New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-16
DIAGRAM oP PROPERTY.


half concrete, and malt cObole stone and gravel
The above diagram Is copied from the official map
OF the city, and the measurements upon IL nave All
been carefully verified by competent engineer IL
represents Rawlns-square The length OF the square,
measuring to the outside Of the curbines is 45O feet
and its width 1913 feet The carrageway on Eighteenth
and Nineteenth-st which bound it On,the east and west
is 40 feet wde the streets north and south OF the
square it Is 80 feet wide. To find the number
of square yards OF pavementn the carrageway around
this square, including street intersections, Is very
simple problem The number of square feet is 1920
which reduced to yards is 5,475 SO yards, which
Is the whole amount OF pavement which would
have to be laid 10 surround the square. But
the fact is that only part OF this pave
ment asphalt. The streets on the south and west
of the square paved with coOblestone aud gravel
making the actual amount Of asphalt pavement laid
only 2737 10 yards The simple facts in this then
are The Board made out bill against the United
States for LAYING $3.50 square yards OF wood pavement
and represented the work as complete at the date
OF its report Nov l. 1872 Gen. BaOcock certified that
the Board had laid $3.50 yards of asphalt pavement on
the same ground Jan TO- 1875 while the fact is that only
273I o yards asphalt have been laid there now more
than year after Gen. Babcock gave his certihcate
The price that ought have been charged against the
Government, admitting for the moment that Board
prices tor work reasonable, is easily ascettained
OF the concrete there laid including two street
intersections, 1913 square yards; deduetng one
side Of the street leaves 22i square yards to be paid
for by the Government at the rate OF " 20 per square
yard which would amount s7.30 "a. The Board price
far LAYING cobbestone pavement is 20 cents per square
yard 22sls yards would amount toisl59 TO-
making a total of Ss,s9S go
TO recaptulate:
Amount charged to the United States by the Board Of ~
Public orks ..'..ti9ti2 O0
Amount allowed BY Ba1eoes sss 30
Amount Of work actually DONE 10 5I3 30
Oveharge By the % ~ Ia
These plain facts will partially explain letter which
Can Babcock wrote to Mr.. Alex. II. Shepherd Jan 80
1873 In which he volunteered the statement that the
amount work executed around Government property
by the up that time was $4,000 in excess o the
amount charged.
have thus shown that year ago the Board made
overcnarges against the United States, and that Gen.
Babcock doubled the oyercharges and then approved
them now propose TO show from statements fur
nished by the Board OF Public Works that Gen. Bah
cock, 10Th OF January, 1875 certned 10 meas
urements OF approved the payment for work that
WAS not then begun contracted for. reference
to Gen Babcock's measurements filed in the Treasury
Department as vouchers which the Board OF Public
Works drew money from the Treasury will disclose the
following items:
CIRCLE sAssAcHrssrrs..vs, NIsErEESrH AND Psr.,Sw
453S cubic yards at 40 eeuts ......'.'"' slsl9 20
400 square feet Raging a 81 25...... 2l,s62 30
'AHr siSsfa ifsAAA
1879 square feet n.sgng 81 2j....... 9l,29J 10
SCOTT STATUS ' a1daisg ''A'lH
81 90S cubic yards at 40 cents ......'.' l2''oS I'D
Total ..........................s54625 65
On page rs OF statement OF tables when forms part
az the annual report OF the Board OF Public Works
dated Nov 1879, ud the following In the list Of con
tracts let during the past year:
Coraet Feb g. is73To furnish all m,sehi ant 20
,oipt and d, such the sag "
Pagdtqus. and SixteeBt, circle; al.
and said hagslones said Z st. circle sd
and SAID ee Nued 70 Johh " Evans
fol- $3.50, 100 OS"
Here we have the proof furnished by the Board of
Pubic Works. that Gen. Babcock certified To improve
ments as completed, "a DAYS before the contract for tho
same was let Mr.. John Barns. the u0contractor for
laying these flag foot-ways informs me that he
commenced laying the Tagging around the psf.
circle in March, 1873. aud that after laying
a part of 10 he went to the siXteen,h-ss
circle aud laid the tagging there; after which
he returned and finished the work az psf circle
time in August nearly eight months after Babcock
had pretended 10 measure 1t, aud the United States
had paid for IL his certified vouchers that the work
WAS completed. Tie ccrtined that he had " had
the proper examinations made and the measurements
yerinei" ii the proper examination had been nsie ne
would have found that tbe work was not begun lie
could not have had the measurements OF tae Boitd
Oi Public Works verified, Ia. tho saple ra'Ih
lhul there vero no measurements " serifS. IL