New-York tribune., 1867-09-25

1860 contracts entered INTO wtn various pauoe a
the work commenced As amendment to the ~0rigina ~
act another act was passed Apr IT, 1861 whereby william
SI MnG Williams Rmsf IL RobcTson S and Aisp H. Of
County Of Westchcster were appointed M tbn
Uarlom Bridge instead Of the officials mehIoheu III UAo
The act Of 1851 contained tho following important add-
ton But no plan for the rebuilding ana f
OF said bridge shall DO adopted which, IN ihe the %
the majority Of 9 o SH HaTem River provided that
nothing herein contained shall authorize the % GPi
change i'm the grade of the Thdaye and the streets ana
avenues adjacent theretO and me So'd COmn.asSto 6
shall hare no pO,ger wake amy CONTRACT on cOudcs Io
The creeuon ofe ohOle any part OF tho work OF @ tne
rebuilding and reconstruction OF the sad prdgo & J omg
sum eIoeeding the Of $25OOoG ana al ho,s "mu
parts of acts conflicting with this act are hoiepy IT.
Te provision for payment the in the act
amended compensation Of IS per day being allowed 'ho
The quotation in aiics the principal feature of differ
ence between tho original act and the amendment mas
limited SWAY entered into contracts with that regardless
OF expense and boundlesSness OF conception Wch
ulation of the public funds. Therefore, the sudden
limitation of tho managers TO the ptiaDle ana hSlgn
cant sum of S25O0O of made considerable dHer
But the work still progressed slowly under the new
Commissioners who organized the Board with Mr..
Miner President and Mr. Davis as Secretary ON the
18th of January 1854 the Assembly passed resolution
calling upon the Commissioners for Information respect
ing the work in their charee This called fort report
from the Commissioners in the following March IN this
report they gave brief history of the bridge and SAID that
when they had taken Charge the work was aireay III
progress under the former Commissioners who au due
contracts follows; l. For the foundations masonry
ETC. T. NJ. Niven. o For the superstructure, A. H. Van
cieve President of the Trenton Locomotive and Machine
Manufacturing Company 3. For the oylndsrs alr-ioeks'
etc. John Roach and James H. EDWARDS - ioP 49, M
cluded letter TO the Commissioners iOui VI
Ketchum esq inclosmg his legal opin on to the elGct
that Notwithstanding the hhatG o. S@go,oUV % ornJ f &
amendment Of 1861 the contracts which had been enle9
into by the former Commissioners were binding, ii1
that the present Commissioners were not responslpe
the contracts should require the payment o IeI % sum
than the amount of limitation The Commissioners then
detailed the numerous discouragemens ana @
which had attended their labor and concluded py e io
lI%oS IMo ad By the Commissioners Work not included /"
IKE cOniacS -
For materials. sSSe sgo n ~
incidental cx6enscs scs...................... 259s 81
Temporary bridge oV'O 50
Total. ss4Gs5 O5
For work and materials furnished by the con- ,,o ~
traitors. .---.....---.--.--''-'' <'I
Total amount Of work and materials sSO6OS5 "a
Amount paid fg salaries OF engineers supenn,
tendents, and clerks 24,bZ. DI -
Commissioners salaries. ...-.. n,s95 10 S64A e7
Total 70 February 1. 1864. ss42,5Io II
On November H. 1852 the Commissioners addressed
letter to Board of Supervisors OF Westehester County
and this document also forms portion OF the report
under consideration In this letter the Commissioners
! estimate the cost of the bridge when completed,
to he $OS 249 the north abutment he OF the same
width as the south abLtment-OO feet. They also es
the proportion Of the expense ehsrgeaDe to west
chester County at "a 2lO per cent OF the whole ana
politely request that this amount shall be placed III their
hands by the Westchestcr Supervisors The response OF
the Supervisors was the appointment OF specIa com
mittee. composed of VIM. Caudwell: Albert B@de"u,
Daniel Hunt, Wm. ii. Bonrie, and r j. Mcclellan, TO
| ina
into consideration so far as the ineteSts Westcter
County concerned The report of this committee
which was presented to the Board ny MI M JONI ID ID,
the chairman, in January 1864 win IuI NefDam Ieors
of Investigations made, the witnesses examined &C. Is
gave il as their opinion that the bridge could be easily
finished in year from this date January 1863; II the
duty in the premises" and Chief Engineer Mr. Smith,
in his testimony corroborated this opinion In their de
nunciaOn OF the system OF employing engineers ana su-
pcrntenens, and the prices paid them ana the COmnls-
soners the committee said the services of supernten-
dent were wholly unnecessary, and especially was the
appointment such superintendent or so important
work this of James HouSh uncalled Tor ara 9at OF
place" lie butcher by trade, ana was an inter
ate ignorant. and incompetent person. During the eX-
animation of this worthy superintendent the following
O. Mat did YOU gdt the specifications proposals for
O. For no other purpose 7 A. Not that am aware of.
q. VIII you be kind enough TO read this onei A. lean
The conclusions of this Committee (Which appears to
have done its work with singular thoroughness ana disin
liable for and should not be compelled 10 pay II Tor
work assumed to be done or service rendered ucr any
of the acts Of the socaled Harlem Bridge commission
the northern abutmen OF the bridge should dc To-
ter and the City of NewYork;" that massive and un
wieldy bridge OF the character Of that which Is now I'm
any officials having tho true interests OF either tie
ties OF NewYOrk Wescheser i'll view That, IN their
most respects TO that known as the Central Bridge for
merly McCombs DAM. near the Seventlayo. Of New
sary, and would have been much better for the
convenience OF the inhabitants OF the counties Such
and wOnld not have cost over $4,000" That there was
gneer the New Harlem Bridge and all payments for
| more than one were improperly made " That the
work the Bridge having to be done by contract under
enuoymeDt of supernteudents on the work was unle-
sar and an pavmenfs made 10 them were improperly
made that The charge Of the five Commissioners for their
Tvices fT every day in the year. except Sundays OF -
per day, illegal and unjust That, under circum
stances should they have claimed or been paid than
| for one days service per week, when they were
in actual attendance, IN the performance Of duty.
| That the payments made TO Roach, and Roach a.
| Edwards, amounting 10 100000 were improperly
and illegally paid" "1hat the COMMISSIONERS for their
neglect Of duty in not having the bridge rapidly
built and uished for the employment and payment Of
unnecessary officials connected with this work. for their
allowing uncered bills of Roach & Edwards for their
eXactng payments for their alleged services far he
yOnd what warranted by law, and generally for their
nOnfeasance If not malfeasance in Office deserve To be,
and should be, forthwith removed by the Governor,
by the Legislature; and, If they should act. have
proper authority to act, in the premises then that the
action of the Grand Jury Of the Counties OF Westchester
and NewYOrk should be Invoked In relation TO the dOngs
OF the Harlem Bridge Commission"
All of these conclusions with the exception OF the last
| one quoted commencing "That the Commissioners"
adopted by the members OF the committee, with but
| one dissenting vote
This is brief outline Of the early history OF the now
Harlem Bridge, which has been years the cOnrse
OF construction which has cost u OOOOJ and which,
IL promised, Will Do thrown public "A