The New York Herald Newspaper, November 13, 1875, Page 4

NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, NOV THE POLAR SEAS. The English and Swedish Expeditions to the Arctic Regions. Bear a spot at wnien a sarge number of Rassians and Samoyedes, from Pustosersa, arv in the habit of visit ing during the summer mono for fishing and hunting, The Norwegians cali this place THE TOWN OF THR SAMOYEDES. ‘The next day I rowed further into the sound, having given orders that the vessel should follow. On the fol- lowing day it was possible to raise the Proven’s anchor, and with the help of a slight breeze and a good current for the party in her to come over to me on the othor shore, [ then went aboard, and} driven forward almost entirely by a strong southwest current, we continued our course toward the Kariska Sea, at which we arrived (after safely passing the sound), finding the water quite free from ice, We then steered toward the southern part of that peninsula which separates the Kariska Sea from the Obi Gulf, and which is called by the Samoyedes “jalmal.”” There was very little wind, so that we proceeded but slowly, a circum Stance which certainly tried our patience very much, but which had this advantage, that during our progress in these waters, visited for the first tume by a scientific expedition, we could every day undertake dragging, INTERESTING DISCOVERIES. A Clear ‘Route Traced Along | the Coast of Siberia. NEWS OF THE ALERT AND DISCOVERY, at halfpast seven P. M., after sending our letters ' ashore, we took the old Discovery in tow and steamed | on our way, which led among numerous islands and in sight of the main land, with its suowy bills and occa- wionat glaciers. ‘A clear blue sky was over nead and dark blue water below, studded with icebergs and loose pieces | tn all directions—altogether a beautiful picture. MAGNIFIORNT SI1UUTS. Certainly there are some magnificent sights to be seen up in these regions. We haa on board a couple of Esquimaux, who were acting as pilots for the pas- | sage we wore taking. One remained forward and the other ait, both of them evidently very fond of smoking, and, | have no doubt, far sharper bands at filling a pipe than in guiding @ ship, [t was rather a drawback, also, that we had to depend on our inter- | preter for dnding out what they wanted. LOST IN A vOG, About ton P. M. the (og came on fearfully thick, and our pilots soon lost themselves, It was my watch, and, with the Cuptain on deck, we searched for a passage between some of the tslands which would take us clear out to sea, It was rather exciting work, and being @ Propused Plan of German Explo- ration Toward the Pole. SWEDISH ARCTIC EXPEDITION. hydrographical experiments, &c. The draggings yielded | calm, there was no danger of doing very much damage. | an unexpectedly rich and varied harvest of sea animals, | Iu the middie watch we tried to make fast to an ice- among which I will particularly mention some colos- | berg, but failed, and at about six A. M. we picked up a sal Isopod species, peculiar Cumacel, a quantity of Am. | rock off an island on which we ran ashore and stuck Sipods and Copepodes, a large, tine Alecto; exceedingly | fst until twelve o'clock on Friday, 23d, when, the tide large Ophiuridi, beautifully marked Asterids, number- | having risen, we floated off without damage and went Lonpow, Oct. 30, 1875, Captain Allen Young has kindly furnished me with eopy of Professor Nordenskjold’s interesting marrative ef bis voyage just completed to the Jeuesel, which I | goa—viz, that the water at the surface, being freed Sppend. I give you the translation, Herr Oscar | from salt by the large streams which find their outlets Dickson, to whom the letter is addressed by Professor | here, becomes a deadly poison to the animals living in less brushworuts, molluscs, &c., &c. A PECULIAR GIROUMSTANCE. ‘There is a peculiar circumstance connected with this Wordenskjold, is one of the largest landed proprietors he salt water at the bottom). Most of the animals end one of the most influential memin Sweden, andat | prought up from the bottom therefore died in a few ‘whose expense this expedition was fitted out, Captain | minutes when placed in water taken {rom the surface, Young is of the opinion that this remarkable voyage | As at the western coast of Nova Zembla, whenever made by Nordenskjold is tho tirst step toward opening an opportunity offered, determinations were made up the vast mineral productions of Siberia The fol- hove of the temperature of the water at various depths, lowing is the letter, ; | also on the surface, These experiments were made Own Boarp tun Proven, ANCHORED aT THR MOUTH OF THE seeeen, | Casella, which you procured last spring during your August 16, 1875, stay in London, and ytelded a particularly interesting The expedition has been lying at anchor since yester- | rosy, They may be considered as settling many con- day in an excellent barbor in a group of islands of Cape | troversies that have lately arisen concerning the sea Beverovostotschni, near the mouth of the Jenesei. Wo | currents im these regions, ‘the direction of which, for are busily occupied in fitting outa boat, in which, 8¢- | want of any better explanation, was endeavored companied by Dr. Stuxberg, Professor Lunastrom and principally to be determined from the surface three men, ‘I intend to sail up the Jenesel, returning to temperature of the water, From numerous: ob- Burope (?) by way of Siberia, while the Proven will con | gorvutions along the western coast of Nova Zembla ‘Voy the remaining portion of the expedition back 10 | from the Matotschkin Scharr to the Jugorskij Sound, Norway. Asa letter despatched by the Proven via | from thence past Cape Grebent until 753 deg. north and fromsd will probably reach Gothonburg sooner than if go gog east, and farther to the mouth of the Jenesei, 1 Bent from the first Siberian station which we shall | pave obiained'unanswerable proof that in that sea the Feach, I take this opportunity to forward a somewhat | temperature on the surface varies exceedingly, and is | More complete account of our progress up to the | depeadent on the temperature of tho air, the proximity ‘Present time than that which was hurriedly written @ | of the ice and the inflow of warm, swoet water from week ago, and sent by way of Norway by a fishing boat | the rivers Obi and Jenesol, But that the temporature at from Vadsd; but even now every minute is so precious depth of ten fathoms was stationary between one that I am compelled to limit myself toa description of ang two degrees Celsius, consequently any warm deep ‘he mioat important matters only. | going sea currents do not exist here, A quantity of The Proven was towed out of Tromso free of expense deep water samples has been collected by Professor on the 8th of June by the small steamtug Troms), and | Fiman’s excellent apparatus, constructed for the pur- we were immediately compelled, by contrary winds, © pose; and I am convinced that at the bottom the saline le avanchor for five days tm the sound between Karls) | ¢iement is invariably of fixed calibre and proportions. and Rend. We raised anchor on the 14th and proceeded | qhis can be settled satisfactorily on our return by an though Fuglo Sound (passing Nord Cape on the i7th), aualysis of the water samples. towards the soutbern part of Nova Zembla, | adcnrvicras, REMATER The west coast of this double island is surrounded, during the spring and early summer, at some little dis- tance from the land, by a thick girdle of ice, which is, for the most part, impassable. This girdle, later in the year, disappears, according to the experience of the neigh- | boriag Oshermen, and two sounds, covered with a very thin, drifting ice, are formed. These sounds or open channels connect the water adjoining the coast with the unfrozen ocean toward the west. One of them is | fenerally situated in front of Matotschkin Scharr and ts caused by the strong currents which exist here, The other is found at about the latitude of Severo Gusinnoi Mys (Northern Gaskap). 