The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-26
GUARD BRIDGE OYER
BLISS ARMS PLANT
Special Waterman on Manhat-
tan Structure Authorized
by Commissioner.
STRIKE ATTACK Is FEARED

The seriousness with which the officers
OF the L. w. Bliss Company regard the
threatened strike of some 1000 ma
chinists employed in Its Brooklyn ammu-
milton plants Is responsible for the I'M
usual procedure of stationing armed
private guards and a specially detailed
policeman on the northbound foot road
way of the Manhattan Bridge, which on
the Brooklyn end overlooks two OF the
Bliss plants. The regular policeman and
the private guards constantly patrol the
roadway day n night in spite of the
fact that the walk is not now open for
public use.
The permit TO station the guards on
a public thoroughfare was Issued oy
Bridge Commissioners +. J H.. kracke on
Saturday morning at the request or
Howard G. Seaman, secretary-treasurer
OF the Bliss company. Mr.. seaman
asked in writing that two guards De
allowed to patrol the roadway over
looking the Bliss works. He said that
ii was simply a precautionary measure
taken because Of the extensive manu-
facture of ammunition and war supplies
going on at the two downtown plants.
Although Mr.. kracke Issued the per-
mi, at once he asked Mr.. Seaman over
the telephone II the company had re-
CeIved any threats. II was denied that
any threats, written or otherwise, had
been received. Then the Bridge Com
missioner called up Police COMMISSIONS
Woods and talked the matter over with
him. Mr.. KraCke began to have fears
for the safety OF the bridge Itself, so he
asked MIR. Woods to station an extra
,,,1tn.,aa4t on rho nndWuN 10
supplement the Bliss company's private
Waterman. Day and night now the
three patrol, several hundred yards OF
the unused walk.
A reporter for THE SIN found four
men on the north walk yesterday after
noon besides the bridge inspector and "A
regular policeman. The private guards
are In charge of J. J. Galligan. an eN-
policeman, He has twenty-one guards
under him. mostly ex-policemen, work
ing in three shifts OF seven men each.
Two OF them patrol the bridge roadway
overlooking the Bliss company, two
watch the Nast River waterfront
near the Bliss company, two more
are stationed at the larger plant and one
at the smaller. a block away.
Galligan insisted that his men were
not private detectives, but simply "em-
p,oyees" OF the Bliss company. lie
DpAllAf'l bhA " 'hSF "S''
any one In an automobile to cross one
set of unused railroad tracks, step tc
the north roadway without much effort
throw a bomb on the roo " either Bliss
plant and get away again before any
one could catch him. 1t is 10 prevent any
such accident or design that his men are
there, he said,
In spite OF the fact that the north
walk is closed at both erds-while the
rlazas are being constructed-Gdlligaf
said a few persons had appeared on IN.
walk since the guards came, hut they
departed as soon as they found thai
trespassing was forbidden.
In order to cross from the south foot
path OF the Manhattan Bridge. at present
the only one open for pedestrian traffic
one would have to climb a railing, cross
the new subway tracks, climb another
! railing, cross the vehicular roadway ir
the centre. climb a third railing TO ar
unused set of railroad tracks n ther
climb a fourth railing before reaching
the north footpath. The bridge trolley
ears use a set Of tracks over the un'
used set on the north side OF the bridge
From their elevation iron steps lead
down to the north footaalk at interval
ot about nifty feet.