New-York tribune., 1909-03-18
DOWN TO BED ROCK
CII BUILDING PI4NS
CHANGED
PL4NS
Commissioner Stevenson DrOns
Fight OUer Sand Foundation
Sub5ody Loop Delay.

Instead Of fighting in the courts and further
delaying the operation Of the BROOKLYN Bridge
subway loop at the Manhattan end Bridge
Commissioner James ". Stevenson decided YES
terday 70 carry the foundations of the new
municipal building down to bedrock instead of
adhering to the original plan Of placing them
on quicksand Under the old specifications
which called for foundation on fine sand with
a pressure Of eight tons 10 the square foot the
j. II. Gray company got the contract for $s97.-
600. S176.15o less than the bid OF the next com
petitor. J. G Rodgers. Ganney & Steers the
well known Tammany contractors bid Ss740Oo
The award giving the contract to the J. II GRAY
company never was signed. and, although su-
preme Court Justice Gerard upheld the Bridge
Commissioners contention that the consent of
the Superintendent Of Buildings to the plans of
the Bridge Department was not necessary the
award has been rescinded. The extension Of
the foundations to bedrock must be sunk about
seventy-five feet further than called for in the
original specifications. about 135 feet in all.
The Hall Of Records. just across from the pro-
posed building. rests upon a similar foundation.
The plans for the new municipal building
we're drawn by McKim. Mead & White. the
chitects. and their engineers. as well as others
consulted. reported that the foundation plans
were adequate After this report the Bridge
I Commissioner announced lldL tilt dNelI' TIC
bids having been opened on December 3. had
been made to the lowest bidder on December
"a although Edward s Murphy. Superintendent
of Buildings and the Board of Examiners re
fused to sanction the Bridge Department plans.
The instability Of the proposed resting place OF
sand first found publicity in The Tribune when
Superintendent Murphy held up the plans. The
Bridge Commissioner contended that under
Chapter $40 Of the Laws OF 1907. which author
ized the erection Of the municipal building.
that the plans Of the Bridge Department were
exempt from the authority of the Superinten-
dent of Buildings for Manhattan. When Su-
perintendent Murphy refused to approve the
plans SAYING that on such soil he could not
authorize the imposition Of a weight greater
than three tons to the square foot the case was
put in the Corporation Counsels office. The
award of the contract to the Gray company fol-
low ed i'm few days. Soon after the award a
taxpayers suit was begun in the name Of Dr.
Henry L. Wheeler. January 10 to enjoin
further action on the award. 1t was sought to
make the injunction permanent but the tempo
rary Injunction was dissolved about ten days
ago by Supreme Court Justice Gerard, who held
that the Corporation CounseIs office was right
in its opinion that the consent of the Superin-
tendent Of Buildings to the plans not nee
essary and therefore that the plea of those ask
ing that the consent Of the Superintendent be
first obtained could not hold.
Meanwhile Commissioner Stevenson had engi-
neers outside of those in the department under
Chief Engineer Kingsley Martin making tests
Of the soil about the site of the proposed build
ing. Although ne his legal point. he de-
cided that It would be better to sink the founda-
tions to bedrock, where they would he secure
bevond question. than to take chances on the
sand foundation. although that had been ap-
proved by competent engineers.
While the city will be the gamer by the
Bridge commissioners change OF front. much
DELAY in the opening OF the subway loop VIII
result Had It not been for the litigation just
ended the work the foundations would have
been started several weeks ago Now at least
q month must elapse while plans are being
drafted and bids advertised. The loop with
tho exception of this terminal station, Is eX-
nected 20 be ready for operation by next Janu-
arv without this station the loop VIII be
worthless and the long promised relief TO bridge
natrons will remain nothing but promise 1t
will take several months longer to build the
deeper foundation which some engineers say
should have been determined on first and this.
added TO tie three months which have elapsed