1 chose the latter channel, and Wo passed through it without particular difficulty on the 224 June, and cast anchor for the first time at Nova Kembla, seven days after leaving Karls®, in a small and Unprotected bay, directly north ot Norra Gaskap. NATURAL HISTORICAL TREASURES. During the voyage, whenever the state of the weather Would aliow, frequent soundings were taken and drag- gings effected, inspections of animal and diatoma. cia life at the surface of the sea were made, and the temperature of the sea, taken at various depths, | ke. The fodinge were often valuable and plainly indi- cated that in these waters a rich collection of nat- ural historical treasures might be expected. We also Tepeatediy tested at various depths a new dragging in- | strument constructed especially for the expedition by | Dr. Wiberg, which proved admirably adapted for its | Purpose, and was, moreover, easily handled. the northwest side of Jalmal, where an astronomical determination of locality was taken (4). Traces of human beings, some of whom were barefooted, and algo of Samoyedes sledges appeared on tho shore, close | to which was a sacrificial altar, consisting of about walrus and reindeer, In the midst of this heap of bones were erected two idols, hewn out of roots of driftwood, whose eyes and mouths had recently been smeured with blood. There were also twosticks, with and bears. Close by there was a fireplace and a heap of retudeer bones, the latter being the apparent rem- pant of a sacrificial banquet. After a ew hours’ stay ju this spot I eaied further orth, until large and uniform looking tee flelds prevented our home voyage in that direction, I afterward followed the border of the ice eastward, and finally directed my course toward the northern side of the mouth of the Jenesei, where the Swedish flag was hoisted and an- chor cast on the afternoon of the 15th. TUE GOAL REACHED. | ‘We had now reached the goal to which great seafar- | ing nations had endeavored im vain for hundreds of years to attain. While we neared the harbor an old he bear was seen grazing with reindeer on the beach. The bear afterward separated quite I panions, and finally lay cown to } close to our landing place, Before anchor Atter staying two days at our first anchoring place | y 4. cast Dr, Theel weit out’. fn We again procecdea northward, anchoring at different | og: to try to kill him, Having arrived places near the coast whenever opportunity offered— | o shore he cautiously approached tne bear, who, from the 25th to the 28th of June in the small Karma | poweyer, soon became aware of him, and rushed for- kuly Bey ; from the 24 to the 6th of July in the Besi- | warq as if to mike an attack. He was, however, ike vs Bay, and from July To 13 at various points | cuickiy bit in the forehead by a Remington bullet, fe Matotschkin Scharr, as far as which the water | twenty paces away. The shot, however, did not pierce Ummediately adjoining the coast was free from ice; | the skull, but only made a long, deep, furrow-like Dut toward the north of this sound, which comnects the | sound potwoen the eyes and along the forebdad. Now Kariska water with the sea between Nova Zemblaand | Bran tried 10 take flight, but fell directly afterward, Bpitzbergen, the coast was icebound, for which reason having been hit by another shot, which penetrated the ‘we could not at present follow the coast any. further lung and upper part of the heart. morthward, as was at first intended. On the other | A GOOD omm: Band, the ico in the western part of the Matotschkin | + igokeq upon this incident as a good omen; that the Boharr was broken, and looked as though we could very | dominion of the bear, after lasting in these regious for quickly sail through that sound toward the eust, after | tn yusands of years, will very shortly be extinguished, going for that purpose into the sound as far as and there will in his stead be seen vessels of al! nations, Tschirakina, the medium connecting Europe with the immense EXPEDITION TO THE INTERIOR, 4 water regions of Irvisch, Obi and Jenosei. Torganized an expedition from that place Into the | rye expedition i# now, in accordance with the plan Interior for the purpose of examining the state of the | Horore mentioned, dividing itself, as followed by Lund foo, Av the sonje time Dr. Lundstrom ascended ® | strom nd Stuxberg, 1 intend to sail,or row up mountain over 8,000 feet bigh in the vicinity, from | the Jonusei in a Nordiand boat, provided and Which he had.an extensive prospect, andon the summit | yroqeht out specially for the purpose, and to return to of which was placed a minini thermometer. It was Europe via Turuchausk and Jenesei, while the Proven now clearly seen that the entire eastern portion of the | wij) revurn from here to Norway, taking her course, if Sound was one unbroken mass of ice, which was ap- | posginie, round the northern point of Nova Zembla Parentiy quite strong enough to withstand the iB- | 6, separating I shall give the command of thie part of Quence of a polar summer for some time to come. the oxpedition to Dr. Kjelin , who, as a ici I, therefore, did not think it advisable to await the in the Polar expedition of 1872-8, has become well ac- Chance of a possibility of a passage through the ice, | cuainted with the navigation of Arctic waters, On his @nd, as the journey northward was likewise barred, I gerival in Norway he will forward to you a report of Resolved to ity my fortune at one of the twe sounds— | tne yoyace, together with a statement of the botanical viz, the Kariska or Jugorsk ontrance—either of which ? | aud zoological laburs of the expedition. Yours, would lead around the great Vaigatsch Island into the | ‘A. 0. NORDENSKJOLD, Kariska Sea, | A XRW COMMERCIAL ROAD OPENED. We left Matotsebkin Scharr on the 12th of July and | tng more private letter to Mr. Dickson Professor arrived on the 16th (after having anchored at Skodde | xordenskjold mentions among other things that he Bay) at the Northern Gascak, on the 18th at the considers the expedition to have been crowned with ex. Southern Gascalk, on the 21st at Kostin Scharr, and om | teaordinary success, as he has been fortunate in press- the 26th, under very stormy weather, at the Kariska | 14) Yorward to the mouth of the Jenesel, a goal passage. This latter was completely blocked by ice, | which great maval expeditions from Holland, Eugland and the wind was too violent to allow of our Gnding an | ,.4 Russia hare in vain attempted to reach, they hav- anchoring place. 