The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-21
NO ANSWER WHEN
 CONTRACTORS QUIZ
 NEW BRIDGE BOARD
Question of Merit of Strauss Type As Opposed to Scher-
 ger Type of Bridge.


 Although Toole & Sunderlin, local contractors, addressed a specific and very definite question to the members of the Stratford avenue bridge com mission, at its meeting yesterday, as to why that body should pay s$17,5O0 more to the Empire Construction Co.,, for Strauss bridge, than they would have to pay if they had awarded the contract for sthe ScheFzer type of bridge to TooIe & Sunderlin, the bridge commission gave no answer.
 The communication was read, and without debate it was placed on the files of the clerk. No action was ta-. ken even towards offering an expla- nation to the local contractors- Toole and Sunderlin have been, among the bidders for the bridge work from the start, offering bids in the original com petition. and again offering bids when the first bids were rejected.
 The Scherzer type of bridge rolls : upon a rocker. the entire draw being practically one piece Of work.
 The Strauss type of bridge is mounted upon trunions, and as the draw opens the counter weight which is fastened to the draw proper with links, settles down towards the water. 1t is asserted, in favor of the Scher-. ger type, that the Strauss type involves the Tuse4of more cornplicated machin- cry naturally o1fering more oppor- tunity for rnfshaps, and being more expensive to maintain
 Hot words were passed at the meet ing of the commission yesterday after- noon when members of the comrnis- sion accused J. W. Strauss of the Strauss Bridge Co.,, Chicago, of trying to Substitute a type of bridge without sths closed leaf feature. the very fea- ture which had actuated the conmis- sion in selecting the Strauss type of. basceIe.
 Eineer Graener grew hot under their collars when MT Strauss offered a 4 lengthy report that he said he con- sidered modidcatsons of the specih- cations drawn by Engineers Greiner 6 Whitman, and which he said would mean a good bridge at less cost to. the city. His report was read by Clerk Blackhan of the cornn1ittee. Mr. Strauss declared if the plans pre- pared by his company were adopted the city would have just as good bridge and would savs from s5o.ooe to S60,00O.
 tsIn other words throw me out and put you in as. consulting engineer, eh2sss. remarked Engineer Greiner. getting very red in the face.
 Mr Strauss hastened to say that nothing of the sort was intendeds and that he offered his recon naenda- lions merely as d report He said most any kind of bridge night be. built from the plans drawn by Grei-. ner & Whitman. This brought a re- tort from Mn Gxeiner that the closed leaf feature which prevents dee, snow and other debris from getting under the roller Mftsands distupbing the lev-i efsof tlle bridge as was the case in the Congress street bridge, was the
  desIred and was not provided for in ME. Strauss report
 ssThere is ssnofhing in your specihca- tions which calls for that particular type of bridge said MT. Strauss.
 'Nzos replied Commissioned Lash ar, sbut representatiye of your compang came here and exhibited a model with it and told us that it was an exclusive feature of your type Of bascule. If was on his represen- tation that we decided on your type bfidge. Tour hgure< was higher than the Scherzer type. Now you come here and want us to accept a baseu1e like the Soherzer type at a. higher figure than that company bid. .
 You can count me out on this,,s broke in Connnissioner Allen, that lis getting "a contract under nnisrepre ssentation.s.
 # We'll. the contract isn't signed yet. #sentlemen.' 9 said Commit ssfoner Rich. tard H Murphy. We can look for pther bids and get this thing right E Then MT. Strauss said that his cons Epazy was ready sboi supply amy of it's styps of standard bridges which will E3nbed vi he ght leaf closing feature according to- the Gre1ner & Whitman Aplans.,
 An6ther meeting is to be- called within a few days when representa- {wi11 be invited to be present. This sconcern will be awarded the contract Afor the baselzles The contracts will be signed at this meeting.