New-York tribune., 1909-11-30
JACKS AND CURBS
SOME QUEENSBORO
BRIDGE "EXTR4S."
nfrts's Engineers Hemtlessly
Dissect Contractors
Claims.

,u,o-,s Of the engineers or the m
-. Department dealing with the oe-
- ~ the Pennsylvania Steel COM
- .o- some $4,000 on account OF
Ira work and materials suppheo upo"
az bridge Commissioner orders IN CON
a.,,on With the erection OF the super
.,.,,c,ure of the greensboro Bridge sNe
- interesting details showing the
.s,.f,,l and eNtravagant manner IN
,,.. ,b,s extra work was performed
nv the citv. os
o. - these reports states that loo.-
GOO -o,nas Of structural steel curb for
-. ,risee roadway. costing $500 was
s.l,vered 10 the city 10y the contractors,
.,5 that the claim included some si'-s'
O. cost of erection. The report of the
,,.r,roller's engineers quietly suggests
.hs, the charge Tor erection shoulo Oe
s,s,,+ea from the amount OF the claim
a.. reason --iven for this suggestion was
-. ,be curb in question was never
- and consequently could not have
been erected
asa matter OF fact. the curb referred
% to-day lies piled up on Black~eiis
,ssnd. q prey for rust and monument
che administrative ability Of the city
..ssse Department. The reason the
as, curb. supplied. according 10 the en-
.,,,ers. by the contractor without War
=, under the contract specifications.
- not used. is that the whole plan OF
she bridge roadway was changed. This
,a,essitaied the use OF new kind OF
,p-b Here again. q is said, the specl-
stations gave no warrant 10 the Bridge
commissioner TO order the contractors
Cor the erection Of the superstructure 20
suurlv this new curb. because the curo
Cor the roadway was no part OF the
tuperstructure.
CONTRACTOR A GOOD GUEsSER-
The Controllers engineers in their re
rorts show. however. that the contractor
was most enterprising in the matter OF
,p,rlying the new kind of curb 10 re-
rlsee the one he had previously fur
rished and which now lies piled up on
plackweIls Island. The reports say that,
although he had no rieht 10 do SO under
the terms Of the specifications. the
pridee Commissioner did order new
cast iron curb from the Pennsylvania
Steel Company, at d cost Of s36.4"l, on
January -. 1908. but the same report
also says that the contractor had ar
ranged the whole matter long before
that date II is stated that the shop
plan for this new curb Was dated August
&c 1907. and the first consignment was
shipped by Henry. Millard Henry,
founders 81 York. Penn. who were sub
contractors. on November "a, 1897. The
intention Of the Bridge Commissioner TO
issue the order for the new curb was
therefore most accurately guessed az by
the contractor AT least seven months be-
fore Z was issued.
With al this knowledge in their pos
session. the Finance Department en-
gineers modestly suggest in their reports
that The Bridge Commissioner had no
night 10 order. and the contractor TO
right 10 supply. the curb without calling
Tor tenders iuasmuch as the work was
not part ~ the contract for the erection
~ the suDerstructure and came within
the. charter provision against expendi-
tures IN excess Of 81 ,O00 without COM
ieiiiive bidding
Tho Corporation Counsel hen asked
upon what basis the contractor should
b. paid Tor this curb. which he could
nct be authorized To supply under the
terms ~ the contract. but which he d'd
furnish Through a sub-contractOr tive
months prior 20 the issue Of the Bridge
Commissioners order for the material.
admitted that in shipping a part Of the
curb before De- received the Bridge Com
missiousrs order the contractor hac
lost his right TO recover. With fine
exhibition Of legal logic. however. the
Cooperation counsel intimated that paw
mert Tor The curb IN question could he
authorized by the Board Of Estimate
under section in the city charter which
Empowers that body 20 pay claims hat
NAY be- barred b. law. provided they are
'-stifed by equity
STORY ABOUT JACKS.
rhe reports of The Controllers engi-
heeFs also furnish a most interesting
story regarding six hydraulic jacks listed
In the bills for extras flec by the con-
uact0r Tor the erection of the super
structure ~ the bridge. -Four OF these
JACKS, the engineers claim, were an IN
iegral part Of an adjusting device called
iof by the contract for the erection or
me bridge superstrucfure 90 enable tut
ure adjustments ~ the trusses 20 meet
cnanges that might b. made In the traf-
Ne loading of the lridge.
In one 81 the earlier reports the en-
Fineers advised the retention OF $4,000
out ~ a biil for extras because these
lolr jacks lad been removed from the
Ohase by the contractor. This. IL MAS
I'iiieo out snade the whole adjusting
0'Nlce absolutely useless. After the re-
boris OF the engineering experts upon
us safety ~ the bridge had been made.
recommending a large reduction Of the
N'ea weight OF the structure IL became
esssary 10 readjust the t-usses- This
uo not be done. however for the jacks
disappeared. The remedy was sim
- however, for the COmmissiOner's or
was Issued for the sum Of Sg,i in
'f ~ the contractor 20 reimburse him
bringing back what are claimed as
Guys jacks. 80 that the bridge
ses could be resdjusted.