New-York tribune., 1909-12-23
SLY CITY BUILDING
PLOT FAULTY.
Nesc Charge IN Citisens Union
Municipal Sk,yscraper
Campaign.

Bischoff in the Supreme Court to-day.
application viii be made for permission
TO file further affidavits which will dis
close an extraordinary condition of af-
fairs i'm connection with the city's pro-
posed new skyscra per
The additional informant which IL is
proposed 10 bring before the court viii
allege that. owing 10 the failure Of the
Bridge Department 20 make proper pre-
liminaTy borings before awarding the
contract for the foundations. IL is now
found that II will be practically impos-
sible 10 sink the foundations to bedrock
at the north end of ths plot upon which
the new structure is 10 be erected The
result OF this long delayed discovery is
that one part of the new forty story
building viii have its foundations upon
rock, while other portions will be resting
upon wet sand. This means that the
entire layout Of the foundations under
the north end OF the structure will have
20 be changed so that the bearing sur
face Of the foundations at this point may
be increased by 80 per cent over contract
requirements. As a consequence, all
provisions now made for the entrance Of
the Centre street subway loop through
the foundations and under the building
viii have TO be altered 10 suit the new
kind OF foundations which il has been
discovered It will be necessary 20 put in
under the north end Of the structure
II has also been discovered that the
Bridge Commissioner has neglected n
obtain a permit for the new building
from the Superintendent OF Buildings
This neglect is likely 10 cause trouble.
because year ago, when IL was pro
posed 10 erect the structure upon foun-
dations resting upon the sand, Superin-
tendent Murphy took the ground that it
vas contrary 10 law for the city or any
one else 10 erect building Of the size
and weight of the proposed new munich
pal building upon such insecure founda-
tions. and refused upon this ground 20
issue the usual permit. II the Buildings
Superintendent again takes the same
stand IL is very doubtful whether the
Bridge Commissioner can legally pro-
ceed with the erection.
CORNERSTONE PREPARATIONS
still, with The sub-srructure of the
building in this condition the Bridge
Commissioner is proceeding with all ar
Tangements for the laying of the corner
stone Of the new structure by the Mayor
next week. A pyramid OF brick is be-
ing erected from the level of the sub
structure of the foundations 10 the level
~ the curb upon which il is proposed TO
lay the cornerstone. which has been or
dered and is now being prepared. IL
these arrangements are not cancelled
the cornerstone Of the new building will
he well and truly laid before IN is known
that the foundations of the structure
can be put in according 70 contract
specifications.
From the beginning there has been a
series Of ineXcusable blunders in con-
nection with the erection of this build
ing by the Bridge Department. Under
ordinary circumstances the carrying out
of this work would have devolved upon
the President Of the Borough Of Man
haitian. but by a special act Of the
Legislature. fsthered by the late Sena-
tor McCarren. the construction of the
new municipal building was intrusted 20
der was made last year when the Bridge
Commissioner awarded a contract for
the foundations 10 the e. l.. Gray Con
struction Company without first making
proper preliminary borings 10 ascertain
the kind of bottom the foundations
would have 10 rest upon. This contract
provided that the foundations should be
sunk sixty feet below the curb line. and
the contract price was about S5o00gp.
After the contract had been duly award
ed The Tribune brought out the fact
that Buildings Superintendent Murphy re-
fused 20 grant a permit for the work. on
the ground that IL was contrary 10 law
for the city or any one else. TO put up
a building Of the weight and size in
tended upon any such insecure founda-
tions The result was that the hastily
made contract with the Gray Construc-
tion Company was cancelled and the
contractor has entered suit against the
city for S1J0O00 damages
In his mad haste 20 have the work
begun the Bridge Commissioner at
once called for new tenders. and this
time specified that the foundations
should be sunk 10 bedrock. But again
he failed 10 have proper bOrings made 10
demonstrate at what depth bedrock
would be found upon all parts Of the
site The new contract was awarded to
the Foundation company AT S14iOOIO
The new contractor has been at work
Tor some months making the borings
that should have been made before The
contract was awarded. and at the north
end 0f the plot il has been discovered
that bedrock occurs over a portion Of
the site at such depth as 10 preclude
the possibility Of sinking the foundations
10 that point even with the most i'm
proved caisson work. II Is said that the
greatest depth az which caisson work
can be done under compressed air Is 10
feet. and I'm some of the borings already
made bedrock has not been found at
two hundred feet.
DANGER KNOWN To BUILDERS
This means that the foundations for
this part Of the structure will have 10 be
entirely remodelled and their width in
creased by so per cent I'm order 20 AFFORD
bearing surface 10 support the super
structure Of the building Al places where
il viii be impossible 20 sink the foun-
dations 20 bed rock This will entail A
complete change of the layout for the