New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-31
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THE NEW CROTON RESERVOIR.
To 4. ". Crarer, CirI Easia,er.

To a. W. Crdter CHH fHginer
SIR: In The Courier and Ncr-York Enqairtr Of
Dec. - hsve seen communcstion frop you 10 ref
erence to the new Reservoir IN the central Park The
introduction to your official article is headed by the
words corrupt lob" dlsgraceful plundering &c.
deDouncipg the action of tue whole Board oi Council
men as having got up "a scaLdalous soheule' Ia al
csses where such langu4g is used toward nii'iiuss
or bodies Of men, I have foond some Other motive
than the public good at tie bottom Of the accusation
psss over the Introduction, which ccn,sns illusions
so "dsgrsceful' to the publisher and come down to
your official papers, which l intend to examine in
spirit of frankness and fairness which should always be
the controlling feeling subjects of such grave im-
portance the safety OF great public work, and the
character of our representative.
You have given the puohc no Information on tue
suficiency of the embankueIts around the great
Manhattan Lake" which will be elevated 10 iset
above tide and contain body OF water lOo acres eur
face and SO feet depth, thus raising up aud placirg
above the city q axe large enough TO create by =
breskage loss Of millions of property and thorsands
of lives. AL persons who will visit and exsmoe ths
work will form sn opinion of the suiency OF insui-
feiency Of the embsrkments; and hod among these
persons a general feeling Of dlstrus Inis feeling oil
dsrus must and DOES affect are s'y s
| to occur Should "a break take place the Eighth
avenue side, where think it will occur within snort
| time after it is finished the present pl,n, 1t
will sweep the valley west taking the squeduct with
it, ana thus utterly destroy and cut OIL the supply oi
water to the city. One moments reflection upon
| such disaster will sppsl the stoutest heart IL ls
painful to imagine that city so entirely pendent
! upon the Croton, may thus Or cut off in moment
| from this Indispensable supply. Is not the conse.
queuces Of such disaster sufficient TO stir the bloodand
prompt the inquiry, Is this casualty sufficiently pro-
ylded against Are We the taxpayers and rent
payers of this city, to be told by officials thst mu't
be content this subject to abide b. their decision,
aud make no inquiry And the scllon OF the
Board Of Coun cInen be charged with corruption be-
cause they seek togive more certain security to the
city in this particular, AID do not feel satisfied TO rely
| implicitly upon your assurancesl Until SAW your
communication 10 The Courier, had passed no opn-
| ion a. To your capacity but nos propose to inquire
for the benett cf the community, how FAR the Common
| Council are justified in acting irrespective OF yQnr
counsel in matter involving millions OF dollnrs ~
| thousands If lives.
In this communication you assert that you com
| menced no portion of the work untl after you had
| 4" made the most careful and minute examination OF
4" every iem." This assertion is made dsliberatey,
and after large amount Of work has been done, ani
you evidently expect to believe that the estimate
made by you, and which is published, embracing each
item for contract proposals Is IN every ITEM correct
ask whether tie esfmAtes made by you and PAID 10
| the contractors, vernes tins assertion lou nave
| these accounts before you, and certainly DO know
whether your assertion that each item in the estimate
has proved correct, is true In the course Of tnis
exanlnht on shall assume that your assertions are
true You assert that the making ot c0ncr IL wall,
a. proposed BY the Be- ard Of Councilmen vii make An
eIrs charge Of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars
Now We will examine your ogn statements to enable
to arrive st the truth OF this assertion Al page o
Doc. No. ,, in your careful and minute st.tement
YOU esk for estmate upon IS @ cutie yards Oi pal
die. Ths is intended TO cover tue puddle complete
that kind of work the new ReservoIr Inls puddle
s placed 10 the embsnkmeLt and your specifications
require that it shall be feet at Top and 10 feet a.
bottom. The Board Of Councilmen propose wal Of
coucrete as substitute 10 be ieet at top and IL teet
at bottom. 1t lsa plain question then, % 70 quantity,
IL 6xl6 Of puddle produces - a3 cubic yards, then
iIl2 Of concrete will produce 80, i9i cubic yards.
You cay that the are eGttied u y per Gu
bic yard Of concrete; as then will make the con rste
wall ss propose1 by the COuncilDen, cost sl3' ~
This then is the whole gTOss cost OF concrete stl
sccord ~ TO your figures, without dedue.ing Tor
tue puddle net used and Of course not to be pad or
! How then by your own showing can you assert thst
the concrete wall will cost an extra nVe hundred ana
6f,y thousand dollars, while you continue - as-ert
that you had made careful and minute" estimate
In yonr sixth subdivision OF your protest sou assert
that Messrs Fairchid Co. BID 70: puddle tsenty ~
cents and concrete s. per cubic yard an Messrs
Gu mining bid l3J thirty cents for puddle, AMI " ~
two collars AMI ninety eight cents ior concrete, and
"that there being in the orisnsl plan but snal
quantity Of concrete and large amount OF puddle
| "lt was the low prce the latter material which
secured the work the present contr instead
d" Of the Messrs. Cummings We wilcareiuly exam
inc his assertion and learn if 1t Is better sustained
n an the one have already ventilated ioo assert
tha, yon gave the contract 10 Mesrrs. Fairchi CO.
4 Cf The pHCc VI tiio pNpNi7 on" eho oAnoAi
| amount If concrete. Your estimate shows:
7s es cubic ysds Of puddle at c..........'..."s57G
This DC. viii be..' .'''''''.'''''.'.' |'0'
II. balance in favor Of P.irehd Co. his item. e7ss
Your estimate S3 cubic yards Of concrete. This
quantity at Fsirchild s. Co.'S pIce would amount to
81 If5 and according 10 the bid Of Messrs Canning,
Il suoun 10 g, 49, THUS it appears by your own
estimates and figures that the difference htween these
two col tractors the two items under Grafton,
does rot ex eed g. 7. While you state, what is
| in favor Of Meesrs. Fairchd's bid is ~ s4.
How could you make suca egregioas mistakes while
in putting corruption to other officials because they had
DO confidence in your skil or Judgment You assert
in the most poeitive that, bot for the small
item Of 80 ~, you would have awarded the contract
to Me.,r. Cummings q an advance over Fairchili &
Co. of upward Of go 90:
Inow cal your sttentian TO another view Of this
subject, forced upon by these evidences Of inca
paairy According to your careful and minute est
mae. you make Duddle 6lhng OF By 10 feet u
amount 20 70 9sS Gu -ic yards. This proves that
.eld wall Of concrete By IL will amount 20 80. 20,
cube wards Tbs, We have showo, at y Der cubic
Ssrd. Wi -nouutto $ig7 40. Tle Messrs. CdImiak
SIe,ed 10 90 q i work tUr tgod'ar- and nets seg.