1, therefore, continued the voyage, ' 119 aiways chosen the wroug season for navigating and was fortunate during the exceedingly vivleat thes seas. northeast storm which raged im those tracts from the “Lam myself positively convinced,” says Professor ‘26th to the Both im finding shelter for the vessel on the | wordonsuioid, “inat a mew commercial road is now southwestern coast of the Vaigatsch Island, where we | opened, tho importance of which will be appreciated cast anchor on the 26th of July, off Cape Grebent. The | 4 referring on the map of Asia to the lage and ex- slorm now became so tempestuous that, notwithstanding | sondeq river waters embraced by the Obi, Irtisch, our lying at anchor near to and being protected by the | jy. 0096) and other tributarios."” land, it was only om the 30th of July that we could put out a boat for the purpose of labding on the Vaigatsch Isiand. NEWS FROM THE ALERT. AN INTERESTING COLLECTION was here made of fossils and of petrefactions, similar | to those of Gotland, which are therefore of particular | loterest to Swedisn geologists. Here also we met for the first time with Samoyedes, who, on pereetving the wessel, drove fown to the shore in high, peculiar dition to the North Pole we have received the following letter, with the request for its publication ia the Hamaco:— Hee Masvsty’s Sup Avert, Berweew Cary Youx axp Tux Carky Isuanps, July 26, 1875, | with the thermometers of Negretti and Zambra and | On the 8th of August we landed for a few hours on | fifty heaped up skulls of polar bears, bones of the | hooks, upon which were hanging the bones of reindeer | From the friend of a member of the English expe | on our way rejoicing, Soon afierward we discharged our pilots and were left to our own devices, It was still foggy, but about three P, M. we passed the last island, and then it cleared up for a magnificent even- ing, We were now steering for the middle pack ice with the intention of secing what it was like, as the Captain was going through it if possible, instead of | through Melville Bay, Both routes have their advo- cates, though the first is most usually taken. Going by the middle pack involves the danger of being nipped in | the pack and having to winter in the ice, This means | | eleven months’ constant anxiety to every one on | | board, Going through the other way lays you open to | having the ice (rom tho sea swept up, against the land | ice and perhaps losing the ship if mot very smart cut- | ting into dock. THROUGH THB MIDDLE PACK. However, to cut a long story short, wo went right through the middle packin thirty-four hours, a passage which has never, I believe, been | equalled. Kverything was in our favor, and it | Seemed as if we were to be now rewarded for all | the bad weather and heavy gales in the Atlantic by tho most glorious weather and most favorable circum- | stances possible during a passage which is usually more or less dreaded and is at ali times very uncer- tain. Poor Sir Edward Parry was two months doing what we did under two days! Anyhow, we are all in very high spirits about our trip through. The scenery | was beautiful, and the steering the ship between the Pieces of 1ce most exciting. There was nota cloud in | the sky, nota breath of wind to ruille the water, Ship and ice were all reilected, the reflection being as sharp | and clear in outline as the reflected, But 1 must tell you of all these things when I get home, for the letters | must be closed, as we have arrived at the Carey | Islands, and as I write (at half-past one A. M.) the de- | Pot of provisions is going ashoro and my services are | required, The sun 1s well up in the heavens, and the | bergs and land make up a most lovely landscape. I had got as far as this when the boats were reported ready for landing, 80 off I set, and am, now (at three | A. M.) off again to finish this hasty letter, ESTABLISHING A DEPOT. All hands nearly are ashore rolling up casks and | case:, establishing a depot, in case we have to fall { back minus our ships. To judge from the present | state of affairs one would hardly imagine this to be pos- | sible,-everything looks so peaceful and so fine. There is, however, nothing hike being preparea against acci- | fraud in {ts management. ‘hat the bridge has | so far cost more than ever entered into the dreams of the taxpayers {ts beyond « EMBER 13, 1810.—rKIPLE SHEET. TE EAST RIVER BR'DGE. History of the Giant Job of Brooklyn. SIX MILLIONS SPENT ON TWO PIERS, A Company That Obstinately Re- fused Te Be Examined, —_——-_—__—— TACTICS OF KINGSLEY & KEENEY. As the East River Bridge is not for Brooklyn alone, but for New York as well, its management excites @ more widespread interest than that of any of the schemes already exposed in the Henan and relating to Brooklyn alone. The two great towers confronting each other on opposite shores of the Kast River have not been raised to their present elevation without am expenditure, 80 declared, of a vast sum of money. Ru- mors of fraud in the conduct of the undertaking have been rife for years. When, in connection with the exposure of the Tammany Ring, Tweed’s name was found among the names of the directors of the bridge, tt was natural enough to expect it was there for no honest purpose, As nothing good could come out of Naza- reth, so Tweed’s identification with any public enter- prise was sufficient to excite apprehensions of | douot, The original calculation of the entire cost of the work was $5,000,000; yet, with neither of the piers now completed, it has already absorbed over $6,000,000, while the right of way on both sides has still to be pur- chased and the vast suspensory link between the piers constructed. A Hegaup reporter has gathered from over a dozen different sources a complete and condensed history of this undertaking. Brooklyn, of course, is much more deeply interested in the fate of the bridge than New York. To the former city its early and successful completion will be a source of great prosperity, Yet both cities cannot but feel an anxiety regarding the honest and efficient management of an enterprise which, when finished, will be a source of pride to both communities and of wonder to the whole world, : COMMENCEMENT OF WORK ON THN BRIDGE. Work was commenced on the bridge tn October, 1869. The President, Henry C. Murphy, was State Senator during the bridge legislation at Albany, and procured such a charter as was desired. It gave power to the corporation to purchase and hold real estate, build toll houses, erect the bridge, borrow money and regu- late the tolls to be paid for crossing the bridge. It pro- vided that the bridge should not be lower than 100 leet above high tide in the middle of the river. It author- ized the cities of New York and Brooklyn to subscribe to the stock of the company and to issue bon The charter gave to the individuals making personal sub- scriptions to the company the exclusive power to con- trol the entire organization. The charter was obtained April 16, 1867. It was amended February 20, 1869, The first charter specitied that the bridge should be com- pleted June 1, 1870, and the’ amendment that it should be completed June 1, 1874. The amendment consisted only in’ giving to the cities of New