New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-30
WIlalen Asks
Bridge toCost
Fifty Million
Commissioners Suggests One
From 23d St. to Green
point Section to Relieve
Old B o o k | YIN Span
Five Tunnels Proposed
Engineers Agree on Need
of More Traffic Lanes,
but Not ON the Kind

yhaIen, Commissioner of Plant and
STRUCTURES, that he intended to recon-
merd to the Board of Estimate and
annortionment the erection of bridge
across the East River from the vicinity
~ Twenty-third Street to the Green
mint section of Brooklyn to relieve
the other bridges of the additional
snrden put upon them with the closing
n the Brooklyn Bridge to motor We
sicles was the topic of interested dis
eussion in engineering circles last
night.
Such a structure would cost s50,0oo,-
roo. Commissioner Whalen estimated.
He said he could not recommend any
site south of the Manhattan Bridge
for the reason that the Brooklyn base
Of such structure would encroach
mon. property occupied by modern and
expcnsiye warehouses and factories.
Engineers admitted that in this
Commissioner Whalen was right They
sereed with him that the Greenpoint
Bridge would fill long-felt want, but
pointed out that it would serve terri
tory which soon can be reached by the
fourteenth Street Eastern, Division
subway which was held up so long by
the refusal of the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment to approve minor
contracts and would fail to relieve the
stuation caused in lower Manhattan
and Brooklyn by the barring of motor
vehicles from Brooklyn Bridge.
Some Favor Five Tunnels
As - methods of relieving this stu
a.ion engineers were cautious in ex-
pressing themselves, saying that it de-
handed special study. They seemed to
be divided between the immediate re-
building of Brooklyn Bridge and the
obstruction of at least five tunnels,
twt for trains, two for trolley cars
and one for vehicles.
It was estimated that the tunnels
would not cost more than SIS. 900. 900
each, the project being of not more
than half the magnitude of the vehicu-
lar tunnel under the Hudson River.
which is to cost $50 900 O00 Advo
Gates of the tunnels pointed out that
entrances to them would not require
the destruction of buildings and would
enhance rather than depreciate the
value of property in the vicinity
Ernest j. Cuozzo, who was secretary
to the Department of Bridges in 1915
missioner under Mayor Mitchell, de-
clared that Brooklyn Bridge should be
closed to all traffic and the work of
reconstructing it begun Immediately.
"From NY experience" he said, land
from conversations l had with engi-
neers whose connection with the Brook
lyn Bridge made them competent to
speak on the subject, l am convinced
that it is an absolute necessity to shut
the bridge down Immediately and re-
Construct it. Austin Lord Baumann, at
the time of my incumbencyt chief engi-
nser in charge of the bridge and J. A.
Kingsley. who had been in charge of
obstruction under Roebling, both of
whom have since died, recognized the
necessity of demonstrating the bridge.
Kingsley said again and again that
the bridge was never constructed with
the intention of carrying the weight
that was imposed upon it at that time,
and the weight must be much greater
to-day"
Roebling Not Worrying
Colonel Washington A Roebling, son
Of the designer of the bridge. declared
that the structure was good for a
century or two vet and he saw no need
for rebuilding it. The fact that the
rollers under the saddles carrying the
cables had ceased to function was
nothing to worry about, Colonel
Roebling said.
The purpose of thee rollers, he said,
was simply to permit the cables to
adjust themselves to the strain during
the period that the masonry and Other
parts of the structure were settling
into their final position. When that
hsd been accomplished, he said, it was
planned that the rollers should remain
parmanently in their positions. The
bridge had adjusted itself to the strain
within two years after its completion.
be said, and the rollers bad not moved
since then.
Gustave Lindenthal. builder of the
He'll Gate Bridge, who reported to
Commissioner Whalen that the Brook
Ign Bridge saddle rollers had ceased
to function, favors the construction
Of an East River bridge at Twenty
third Street. There was a demand for
such bridge, he said, He regards
reconstruction of the Brooklyn Bridge
merely matter of study as to the
best method to be employed. He bad
offered the city space for a sixty foot
roadway on the He'll Gate Bridge, he
said, which would accommodate traf
nc between the Bronx and Queens,
and space for the roadway still was
available.
Inspectors were on the job on Brook
lyn Bridge to enforce the new spacing
rules, and trolley cars maintained an
interval of at least 120 feet and ele-
sated trains an interval of at least
p00 feet in crossing the structure.
!, The sockets through which many of
me big bolts supporting the roadway
oeams pass seem to be deeply rusted,
me stain in some instances covering a
i,Vot or more of the steel, and the
snage generally is in need of paint, so
'af as casual observer can determine.
Named as Correspondent,
Man Admits Indiscretion