Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-12-26

We have before us the reports OIL INC leoi -
Engineer Of the above WORK. 'Ose'A'r WIN '
panying documents. ,r..; tho
last Standard over the signature of Alex Muichin'
Prest c. F. & D. r. Nav. Co., said communicate Pu
nortipg to be in reply to editorial in tne
Journal rejecting in the severes tone Oh inc
of the work on the line of the Cape Fear deep N'ef
igation Company" e,;u .rctro
Hadthe editorial of the Journal been successful IN
thing calculated to throw light upon the real Poslo
and prospects of the work. then sheuld we have 1e
indeed and been content to confess our previous
and blindness upon the subject, happy to THINK 'n " ~
ne had caught glimpse Of daylight W c~nn0 sO W.
. graduate ourselves we are as ihuon ~ INV ~
more so, if possible ,,oo.r. from
sbs charge of having employed Mr. Douglas aS
III .Ir Sufficient answer to all this part OF 'he
CoI latter ia found in the fact that no sucn chai
hoe boon made bv u.s. What object 10 Is the ia''
that an Engineer, SO employed at go large coPen'
.ot;o did moi have the full control of his own SuDoi-
5;.o,oa T. isa matter of little Importance 10 u.s.
.5L,tor Mr. Donola. lacked frmness or interest In
tina work sufficient to make him insist IN this ma''e
o. vbstber be Welded to the pressure OF influence
tbe thing of which we complained was so. The Col
talks about censuring the board tor retaining 49,
Carolina " assistants, quoting the words " Nor'n
Carolina" as though We had used sucn iansu~s'
which we have not not done. II the oOJec' 10 ~
excite any prejudice it is without foundation OF sup
port in our remarks
About the contracts on Deep RIVER We nate "0'O
IN saw First: There no sort OF paraIlel Oet"ee
the contract proposed and that with the McOulous"
Co. 10 which reference was made. In the case ol 'e
= McCulIough contract, the Directors were toollsn
enough to nut themselves in the power OF the contrac
TORS bv advancing the money. In the present instance
The offer was to complete the 1Uhoc al the Engineers
estimates before asking for any money so that no IsK
would have been run.
But it was preferred to let the thing out TO num-
Der of contractors giving bond, etc. The WORK was 10
be done by the goth Oct At the present rate OF pro-
oress it won't be done by the Goth Oct, of next year
What is the use of talking about bonds, since they
are never once thought about? Contractors give
bond to finish work at certain time and finish II OF
leave unfinished just as happens to suit them MOI
thing on Deep RS er has been finished according te
contract But the Engineer, MIR. Douglas, is refer
red to. Hear him on one of the works on Deep Xiv
sr. He says:
bs contractors for the construction of the locks and ca
nal at Lockve Deep river, progressing very slowly
The Stone Lift Lock about IoDe the latte
can be completed within month, but unless they progre
months before q boat will pass to the coal-heid
Since no contracts appear to have been complete
as per stipulation what, might we respectfully "Si
was the use of taking bonds None OF them are eV'
enforced. They might as we'll not be taken Tor any
thing we can see. " Unavoidable circumstances
an excuse of sufficient latitude and longitude to Gov
everything, and it does cover everything except u
fact that from year to year the thing goes on trul'f
IN excuses but in nothing else.
Mr. Murchison seems to think, or at least seen
to believe that he can make other people think IN
all the difficulties and delays on the work have arls
from the fact that the Wilmington influence in tt
Company has been in favour of Northern Engine
Ito wit-Mr Douglas) with big salary. Now Il
difficulties wele about as great as they could be b
fore ever Mr. Douglas was named or thought Of
Things had got so bad that they could be no Wor
when he was proposed and it is nonsense to thrc
the blame on Mr.. Douglas or the Wilmington SIoc
holders 1t is not fair. 1t is not just. We can
collect the solemn endorsement signed by the uP-ri'
managers in defence of former engineer and his
nupciation of the Journal We might easily sh
who was right in that case, but there IS no use
amending time to show what everybody admits.
half think that we are now throwing away time
advance, when the experience of a few years Will
dictate our present position better than any argume
of ours could do.
But an appeal is made to the opinion OF the FL
neer, 10 show that things have been attended tt
they ought to have been. Let US see. We exit
from the third and fourth paragraphs OF the I'll
neer's report -
Contracts were made for strengthening and securing
locks and dams beth at Jones' falls and Silver rum the Ia
part os July 1866, and the work completed about
close of the years but regret to say that the lower sop
both of those dams were seriously injured by some Oh
6rst high freShsts which occurred and not h1plng
ronpy repaired they should haze been were subsequ
y entirely carried away.
These accidents mag be 1ChOAy attributed to careless
bad ms1p; the time these works in the co
of construction the president was laboring under Sc
attack of illness of several months duration The sup
tending engineer who also had tAe cross creek Work
his charge having reliable assistants, obliged t.
vote most of his time to the latter work-consequenty
works unaVodably neglected-the result 'OGS the
were hrOUn together best suited the CONVENIENCE
contractor. haze no hesitation IN saying IT the til
asork had been property bOsd together, aud the packing
Though of inferior quality, had been property hand
cd the york lC0utd neUer haze been earned Gt0dY
Now this is exactly what we tried to enforce,
time to time, as the works drifted past our wharv
lodged in the river to the further impeachment of
up.riVer navigation.
"The controlling influence heretofore, in the st
holders meeting, an idea ineulcated by the neigt
of the Journal, supposed that to effect anythir
vas necessary to have Northern Engineer at
highest compensation, with large corps of assist
to whom the entire management of everything
90 implicitly surrendered" and to this Mr.. M at
utes all the delays and difficulties AS we have
marked before, this is shere nonsense. Them
ment to get Mr.. Douglas was almost act of
Of laoof Lat 40 - L.