York and Brooklyn each three directors, making six out of twenty-one, leaving fifteen private sub- | dents; but I hope we sball never see the Carey Islands | again, unless we happen to sight them on cur way | home, which is hardly probable, as they are not in our | homeward bound route, A few days now will tell us ! whether we are to reach the Pole this year or not, for | we are only 800 miles from it, But those few miles may | contain insurmountable obstacles or they may not. Let us hope the latter, GERMAN ARCTIC EXPLORATION. The Germans are earnestly thinking about sending out a new expedition to tho Polar regions. The Im- | perial Commission, which sat at Berlin from the 4th to | the 12th inst, under the presidency of Privy Councillor | Von Moeller, has reported in favor of such an under- | taking. The President’s report is voluminous; but the main points are embodied in the following:—After pointing out that scientific questions of consid erable consequence in all provinees of natural science look for’ a solution in the Arctic regions, and reeom- | mending the expenditure of public means on the part | | of the German Empire upon an Arctic expedition, the ! commission unanimously adopts the following resolu- | tions:—“1, Further exploration of the Arctic regions is | a matter of material consequence to all branches of | natural science. The commission recommends as one | way of carrying out such exploration the establishment | | Of fixed stations of observation, with a central station | directing the entire system, These stations are to be | turned to account for exploratory expeditions by land | and py sea. 2 The commission assigns as the region | in which the proposed exploration on the part of the | German Empire is to take place the great channel to | the extreme north, situated between the east coast of Greenland and the west coast of Spitzbergen. STATIONS TO BH KSTABLISURD. “It will be advisable to establish a principal station of observation on the east coast of Greenland, taking ad- | vantage of the experiences of the second German Arctic | expedition. It is desirable that in connection with this | principal station there should be at least two branch stations permanently established for carrying on cer- tain scientific observations, say at Jan Meyen and on the west coast of Spitabergen, Other branch stations | ought to be established temporarily by the central sta- | tion as occasion may require, 3, The commission is of opinion that it would be both decidedly advisable, and | Moreover perfectly practicable, that the proposed Arctic exploration should be taken in hand as early as | the year 1877, by which time ali sciontific | preparations required might ve accomplished. | 4 Although the commission is persuaded that | the exploration of Arctic regions conducted’ on | the above recommendations will lead to valuable re- | sults, even if it remains—as here advised—restricted to the portion between Greenland and Spitabergen, still it boids that an exhaustive solution of the problems to which such exploration addresses itself can only be | looked to from an extension to the remaining portions | of the Arctic zone, which could only be carried out by | the participation of other States in the same work. | The commission consdqueatly recommends that the governments of such States as have manifested an jn- terest in Arctic exploration be advised of the principles ‘on which German exploration is to be conducted, in order that by means of their joining in the work a | complete circle of stations of observation may be estab- | lished surrounding the Arctic zone.” DELANEY, THE MURDERER. A close examination of the cell of Delaney, the mar- derer, in the Hempstead jail, has revealed the fact that the woodwork in one spot had been displaced, and bo- hind it were found some nails and other small articles, including a piece of brass from a suspender fastening, | whieh had beon made to serve as a key to unfasten his shackles the second time. The cell has been thor- qugbly overhauled, and the woodwork replaced, De laney appears to have given up all idea of starvation, and eats very heartily. The keepers have become satia- fled that the hemorrhage with which he was seized » | were not made accountable to the Board of Aldermen, | were not allowed to know much about the manage- | ment. Most of the stock was considered a pool and | | a general fund. | Company, located on Gowanus Canal, When timber Wodges, adapted for both summer and winter travelling, ‘and drawn by three or four reindeer. They soon made Qs aware that they wished to come aboard, whither they accompanied us in our boat, and were shortly sfterward regaled by us. During our stay at the western coast of Nova Zembla Wo made diligent researches concerning the geology | few days ago was produced by himself, and came from There is no telling when this letter may reach you, | OW OOTE “EY the poof of his mouth, De v0. It in possible the Pandora (from which ship we did not ly declared that he had no living relatives, but get our letters) may pick them ap from where they are my | noe bere ee irom Revsjne out | fn Hempstead, and visiting Sher; mmis, to be left and convey them to you, and, in the event of | they were his mother aud sister, and requested an in- her doing so, \t is again possible that she may return to | terview with him on Wednesday morning, which wag England before this winter, 80 that you may get this | jed to them. The sheriff has also received infor- letter bat afew months after it is written. On the maton that Dolaney has a wife living at ali River, and animal and vegetable life, kc, of the parts visited | other hand, she may not get them at all, and then we | by us, and the large number of places on the coast | are trusting to some stray snips to take them away, which were touched by us enabled the scientific sta! _ when you would probably not get this till next October of the expedition to collect @ quantity of information twelve months, Perhaps we shall be home again by and material assuredly far more extensive than any that time or alittle after. Owing to the uncertainty mequired by any of our predecessors. On the other of how this may reach you I shall only send you a bare hand, in consequence of the strong northeast winds description of our doings between Upernavik and the which had been blowing for tho Inst few days, and Carey Islands, and I am sure you will be as glad as any- which bad apparently driven the ice downward tothe body to hear that we have had the most splendid southern part of the Kariska Sea, tho prospects of | passage possible, and that up to the present everything pushing forward toward the east this year looked isin favor of our gotting a long way tothe north. I | ‘gloomy; but, notwithstanding this, I resolved to make | will not say to the Pole, as no one can tell whether @n attompt in that direction as soon as possible, and may be attained or not by ships, sledge or otherwi Waised anchor againon the Sst of July, in order to | guil into the Jugor Sound (Jugorsky Scharr), Im. | Qediatoly on entering, however, I was compe! i but this [ can say, we have made an fines start ‘a6 It was possible to do, and have got over what was | always considered as a possible difficulty with ease