New-York daily tribune., 1865-06-15
THE BATTERY ENLARGEMENT.

Mr. w. p. Trowbridge, an engineer of high
standing, and now experimenting the construc-
ton Of Government works in the harbor Oh
New.Y0rk, has addressed letter to Mr. Geo.
W. Blunt. one of the Pilot Commissioners, in
answer to certain questions relating to the new
contract for the Battery enlargement. That
contract, it will be remembered, was not put up
for public competition and the work given to
the lowest bidder who should offer competent
security, but was rushed through the Boards by
resolution which the Mayor signed, though
warned of its peculatiyo character. The amount
involved is some hundreds of thousands OF
dollars, but the surety required Of the contractor
to whom the job was assigned is only ten
thousand Now look at the items:
The contract provides for rip.rap wall at
s3 30 per cubic yard. The estimate for the
wall is 90, 900 yards which, at the price awarded
will cost 5000.
Such a wall, Mr.. Trowbridge says, can be
built for IS cents per yard, which would be
$4,000 for the whole work. The difference,
then, is the nice little sum Of 1868, OOO which
goes into the contractors pocket as extraordi-
nary profit on the first item.
For the parapet wall, the contractor Is to be
paid $50 per cubic yard. Mr.. Trowbrldge says
that "a liberal price" for it would be from sc
TO $40 yard. Take the highest price named
SIO-and for this part of the job the contractor
is to be paid exactly twice as much as it is
worth.
The coping for this wall is TO cost, according
to the contract, 81 20 per running foot, or Sl5,-
600 for the whole.
Mr.. Trowbridgc thinks a fitting coping for
a Battery wall should not exceed in cost
90 per running foot. The difference on this
item between what an experienced engineer
would allow and what the City Government
awards is $1,000.
The granite posts are 70 be paid for at the rate
of S65 each; but Mr.. Trowbrdge thinks they
should not exceed $25 each. That sum would
certainly pay for plain, substantial post
proper for the place. How many it is proposed
To erect is not stated and So far AS TIE contract
i concerned, Mr. Drew may; if he sees fit,
place them at distances Of three feet from each
other and charge accordingly. But suppose
him not to be very unreasonable and to put them
at IL feet apart; that would require, say %
posts. The difference in the cost at S65 and
S25 would be about $1,000 in favor Of the
contractor.
On these estimated items, then, the con-
tractor will receive, over and above fair
profit. the sum of S7I,6OO. TO this must be
added his gains on the building of the parapet
wall ut double the price it ought TO be, and the
still greater job Of filling-in. For this filing
in, be il remembered the contractor is to be
pail twenty-five cents per cubic yard. All that
is clear gain, for the work will not only never
cost him the price of Il shovel or one days
wages for a laborer, but other people will pay
him from ten to twelve cents a load for the priv
iegc of doing the work which he is paid for
having done. Would Mr.. Drew take $500
for his contract
When the Battery enlargement is finished
supposing it should be considered expedient to
finish it without another job--thc account will
stand thus: A clip Of land added to the sea-
face Of the Battery, where there was not the
slightest need of it, to be credited to the ac-
count; to be charged TO il, q serious and per-
mancnt injury to tho harbor Of New-York, an
interruption TO the navigation of the Hudson
River which it will cost millions to remedy, if it
can be remeded at all, and an actual outlay by |
the city of several hundred thousand dollars, TO
be provided for by increased taxation, and al
exorbiant percentage on which will ring merry
changes in the pockets of the Ring" So We
go.