East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-02-14

ROBERT URE.
/ Chairman Special Com.
Mr.. Jeflers, member Of said com Hittee, pre-
sented minority report which on motion VI Mr.
Sloan, was accepted.
The undersigned one Of the dredging commit
tee, appointed by your Honorable Body to inves-
tigate the report Of the Dredging Commissioners,
and other matters connected with the improve
ment Of tho Saginaw River, would respectfully
report that he concurs in the report OF majority
Of the committee, save and except as to certain
portions thereof which are erroneous In point Of
fact, and Of other portions, which, IN his Judg-
ment, require explanation and correction, viz;
The report states that the Engineer, Mr. God
dard, reports 10 the Commissioners that he esti-
mated $4,000 cubic yards to be drcdged at the
Grow Island Bar, while his subsequent reports,
stating that the bar had been dredged according
10 contract and that the actual amount dredged
on said bar was but 7 ,037 cubic yards the amount
dredged from the other bars the committee were
unable 10 obinin, but IL thore is the dscrep-
ancy In favor Of contractors, then the county 10
very largely the looser by erroneous climates
In reply to this statement, would say that tho
report does not state the case rs il exists the
facts are these: In order thai the work could be
pushed forward without delay, the commissioners
instructed their Engineer TO make an approxi-
mate estimate Of the amount of earth necessary
to be dredged, for the purpose of stating the
the work. The Engineer made such estimate
which amounted in tho aggregate to l2l 800
yards, the Crow Island Dar being placed at H..
600 yards. In tho meantime and before the day
Of opening the bids had arrived, accounts, sur
veys and profes of the bars were made upon
which the bids proposals were based, which
materially differed from the Approximate esti-
mate, the profile and survey showing the Crow
Island Bar but 1857 yards, and corresponding
differences were made in other bars. When the
contract for the work was finally closed, the pro-
files and drawings were made part Of the con-
tract, and had no reference whatever to the
approximate estimate this being the fact, the
county is not the looser in the transaction, having
only paid for the amount of work actually done
The report also states that the channel at East
Saginaw runs very the docks, at one place
within four five feet and that while private
property may DO more benefited by this, that the
public interest would have been hrgely benefited
by dredging the channel further from the docks.
In regard to this statement viii say that the
channel laid out is from forty to fifty feet from
the docks, save one, which is ut least 25 feet,
except the railroad dock Is in straight line
from the opening ut tho bridge TO the railroad
dock. which from all can learn is the best and
most feasible channel for the public benefit that
could be adopted, and besides is obtained cheaper
than II thrown further near the center Of the
river. a
Inc report iurtner states tnat tnc numDer OF
days charged by Mr.. briggs being in excess of
both the other Commissioner, seems large to your
committee, ms also his monthly charges for tcle
graphing and his travelling expenses incurred in
the negotiation of bonds In reference thereto l
would state that from personal knowledge of the
Commissioners, ] am satisfied that his charges are
rather below than above reasonable considers
tion for the services rendered, and proportion
ntely low as that Of the other Commissioners for
the services rendered by them
cannot concur with the majority report in the
statements made in regard to the Engineer, Mr.
Goddard, as believe he acted from the hest Of
motives in establishing his base for the improve
nent Of the river, and that the error made was
10 extent justified by the popular opinion of
Shippers and others conversant with the rise and
fall Of the water at different Of the year
liz makes statement explanatory of his position
this report
I fully concur with the Commissioners in their
recommendation ms to the further improvement: o!
the river, AMI believe that If the recommenda-
tions are carried out it will greatly subserye the
best interests Of the county.
Respectfully submitted,
NJ JEFFERS.
Mr.. Jeifers presented n communication from f.
q Goddard, surveyor for the Dredging Commits
siouers, which motion Of Mr. Sloan, was ac-
cepted and adopted.
To the Commissioners Of the Saginaw River I'm
proycmcnt
Sirs Agreeable to your request report to
you tho result Of my services.
In my examination OF the River first judged
that channel 100 feet wide and feet deep,
below what was assigned the standard of low
water, would require nearly all tho appropriation
made FOR the improvement Of the River.
| surveyed and estimated the amount OF earth
excavation required in the prime pal bars. which
was 900 cubic yards, estimating for feet of
-, gta ntlar al
being approximate and before any bids we're re-
ceiyCd for the work. That standard was 30 inches
below the top Of the piles under Dcrby's dock
for all the bars. except tho " illow Island Bar
II was suggested 10 me that my base Mt that point
would have 10 he different from those further up
the stream, for the reason that the water there
IL high wafer 80" '' ''''s as low hsnt SAGINAW
From inquiries found that at Bay City the
rise and fall of the water was hut slight, and
that the rise through the prairie bud similar vari-
atoms and c)nsulted John Esstahrook. whose
experience ms shipper considered equal to any
on the river.
At that timo the water was ono foot and ten
inches above low water Mt East Saginaw, and IL
was his opinion that wheE the water fell one foot
and nine and one half inches here, it would fall
only one foot at Willow Island or the contra: if
the water rose one foot there il would rise one
foot and nine and one-half inches here.
| established my base accordingly mt that point,
and made the calculations of the material TO be
taken out by that standard and the contract was
based upon the estimates made from that stand 4
ard and that bar was excavated from the mark
set upon the island rs tho base to work from.
will here remark that after establishing that
base tried the variation MS the water rose and
fell and found il right until the water fell TO ex-
treme low water, aud then it fell belew the mark,
particularly when the wind was blowing out in
4 ha hop n,t han fha min g..
the north the water rose moro at that poiut than
at Saginaw
Although the water at extreme low water went
below. am sLtsfed that no man could have
judged more correctly the comparative rise aud
fhll here aud there without previous record Of
during preceding year.
II is we'll understood that dredging in or
feet Of water cannot be done TO perfect shaving
like work in sight. ard in my examination and
report Of the completion of that bar expressed
that IL was we'll DONE and in all my SCUM iiugs
some 400 in number. I did not find place too
high, 4 ON averaging the soundipgs made the
average inches below the standard fixed, and
very near low enough TO answer the base at Sag
inaw.
In every case where have certified to the
completion Of bar, have taken from 400 to
500 soundings, and have kept the dredges from
two days to ono week moving over the bar, to
take of high points that may have been over
looked.
At Crow Island had drodge 90 over cvcry
square foot of tho whole bar the second time,
and at Carrolton kept tho dredge over a week /
after the through cuts were taken out
To rake the channel ut all points 10 the re- |
quircd depth, IL obliged the contractors TO take /
out much more earth than the exact calculations
that were made in the estimate, and the average /
Of soundings made in every bar we're from To l
inches below the mark designated as the notes
testify which you took in the three bars below |
Saginaw in the re- examination by the Commis-
sioners.
There may be slight high points Of few inches
that were not discovered IN our examinations bat
there are corresponding deep places, and the agi.
tation Of the water by u tug wheel will disturb
tho loose sand and soon level il
My opinion Is, that the actual amount OF earth
taken out has been from Is TO 20 per cent. more
than tho square prism upon which your contract
was based in the orig nal estimate.
Most ef the bars did not average feet cutting,
and an average Of l foot below that would add
70 per cent. 10 the work. That was ncccssitatcd
In the practical operations Of dredging. ne IL is