and ‘gwing toa dead calm, to bring the Proven to anchor | celerity. But must tell you all about it On Jaly though of this there is some doubt. HELP FOR THE CASTAWAY. Naw Yona, Nov. 12, 1875. To Tux Eprror or tne Henano:— Sin—After reading the account of the terrible suffer- ings of “A Castaway,” as published tn this morning's Hunato, I thought (partly out of sympathy and partly curiosity) I should like to see the man who suffered 80 much, After conversing with the man, and while on board the Centaur, a thought gested itself to m whereby something might be done for the poor fellow, Now, if some person of influe would prevail apon in Stanley to send the “long boat and s) to ‘Wali stroet and sell the samo at auction, the proceeds to be given to this poor, destitute man, it would be, in my opinion, a happy sequel to the horrors of the past, scribers in as absolute control, by a two-thirds vote or otherwise, as ifthe cities were not represented at all, ‘The amendment also gave to these individuals the right to operate or to dispose of the right to operate a rail- road over the bridge when it should be completed. No | other legislation affecting the bridge had become law until the winter of 1874, although after the exposures in | 1872 as many as six bills were presented, some of them passing both houses, but receiving the Governor's veto, NO RESPONSIBILITY ANYWHERE. It will be seen by this that there were no restrictions or obligations whatsoever placed upon the men who were to control an enterprise to which the Legislature has now voted $13,000,000, and to which {t may yet be | asked to subscribe many millions more The directors | to the Legislature, to the Mayor or to any power what- ever. There were no restrictions in the charter with reference to advertising for any proposals, with refer- ence to salaries or prohibiting the men in control from furnishing all the supplies at their own prices and | paying to themselves Such compensations as they chose out of the public money. That they fulfilled the letter of theiqgpriviloge aud opportunity will be seen in the developments to be made. THE MANAGING DIRECTORS were Senator H. ©. Murphy, Senator Wm. M. Tweed, | Comptroller R. B. Connolly, Contractor Hugh Smith, Purk President J. 8, T, Stranahan, Park Director 3. L. | Husted, Politician H. W. Slocam, Eagle proprietor; | Isaac Van Anden, Corporation Counsel, and present | Judge Alexander McCue, The stock was put down principally in the names of Contractors Kingsley & Keeney, Tweed, Sweeny, Connolly, Slocum, Stranaban, Murphy and Husted. A few others were allowed to hold a small amount of stock only, and | Be“ distributed im different names, but to be cared for from A RUSE OF TIE RING. The city of New York subscribed $1,500,000, thecity | of Brooklyn $5,000,000; eighteen private individuals subscribed $500,000—making the first capital stock | $5,000, 000, The stock was to be paid up in ten per | cent instalments; each call of ten ver cent would, | therefore, produce $500,000, Each call on the private stock alone would amount to $50,000, One of the ruses | resorted to in order to create a fund from which to pay private subscriptions was to draw out fifteen per cent on the total amount of money paid in. Therefore when $500,000 should have been paid in by the private subscribers, $750,000 would have been drawn out by them, which would havo given them their stock clear and a profit of $250,000. ANOTHER SOURCE 01 UR was to put themselves in the way of furnishing sup- plies. The first thing requisite in building the plers | was to make coffer dams, composed of timber, which | amounted to several hundred thousand dollars, To supply this timber members of the organization bought what is known as the New York Sawmill and Lumber ! was required this company was asked to make its prices, and other parties, selected only by a com- mittee, were invited to compete with them. Enough of the timber was purchased of other parties just to give a fair coloring to the idea of competition, Some. times prices were only asked of the Sawmill and Lum- ber Company and of the superintendent of the Saw- mili and Lumber Company in his individual capacity. ‘The next thing required was stone and granite. It is stated that members of the company had secured in- teresta in the quarries from whence this material was received. Soon after the organization ot the com- pany an executive committeo was appointed, consisting of §. Lb. Husted, William M. Tweed, J. 8. T. Strana- han, Hugh Smith, H. W. Slocum and the President, xo Murphy, e-¢ io, The entire power of pro- ceeding with the bridge was placed in the hands of this committee. They proceeded to carry on the | work on the above pian, the detailed operations of which were not known to the Board. In the sum- mer of 1871 Tweed, Hugh Smith, Connolly and others became involved in the exposures made on the new Court House job, which had been carried on under precisely the same charactor of legislation as that by which the bridge directors were acting. The enor- mous expenditures upon the bridge and the little progress nade excited much indignation on tho ‘ of the people of Brooklyn, and a committee of Bry citizens were appointed to investigate the brid; affairs. It appears that Mr. Kingsley, who hold the | pool stock and controlled the organization, had not | put himself im the directory. He bad, however, been k appointed as THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT of the entire wor Through him the supplies had been furnished, the bills paid, and through him the money to take care of the pri stock subscriptions had been paid ont Prior to a visit of the Committee of Fifty to the Bridge Company’s office a general porambfe took place. (ty thousand dollars of money which had been paid out by Mr. Kingsley wero re- turned, The entries upon the records were c! od, the books mutilated and an effort made to h: the records harmonize with the explanations which the Board were making to the public, The report of the Committee of Filty was of so distinct and damaging a character to the management that dissension arose among the directors, who had been aninformed of the transactions of the oy Committee, It appeared that the monoy paid to Mr. Kingsley had not been re- ported to the Board, and was unknown to several of ‘ours, very truly, F. BERNSER, i Marine th Phenix insurance ‘Company. the directors, 1t was agreed to be paid him by the | been paid by all the private stockholders on acconnt of | erasure was made in the minute book to make the orig- Execoative Committee for advances witch were reported to have been made by him. There was a Dill of ex. penditures as follows, made by Mr. Kingsley, amount- ing to $7,016 09, which is quite ui A UNIQUE BILL OF BXPEN October 25, 1869—New York Bridge Company to Kingsley & Keeney, debtor :— ~ 1360. February 20—Photographs Mr. Roebling’s repo Bill of office furniture. March 29—Repairs..... + 2 @ | Dinners for engineers. - M1 90) Cieaning of otf ti. 28 60 April 6—Dinners for engineers. soe 220 25 Carpet for oftice. mi + os April 26—Dinaers for engineers... , B81 50 April 29—Traveiling expenses to Cincinnati * with Board of Consulting Engin- + 8,714 00 | i, oe See Funeral ft. E.R : Bae | expenses of J. E. Rooblin; . “ October 14—Janitor and telegrams......0.... 