department
After the publication of the reports
Of the experts The Tribune discovered
that the Hodge report contained a state
n1ent that strain sheet had been pre-
pared showing in how far the strains in
the bridge as erected exceeded the
strains permitted under the contract
specifications. The Bridge Department
finally made public this suppressed in
formation and IL was discovered that the
stresses in some of the members would
have excaeded by % per cent the elastic
limit Of the steel used in their con-
struction.
The only deduction from this inforrna-
tion is that had The Tribune not inter-
Nened and prevented the completion of
the bridge as planned there might have
been a catastrophe.
After having successfully exposed the
enormity of the engineering blunder
MADE in the erection of this S24 600. 600
bridge. The Tribune pointed out that. in
ssmuch as the superstructure was capa-
ble OF carrying only 80 per cent of the
traffic it was contracted to carry, there
had been a waste of material not only
in the superstructure, but in the mile
~.
sides of the East River.
Thus by the fatal error made in the
erection of the superstructure the tax
payers were being compelled to pay for
a forest of steel in both the super
structure and the approaches that could
never be used, inasmuch as the weakest
link in the entire structure decided the
traffic load which the bridge could carry
with safety.
An approximate estimate of the loss TO
the taxpayers due to the error made in
the erection of the superstructure showed
that they were paying between ST.
100000 and $4,000, 600 upon the bridge
and its approaches for which no kind of
benefit could be secured.
METZ INTERVIEWS.
AS a result of the facts brought TO
light by The Tribune Controller Metz
refused TO make a final payment 10 the
Pennsylvania Steel Company upon its
contract for the erection of the super
structure, although certificates author
izing the payment were duly forwarded
TO him by the Bridge Commissioner and
were backed by an opinion from the
Corporation Counsel that the contractor
was in no way responsible for the mis-
takes made in the erection of the super
structure
After holding off this final payment
for year the Controller announced his
intention of receding from his position
because of the stand taken by the city's
legal adviser.
Last month The Tribune, through the
courtesy of Controller Metz, published
all the correspondence between the Con-
troller and the Corporation Counsel upon
the merits OF the dispute. with the result
that a temporary injunction was secured
in A taxpayers action taken by one Of
the members Of the Allied Real Estate
Interests restraining the city from MAX
ing fnal payment 10 the steel company.
This temporary injunction was made
permanent yesterday by Justice Dowling.
The city is now estopped from making
any further payments on account of this
contract until the taxpayers action is
tried in court
In the application for the TEMPORARY
injunction and in the argument for IFS
continuation the Corporation Counsers
office appeared in court with counsel for
the steel company in opposition TO the
granting of any injunction. Iouis =
Levy, Of the firm OF Eisman, Levy Corn
4 Levine. acted as counsel for tba noti
uoher IN the application for the +er,,o-
rary injunction and in the argument CO..
its continuation
Allan Robinson, president OF the Allied
Reai Estate Interests. snealino, =, :
tribune reporter last evening said.
Inc Tribune deserves the tbspl,. 80
every taxpayer in the CITY for tho oil.
ana persistent manner in which il fol
lowed up this matter. But for ire sn1en-
did services this would have been an
other Of the serious mistakes mad. ~.
the city administration that world no,,ar
have been brought to light Ap,,.L;,,,,