New-York tribune., 1909-12-23
NO BEDROCK FOUND
Continued from arst pszs.

the building. II ia well known TO every
builder that there ~ grave danger IN
erecting so huge a building upon foun-
dations part OF which rest upon rock and
part upon sand. In this case the danger
Is accentuatsd by the fact that the sand
bottom is below tide level and is there
fore saturated with water.
The extent 10 which this sand bottom
Is insecure has been amply demonstrat-
ed in the construction of the subway loop
urGsr Centre street. At one point IL was
found that the subway sunk in the sand
10 such an extent that il became neees-
sary to sink piles under the work 10 2
depth Of eighty feet 70 the rock in order
10 prevent the back Of the subway from
being broken. ~ was the sinking OF
these piles through the soft wet sand
bottom. it Is said. that caused the trouble
with the foundations of the new Police
Headquarters and criminal Courts build
ings This fact. ~ Is pointed out, shows
the effect the erection of another tall
building in close proximity 10 the new
municipal skyscrsper would have upon
that structure. There would be SINK
ing Of that part of the building over
IN. foundations resting upon the sand.
with no corresponding settlement OF that
,o,,,o, over the foundations resting upon
bed rock.
Tt is understood that the engineers OF
the Bridge Department have at last
walked up 10 the fact that they are con-
frorted with serious difficulty as a
result OF their failure TO make proper
borings in the FIRST place. Tn addition. u
Is said. the Buildings Superintendent
resents the failure Of the Bridge Depart
ment 10 apply for the usual permit be-
fore going ahead with the construction
of the new building. He has already
taken the ground that il is contrary TO
law for the city or any one else to erect
so large a structure upon foundations
that do not rest upon bedrock Ills
objection was the cause Of the cancel
Iation of the first contract for the foun-
dations IN he persists I'm his previous
stand il is difficult 20 see how the Bridge
Commissioner is going to proceed With
the work. In any event. there Is bound
TO be a further delay Of many months
before the difficulties over the foundation
can be settled. and until that difficulty
is settled the work upon the super
structure cannot be proceeded with.
COMPLICATIONS LIKELY.
Stin. the Bridge Department IS busiiy
engaged having the temporary wall built
upon which is TO rest the cornerstone,
which will be laid next week by Mayor
Mcclellan. incidentally. the erection of
this wall and the supplying OF the gran
tie cornerstone are a part OF the work
10 be done by the successful bidder for
the erection of the superstructure. and
the city charter says that II is illegal 20
award a contract for work a portion OF
which has already been completed. 10
would also appear that the selection OF
the granite for the conversions before
the contract for the superstructure has
been awarded may limit the successful
bidder for that work 90 the use Of a
certain Kind OF granite for the entire
building. though the specifications give
him choice Of several different Kinds
of granite. otherwise. the cornerstone
SO premsturely laid by the outgoing ad-
ministration may be OF a different kind
OF material from tho stone used i'm the
rest of the work.