17 50 | October 20—Desk and wheel chair for Mr. Kingsley... steesectecereeee 800 00 Total. «ee neee e+ $7,016 09 Received payment February 14, 1870, KINGSLEY & KEENEY. PROVIDED FoR. Mr. Kingsley an unlimited sam of money, upon the score of advances made by him, was dat-d July 6. It will appear by the above that the advances were repaid five months Pree and onl, amounted to a small proportion of the money whicl was drawn out by him. He actually drew under this resolution $175,000. Another singular feature of this extraordinary transaction 18 found in the fact that the money as drawn was not charged to Mr. Kingsley, nor was it laced in the salary account with other salaries paid, 't was first charged to a commission account, and this account was erased on the ledger and placed to a sree expense account. It was again transferred from that account to @ construction account. Among the directors were William Marshall, Demas Barnes, Wiliam Hunter, Jr., and a few gentie- men who had in good faith eontributed $5,000 and $10,000 each to promote the enterprise. They in- sisted that an examination should be made of every- thing pertaining to the ‘ridge management, that the doors should be opened to the press, that the material should be inventoried and compared with the money paid out for it, and the public informed in regard to the whole thing. The history of the appointing of the commitiee through the efforts of Mr. Barnes is not obtainable, but from the files of the newspapers of that date it is found that to the consternation of the man- agers Barnes had secured @ committee, qonsisting of himself, F. A. Schroeder and A. 8. Hewitt. They com- mencod their examinations about September 1. Thetr Eseded were not made until the 6th of the following january, Mr. Barnes directed his efforts to an inventory of ‘THS MATERIAL AND SUPPLIES furnished, for the purpose of comparing them with the money paid. He did not anticipate any irregularity in tho books, but discovered the transactions above re- ferred to, He found that commissions had been paid on all the material furnished and the salaries paid, on the labor payroll, on office rent, on the land purchased and on every disbursement of whatever kind until the exposure was made, it was ascertained that the Committee of Fifty had Presented a respectful memorial to the Legislatur asking for a legal committee of examination, the a| pointment of which was defeated by the bridge man- agers. Two civil engincers were employed, Egbert L. jele and E. C, Miller, to measure the material paid | for by the Bridge Company. Obstacles appear to have been placed in the way of such measurement, when they resigned their emplo; itand sent to the Chair- man of the committee # letter, of which the following 48 a copy :-— New Yorx, Nov. 10, 1872 Hon. Dewas Banwns, Chairman Bridge Com) Duan Sin—I find it impossible to make a satis es. timate of tbe material purchased by the New York B: Company. To overcome the obstacles thrown in the way of t by the unnecessary shifting of tho the employes of the company requires as skill as professional acumen, which service to perform. Yours, &e., EGBERT L. VIELE, Consalting Engineer, Not having. the legal power to enforce the exami- nation of books and records of those furnishing the supplies, thi8 part of the investigation amounted to nothing. KING: The resolution to pay a correct measure: matorials — much deteeti’ I must d WHAT THE COMMITTER REPORTED. Two reports were made, one by the Chairman, Demas Barnes, and the other by Messrs. Schroeder and Hewitt. Mr. Barnes recites the details in regard to the manner of bookkeeping, &c., and said ‘that the entire powers of the Bridge Company had been monopolized by the Executive Committee, which had appointed all the agents, furnished all the land, audited its own bills, appointed its own attorney, fixed compensations, and | had not reported the same to the Board.” Of the Fi- nance Committee, he said:—“This committee has never held a meeting or made a report, although its Chairman Was appointed to that position for the fourth year.” In regard to the commissions paid to Mr. Kingsley, he said that when the sum of $1,179,521 had been paid out’ | by the company, the sum of $175,000 had been paid to | r. Kingsley, which was fifteen per cent instead of | five. The word fifteen and the figures 15 had been erased in the original entry, and 6, in « Sgure, inserted. He reported that credit was given for money | received on account of private subscriptions which bad | not been paid in or reached the bank. Messrs, Hewitt | and Schroeder said in their report:—‘There has been paid to Mr. Kingsley under this (fifteen per cent) reso- ution (for advances) the sum of $175,000, an amount largely in exccss of the sum which at that time had the stock held by them."* At that time the expenditures on the bridge amounted to $1,170,531 40, showimg an overpayment of $116,023 93. ‘The payment of money to him beyond the amount’ to which he was entitied could not be explained on any hypothesis consistent | with the proper discharge by the directors of their duties to the public. The resotution in reality fixed the compensation of Mr. Kingsley at fifteen per cent, instead of five per cent, but when it'was found how large the compensation would be, the rate was reduced to five per cent, and an {nal resolution correspond with the chanye, The. fol- | lowing was the resolution as recorded on the minutes | of the Executive Committee—present, Messrs. Murphy, Husted, Stranahan, Tweed, Slocum and Smith:— Resolved, That five (5) per contum on the amount of the expenditures for the foundations of the towers of tho brid, inelndin, \ the payment for land, s+} | 6 General Superintendent, bebalf of the company up 0 | up to high id wo. Wi or bis services and ad: vance the completion of such foundat AFTER THE REPORTS of the committee work was almost abandoned on the bridge for some time. The President and several of the directors resigned their positions, and a reorgani- zation was attempted. Jeremiah P. Robinson was made President, and William A. Fowler, Benjamin F. ‘Tracy and several other frisnds of the managers were placed on the direction. Messrs, Marshall and Barnes | were left out in the formation of the new Board. Tho managers prepared a bill by which they were to be paid buck the money they had put into the concern, and claimed they were ready to abandon their relations | to it forever. Governor Dix vetood the bill, aud they nursed their positions along tor a couple of years, when they secured the e of a bill giving to the Mayors and Comptroliers of Brooklyn and New York | each the appointment of eight directors, The bill also provided for the repayment to the private stockholders of their investments, with interest, which money was raised by the issue of bonds payable by the cities at large. Mayor Hunter and Compiroller Schroeder re- appointed Henry ©, Murphy, J. 8. T. Stramahan and | Willian C. Kingsley to their old positions in the Board, | Mr. Kingsley had been made a director during some of | the changes of the previous year. THE PRESENT DIRECTORY of the bridge consists of sixteen men, a majority of | whom are believed to be high minded, thorough and honorable business