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


whether IL Is upon level with that established
by The Commissioners or above IL as at Willow
leland. but from the depth Of water at the Grow
Island bar 1t Is supposed IL was above at that
point In measuring from IN exact level with
the low wathT mark established by the comms
sioners the two lower bars have considerable less
than nine feet Of water, and at some places less
than eight feet In the centre. The charts also
show that from the points established by the
Commissioners ms low water, there IL upon the
CarroIlton bar and upon the bar at Saginaw City
nine feet of water, and represents nearly all ths
way, and for nearly 100 feet in length, only some
] few points showing less Your Committee find
from nm examination Of the report Of Mr. Goddard
to the Commissioners, showing the amount Of
dredging necessary to give Q feet of water that
he estimates 10000 cubic yards to bo dredged
upon the Grow Island bar, while his subsequent
report TO the Commissioners, stating that the bar
had been dredged according TO contract, and
there was more than nine feet of water thereon,
states that the amount nc'usily drcdged upon
said bar was but 1887 cubic yards The amount
actually dredged from the other bars compared
with the estimates upon which the contract was
! let, the committee were unable 10 get, as Mr..
Goidsrd's certificate OF the completIonof the
work docs not state the amount Of cubic yards
taken out but IL there is the same discrepancy in
favor of the contractors, then the county is very
largely the looser by enormous estimates From
an examination of the chart Of the channel TO be
dredged ut East Saginaw, your Committee find
that stated in the Commssioners' first report,
this channel runs very near the docks, in one,
place within four feet of the dock. Your com
mittee believe that while private property may
be more benefited by this, that public interest
would have been largely benefited by dredging
the channel further from the docks; but as the
charts are made part OF the contract for
dredging ii cannot now bc changed without the
consent of the contractors. Tho Commissioners
oi. hat hafara If lha
work they personally inspected and measured the
water on the different bars, and found nearly ten
! feet cf water, while the contract required but
nine feet. But you will observe that while tho
Commissioners measuring the depth OF water
at Willow Island the only means they had Of
knowing whether the water at that point
| then above or below their fixed point Of low water
st East Saginaw, WAS from the statement OF their
| engineer His low water mark nj that point was
more then nine inches higher than the one estab-
lished by the Commissioners 1t may be proper
| 20 state in this connection that Mr.. Goddard in
| formed the Commissioners that he intended TO
| place his datum or low water mark eight tenths
of one foot higher at this point than the estab-
lished point nj Bast Saginaw.
Your committee also find from an examination
OF the contract made for the dredging that one
section provides that when the Contractors shall
have completed any one Of the bars, the engineer
shall proceed 10 measure the same and give a
l
Commissioners shall accept such bar aud relieve
the contractors from anything further in regard
to u /; also that his monthly payments are made
upon his report Of the work done our commit
tee are also informed by the Commissioners that
he Is employed To take the supervision of the
whole work that he hires what men aud fur
nishes such tools ss he deems necessary, and rem
ders his monthly account, for the same TO them.
In view of the foregoing facts and the fact that
the contractors residents Of the State Of llli
nos, and have personal interest in the compile
tion Of this work further than to get IL accepted
and on their hands your committee view the
position Of the engineer of vital Importance
to the people Of Saginaw County, and that he has
had up 10 the present time virtually the whole
control Of the work having made the estimates
upon which the contract was let and located the
and certified It's completion. Your committee
also nf tho opinion that tho difference in the
depth Of water ON the bar mt Willow Island and
at Crow Island reported by the Commissioners,
and as shown by Mr.. Scars charts are mainly IL
not wholly owing u the errors Of the engineer
in locating his levels nj those points. And your
committee after examining the estimates, reports
and charts Of the Engineer and comparing them
with the re-suryey and from NIL the information
they can get, are forced to the conclusion that
the person heretofore employed is not qualified
10 hold 50 responsible position and that & Is not
for the interest of the people to have him retained
longer in the work.
But your Comm would not DO understood
q censuring the net Of the Commissioners In EN-
ploying him at first, as we are Informed by two
of them that they had no personal Acquaintance
with him. hut inferred from written recommenda-
tious which he produced, that ho qualified
for the important position they gave him. In
regard To- that part of the Commissioners report
referring TO the widening Of some Of the channels
to Il so feet your Committee believe VI wos}31ee
better TO first complete channel 100 feet wide
n "A. Ct .Nal
Salint TO tho County line on the North, before
anything further Is attempted and in doing this
the hars ut Willow Island and Grow Island should
lie drcdged TO the same actual level MS the bars
above.
morley TO the improvement 81 The outer outer fiar' sai
the mouth of the river we believe il wholly in-
expedient Mt this time, IL not inconsistent with
the spirit Of the law making the appropriation
From an examination Of the contract made by
the Commissioners with Messrs Fox a Howard
NO fDd the Contractors were allowed g., 900 more
than their hid, and until the close Of the present
year 10 complete the same also that the Contrac-
tors are not bound 10 make n channel 100 feet
wide and 9 feet deep uniformly, but that il shall
acreage that ridtt and depth. We are informed
by the Commissioners that the extra allowance Of
e5,Oo0 was to avoid any question as to an excess
of the amount Of dredging over and above the
estimates of their engineer. and by this save any
further measurement of the amount, aud that in
their opinion that their contract was the best that
could have been made for the County.
There has been much complaint in regard to
the Contractors dumping the sand taken out Of
the different bars back into tho River, and in
places where II is very likely TO form new bars
by the action of the current or be carried into
those already dredged and your Committee fcar
that in many this mny be the fact The
contract binds the Contractor TO put at least 81
the whole amount dredged upon shore and we
ara Of the opinion that this provision should he
rigidly enforced by the Commissioners. Your
Committee also examined the accounts and voucb-
ers Of the Commissioners they furnished receipts
for NIL the amounts charged as paid contractors
on dredging, counsel, printing &c The charges
of Messrs York a Burnham for services per diem
and for personal expenses, negotiation Of bonds,
&c, are no greater than we should suppose ncces-
sary in the faithful discharge Of thor duty. The
number Of days charged by Mr. DEggs being far
n-exccss Of both the other Commi ssioncrs, seemed
too large TO your Committee, as also bis monthly
charges for telegraphing ani his travelling ex-
renses incurred in trying to negotiate his propor-
tion 0i the bonds seem unnecessarily large con-
sidcring results. But he answered your Commit
too that he had actually incurred n the amounts
charged, besides considerable IN addition The |
whole number of bonds credited the Co. by the
Commissioners are twenty each making in all
sixty. The County Clerk ininrmed your Com
mittee that the bonds delivered at the time of
Their report was sixty-tto in all, 10 Mossrs York
a Durnham ~ each, and TO Mr.. briggs % This
discrepancy Mr. briggs explains by saving that
ho did receive two bonds from the County Clerk
before the regular bonds sere printed, to be used
IN making the surveys. but that they were not
used, and have since been returned 10 tho Clerk
The bonds in Messrs York 4 Burnham's hands
not a'counte for as sold they produced Tor the
inspection Of the Committee These in the hands
OF Mr. Driggs he Informed us we're in the hands
Of his agent East.
All OF which is respectfully submitted
NEWELL BARNARD,
Chairman sub Comm.
Your Committee have also examined the indi-
vidual report Of Nc. briggs last sub.uttcd and
find u correct as far We can judge without an |
examination Of the vouchers, which we have not |
had time 10 call for.
Your Special Committee have also examined |
the joint report Of the Commissioners, and from |
ar examination OF 1.-THE same can see no good rea-
son for Tho issue of any further Bonds nj present.