Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-02-01

cubic yards OF extra excavation wiIch
| is not noticed in the estimates of the ..,
| engineers, and stating the price atI2i
| cents per cubic yard, the cost will be 90
| The contractors are bound 10 take
| M the present locks,to place the stone
| where IL Will he Convenient 10 be TAXI
! ea for any public use, TO fill the chasm
which VIII be made by their removal
| and TO make an embankmeuf npcessa.
~ tor the continuance OF the canal
| not noticed III the estimates Of the en-
gmeers' '.................. ................3 800
| Sl5393
| IL feet of lockage (which is one foot
| more than waS stated in the estimates
| of the engineers but il has been de-
| cided to raise the water one foot at
| the upper arch, aud this will decrease
the lockage above exactly "a II in
| cTeases il here) at The same rate as in
1 the estimates, ) 1000 per foot lift IL O0O
| S323g3
| Add for contingencies, ten per cent. 3 239
Amount of estimates for the nart
now under contract, OF a eaunl 80 feet
| wide and 8! feet deep, precisely oil
| the principles, aud at the prices re-
ported by the engineers. .......-....S So 632
| Thus IL plainly appears that if the engineers
| had contemplated canal 40 feet Uide and 81
| feet deep, the amount OF their estimates on
| The same principles and at the same pices
| would have been S 1862 aud believing
"
all, any thing short OF full aud fair statement
OF facts would be short of justice TO all parties
| concerned, L have conyeised FIRE ely with both
| The engineers, With The President OF The James
| RIVER company aud with every other person
who could give me correct information, be.
sides examining documents. The engineers
both say that, when they stated the cost of
| locks al 1000 per foot lit. they had uoi in
| view locks so wide as l6 feet in The clear, nor
any other than cut tree-stone for facing their
| chambers. The probability is, had they con.
| templated them 10 be OF that width aud 10 he
faced with Gu, granite sioae, they would have
| rated their cost al 5 1900 per foot lift which
| would add to the amount % 743, giving. ms
| SS93I2 as the amount of the engineers esti-
males The contractors are bound 10 face the
| Chambers and breasts OF the locks with cut
granite stone. 10 groat all tie walls " iih water
proof mortar, TO pui III cast iron cult erts for
| filling and emptying the locks 20 build them
separate from each other, which viii render
necessary an additional pair of gates aud of
| culveris and 10 make "a basin between them I:
| And they are TO receive $40 600 for the whole
contrac. only S62S more ban the amount of
the original estimates, tchen fully and fairly
| stated.
All the preceding items, except one, appear
TO INT SO obvious and so clear, thar only that
one requires further calculation. mean The
item respecting the Alb perches of masonry
| instead OF only 7GG perches, az stated hy the
| engineers. Mr.. Briggs. IN his report II The
James River Company, datedsi month 18th,
| 1920, states as necessary for the enlarged ca.
| nal Two pieces ct wall
One piece 81 chains long & 10 high conain ss2 peres
77As Chains of wall, containing alb perctes
This excess OF masonry would, on snpei Il.
ciai view, seem TO be beyond all proportion
| TO the increase OF size of the canal. Both
! the engineers have been consulted on this
| apparent disagreement, aud they both state
promptly and distinctly that the principal rea-
son tor having recourse TO stone walls is want
OF room for bank of earth between The river
and hill side either impenetrable or SO ex,
pensive 10 be penetrated as 10 put that idea
| ont OF the question; that places frequently
occur where an increase in width OF canal of
Ten feet, or even less, would render a wall
necessary, none at all being necessary without
That increase that oil a steep hill side where
alone stone walls are required 10 support the
bank, an increase in width of canal will place
the base OF the wall so much lower as greatly to
increase, frequently to double its height: and
as the wall is TO be battered that is thicker at
the bottom than at The top, at the rate of 2
| inches for every foot, The quantity of rsasonry
is increased, on this account, yond a simple
| propoItiou-for instance, wall 6 feet high
would cortain SO percbesp per Chain in length a
wall Of double that height, instead of liz, would
contain l2o perches. A due consideration OF
these explanations of the engineers will in
my view, completely account for the differ.
ence III the quahiityof masonry and remove
1 the seeming difficulty.
But IT IL should so happen that less amour,
of masonry than q .II3 peIches can tie made
TO answer the purposes of good and sub.
staniial canal, stipulation has, at the Instance
OF Mi. Briggs, been introduced into the cou-
tract, that 81 so cents for every perch which
the work falls short of4 ll3, shall be deduct
ed from the s ~ 000 and the contractors shall
receive ouIy the BALANCE.
am informed. by the very best authority
that the lowest offers made 10 the James III
yer Company before they closed this contract
were founded on prices which, applied IN pro
| portion 10 every part Of the work now con
trscted Tor, would have made the amount tx
coed GO 600. Tile tariff of prices on Uhri
this contract was founded tile same as lila
OF the eDgiDeerSestmaies. was that OF Nev
| YORK. Had the contractors been deceived
In their expectations. and obliged 20 rely OF
the only prices of which they would avail
, | themselves here, their ruin was inevitable
, but they have had the firInuess to resist ever,
attempt which was made TO lasten, tbfongi
them, on the state OF Virginia that Tuinons ia
rih OF prices which must have paraliZed al
her future efforts ~ the progress of her in
ternal improvements, This firm stand in iht
contractors occasioued tie loss Of The Who'll
! mouth OF October, a month OF TemaikabI
! hue weather for labor GU the canal. Thei
eDdeaVOBIs TO procure labor itom The north
ward were unfemitied-and 1 an told, the
have succeeded, at prices as iOtC a3 thOse of Oh
| estimates. 1t they make any profit, il must b
by reducing The scale Of piiCes as tOtV al lea,
! | as those contemplated by the engineers
| ihey make muCh profit 10 must be by feduC
E Jug them iOtrer. SO that The greater the prot
| ibvy make for themselves, the greater he b,
I n'it they viii confer on tile state iu MOI
Than a tenfoid ratio as il will Operate on
her Iutute works. Ii any thing can ensot
: | the Whole contemplated piau being execute
!. Tor, or under the amount estimated by the eI
gineeTs,n VIII be tue oOufse istta ~ ;cfnia