men. But, very singularly, as tar as Brooklyn was'concerned, David M. Stoue, editor of the Jowrnal of Commerce ; ex-Mayor Samuel Booth and George 1. Nichols, an importing ratory 4 who bad | been forafew months in the directory, had w give piace to other gentlemen more acceptable to the | appointing powers. No men in Brooklyn stand higher | than the three referred to, MN. KINGSLEY'S DEFENCE. In the course of his reply to the Committee of Fifty Mr. Kingsley said :—When the subject of compensation ‘ed some talked of twenty per ceu filteen, some ten and some five upon all expenditur till the foundations were up to high water mark, Wi my concurrence the directors finally fixed it at five per cont, and this is the $125,000 I received. As asalary, | the amount is less than any company could get my ser- vices for during the same time aud in the face of one- half the adversities. As a remuneration to a contractor taking charge of 80 grand an onterprise it is well insignificant.” This statement fails to harmonize with what was made about one year subsequent, CONTRADICTORY ADMISSIONS. meeting of a committee of Aidermen to investi- | ridge Company, held April 4, | (873, Mr. Kingsley was called to testify and stated that | he was Superintendent ot the Kast River Bridge and | had been a director of the company since June, 1872, | ‘but was not one ot the incorporators, He became per- sonally intorested in the enterprise in 1866; at the be- | pacing Colonel Julius Adams was connected with him | making up the plans. The directors wanted him to take the position of general superintendent under a | salary ; but he had his time pretty well ocoupied, and he declined to take the position for a ‘salary. He agreed, however, to accept the position at fifteen per cent, but they thought this was entirety too high, and spoke of five per cent, and finally they told him wo go on with the work and they would make satisfactory arrangements, The matter was not settled until early in July, 1870; he then claimed that he was entitled to filteen per cent for his time, labor and efforts ow behalf | on the enterprise during five or six years; he believed | fifteen per cent was 4 reasonabie profit for a contractor | and he placed himself in that position, and they then | decided to give him fifteen per cent,’ The work was | then continued until the spring of 1872 The ex- ecutive comisittes then became dissatisfied with the arrangemeuts in regard to the compensation; they had a number of meetings, and alter talking the matter | over he concluded to take five per cent, which would | amount to $115,000 or $120,000. He consented, upon the cqndition that the committee should take + of | tock which he held. This they agreed to do He was, he considered, entitled to receive $200,000 more | than the Bridge Company paid him, and then ft would | have been a very honest contract. Mr. Ripley Ropes put the question, “Why were you so willing to back | down in this?” towhich the reply was, “I was not Willing to give It ap, but the committee thought that they had made a mistake, and it would be so regarded by the community, and they therefore desired to bo re- Kteved from the responsibility. The only Slee could remove that error was for them to the sacrifice,” They relreved him of about $130,000 worth of the stuck. All he had received as pay from the com- joe was $125,000, pe consid tile is time, ntact, he tas pensation, He should have racaived 3 but he | va @id not wish tnts tobe an opstacie im tne puilding of the bridge, and be therefore sacritived it, on! ‘THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATES, mate of tho cost of building the complete by the engineer, Johu A, Roebling, was as follows:— Suspended superstructure, including alt. Anchorage, including plates and chain: ‘Two tower foundations (Brooklyn, New York, $309, ts Two towers. . Engines and Approaches: Toll houses Engineoring. Contingencies. Total.. (000 In the repo pan e80 caiisuates ine engineer perpetrated @ keen but unconscious satire when ho suggested that by @ judicious plan of arrange- ment the towers of the bridge, being hollow, might be converted into immense safes or vaults for the safe keeping of the city, county and even national securities and treasure. The dead engineer has had bis sugges- tion carried out ina very different way from what he intended. Six millions of city and county treasure are go safely locked up in these towers that no however expert, need ever hope to secure a single penny. When Roebling drew up his estimates gold and every other commodity were higher than they are to-day, They were carefully digested and hon rendered, though {t should not be very surprisin, like all public estimates, they fell short of the expenditures; but nobody dreamed the first estimates would be jess than a fifth of the ultimate cost, COST OF RIGHT OF WAY. By the terms of its charter the company is confined in the location of the land terminus of the bridge om the New York side to a latitude ranging from Chatham square along the line of Caatham streot to its junction with Nagsau. This provision rendered but’ two points feasible on this side, oue at Chitham square and the other near the City Hall Park. ‘The latter was selected, the point of termination being at the head of Centre street, in front of tho Staats Zeitung building, intercept- ing the Fourth avenue, Third avenue, Bleecker street and other lines of street cars. A terminus at Chat- ham square would have made the distance from the New York pier of the bridge 602 feet shorter, but the expense likely to be saved in thi direction would hardly compensate for the loss o! traflio from the west side of town, which the lower terminus would command. The distance between the pier and Chatham square is 1,350 feet, and betwoen tho pier and Centre streeta little over 2,000 feet. The floor of the bridge would project across South street and strike over the ship chandlery stores facing the river between No. 160 and No. 170. ,Passing over the blocks between Front and Water streets the first obstruction would be mot with in Harper’s building on Pearl street. The right of way beyond this point would be enormously expensive unless a deflection was given to the line of roudway and tbat it was carried up Frankiort street between the houses, but as Frankfort street is less than cighty feet wide, this would be impossible un- Jess the houses at one side were torn down. {tis easy to conceive the vast expense involved in bringing the approaches at the New York side through the prop- erty east of the City Hall Park. Roebling had an idea of creating a new street which might be appropriately called Bridge street, over which the floor of the bridge should pass until it struck level with the ground above Centre street. it will not do to tolerate houses beneath the bridge floor, as in case of fire the structure might be destroyed, At the Brooklyn side the distance from the pier to the terminus on Sands street, near Washington, is 856 feet. The right of way is by no means as em” varrassing as it is in New York. The property to be condemned is infinitely less valuable and the distance to overcome is, nearly two-thirds less. Mr. Roebling had an idea that 000 would have purchased the right of way between the western pier and Chatham square; but real estate dealers put the figure om @ fair appraisement at eight times that amount. On the Brooklyn side the real estate by the river has been held for years at a high figure ‘When this question of right of way comes to be sert- ously pondered one begins to yy #3 of ever seeing the consummation of the work. per’s building and lots, which are threatened, would hardly be condemned under $500,000, At least a score of buildings of like character stand in the way on the rising ground abovi Water des so that the estumate of expense be- comes perfectly bewildering in its vastness. MAYQR HAVEMBYER ON THE BRIDGE. Mayor Havemeyer, on April 11, 1874, addressed a re- markable communication to the.Commitice of Com merce of the State Senate concerning the bridge. He said:—“The schemers in Brooklyn, having lost confi- dence in their ability to pass the Brooklyn Bridge bill now before your committee, have concocted avother looking to the reimbursement of the present stockhold- ers for the money they have advanced, and imposing a very large debt upon both New York and Brooklyn to complete the work. There has been aiready spent upom this structure some $5,000,000, and we have two unfin- ished piers to represent that sum, The whole cost of the work was estimated by Mr. Roebling and other competent engineers at $7,500,000, which was rey as a liberal estimate at the time. They now require $8,00,000 more, and from past ox- perience I am satisied that when thas is expended =n jobs. they will, require a large additional ainount to complete it,*and when done it will be comparatively worthless. The elevation is to be 129 feet above high water mark, 1,600 feot span and 85 feet wide for railroad tracks, carriage- way and pedestrians. Such a structure at such a height andas such subject to the gales with which we are frequently visited will doubtless be subjected to con- stant danger. I consider it entirely impracticable aud, if practicable, entirely a: as a means of increasing the population or business of our city. This ey was conceived in gin, born in iniquity and, like all are creations, must end in disaster to all concerned he WHAT A MERCHANT SAYS OF THE BRIDGE. In the course of his inquirtes the Herat rey . | met with a prominent merchant of Brooklyn, who did not desire to be mentioned by name, and had o« talk with him on the subject of the Bast River Bridge. “What tw your opinion in regard to the present management and its future prospects?” ‘he bridge is Ie ged enterprise and one of vital in- terest to the city of Brooklyn and likewise to all that portion of New York below Fourteenth street, It should have been completed long before this, and would have been but ior the gross mismanagement which characterized its first four years’ existence, There are some good men in the present managemen' but there aro Likewise enough of the old managers tn i to obstruct any sorelenias as to what has been done heretoiore. A responsibility is placed upon these new directors which experienced merchants would not ac- cept. No man of experience can afford to accept re- sponsibility without power. Ido not understand that these new directors have taken an inventory of the material which comes into their hands or of that which has heretofore been used,’ in order te compare it with the momey paid out. If $2,000,000 have already been stolen by the past management the now directors bi in the tuture, be held partially re- sponsible for it. would not accept a pl on the bridge direction, much as I am anxious to see the work advanced, uniess I could strike a balance, and know just exactly where I was starting from Im other words, | would not take a bankrupt estate and hold myself responsible for the deficit which will some | time be ascertained to exist’? TACTIOS OF KINGSLEY AND KRENEY, In regard to Kingsley & Keeney’s demand on the Water board for payment to them of more money om the Reservoir contract, which has slept since last May, it is looked upon as having decidedly @ political, | diplomatic and legal aspect. One rumor bas it that the object of these gentiemen is to get all the money they can out of the present Board of Aldermen Belore it goes out of office on the 3istof December, Another rumor is that it is a ‘put up job,” by which the de mand is to be made and refused. ACTION AGAINST THE RING. | PRELIMINABY STEPS BY THB ATTORNEY GENERAL. The report a fow daya ago that Attorney General Prats had important papers in his hands on which he intended taking action against the Brooklyn Ring for certain moneys unlawfully exacted from the tax- payers is now verified by the statement of Mr. John & Parsons, who said, yesterday, to a reporter that the Attorney General, at the request of a committee of Brookiyn citizens, had referred to him (Parsons) two questions which he desired to settle before proceeding ainst the persons accused of complicity in the frauds. The questions submitted to Mr. Parsons are, Whether there | 1s probable cause of action against the accused, and whether there is any good reason why Corporation Counsel De Witt should no: be employed in thoir prose cution, . Mr. Parsone is not yet in a position to decide these questions, as sufficient information has not yet been laid before him. The members of the Taxpayers’ Association, however, feel satisfied they can furnish him with enough material to convince him that aban- dant cause of action exisia, They digtrust the Corpora- tion Counsel and mean to give their reasons in full for 80 feoling. THR PROPITS OF BXCAVATING SAND. Anticipating, as Y Raeh the Attorney General, Mr. John C, Wright, of P is, Long Island, one of the sub-contractors on the Hempstead reservoir has sued Kingsley & Keeney for § for 10ss under the con- tract which they broke on May 1, 1874. It will be re~ membered that in the bids for construoting the reser- voir Kingsley & Keeney put im for excavating sand sixty-one cents per var while William Beard offered to do the work for twenty-five cents a yard. Wright im his complaint says ho contracted to excavate 100,000 cubic yards of sand for twouty-seven cents a cubic york, ay ip maton ey thirty-four cents a ly ordet ‘4 be after he Nad removed 12,836 Wright holds that this was a breach of agroe- ment and claims $7,000. Kingsley maintains that he owes Wright only $162 and is ready to pay it The enormity of the reservoir ie may be inferred from the fact that even when W! jb was excavating sand (or twenty-seven cents a cubic yard he was making a good profit, as he stutes himself; yot the contract was givom wo Kinguley at sixty-one cents ® yard. Wright even says be could have done the work for eighteen conts « ard, Wright's testimony was taken before Richard ngraham. ¥ Ay INFIRMARY’S REMOVAL, ‘The Now York Infirmary for Women and Children, formerly located corner of Eighth street and Socond avenue, has recently been removed to tho new quar. tors, No. 6 Livingston place, Stuyvesant square, a large and commodious building, which the trustees have purchased and fitted up at a considerable outlay, In order more fully to interest the public in the work of the infrmary—the only hospital of the kind in educated their own sex—tho trustees to open the building for public inspection on Tuesday, 16, (rom two tw six P,