New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-15
VoL.XXXlV. INC. 1913
WASHINGTON.
Tpp INSTRUCT INVESTIGATION

,rprwFNrs AND AsSEsSMENTs-RfIohi VIZ
rNG1yrER APPOINTED TO VERIFY THE MEASo l'l-
MENr-No EXPLANATION fLi MAIL
p.nCOCK OR HIS ENGINEER.
IpY TELEGRAPH TO THB rRrpUNl
yy.suScroS Nav 14-One Of the most SERIOUS
accusations that were originally made against inc
Washington Board of Public Works and against
Col. Samo. the engineer employed by Gen. baDcoch
n verify the bills made ont against the uhllco
States. was that the measurements on inc pasiS "a
which both the Government and cltlzehs Oh ""sh
inpton were called to pay assessments 1or specin
improvements were falsely and fraudulently moor
rect In order TO determine beyond question:
whether these measurements had been IN inc MAN
correct the Committee selected soon after its organi-
cation, an engineer in whose accuracy anu nonee'9
there could be no doubt The man chosen was
Mr. Blickeusderfer, an engineer of thirty years OK
perience. during which time he was for many
wears n member of the Ohio Board of Public Works
md for some time its engineer and president lie
has also been employed by the United States on the
Pacific railroads and ON works near west Point
He came TO Washington several weeks ago. ana mas
spent his time in attempting to verify specimen
measurements in various parts OF the CITY, on INC
theory that if these were found to be correct the
conclusion might be deduced that all of the measure
ments were substantially correct, and rice rerSa
Mr.. Blickensderfer's measurements have been OF
two kinds: First, such material as can now be seen
and measured, such as pavement curblng' Drick
sidewalk. sewer, fencing, &C.; and, second grazing
which has to be estimated from landmarks or from
cross sections Iand profles made before the WORK
was begun OF the first class of measurements, the
engineer reported to-day upon three-those on
which charges against the Government were made
for work about psf circle ScOtt-square, and Raw
Inssauare. He found that in some cases the sep
srate items of measurements were excessive, ana IN
some cases they were too small; but that the aggre-
gate charge against the United States, In each case
was too great the amount ranging from Few huhd-
red dollars to more than $1,000
In selecting points at which TO measure the
grading Mr. BGckensdcrfer chose those where the
engineers of the Board of Public Works had pre-
served proles cross sections. and other data from
from which to make estimates as the comparisons
IN those cases were much more easy to make than
where the Board engineers arrived at the amount OF
grading by guesses more or less rough. He reported
to-day on six cases of this kind The discrepancies
in these cases were much greater than in those
already referred to-
On New-Hampshire-ave. the contractors for grad
ing were overpaid $6,2Sl, and the United States
overcharced Sl7739. On Virginia-ave the amount
of grading done was 1O2Gj7 yards; the contractors
were paid for 10000 yards, and the United States
Government charged for 10000. The charge made
against the United States, and paid, was S52'693,
while it should have been S4l 800 On G-st. the
grading done was 12,402 yards; the contractors
were paid for removing 1929 yards, and the
United States paid for $500 yards The amount
paid contractors for the work was SSSGl and the
United States Government paid S2l,4l2. The total
overchaTge to the United States this street, in
Guiding the sewer, S176S3. On Maryland-ave.
the contractors paid S9 1857 the United states
a. oh ~ q, charge
would have been $4,000.
Around the Patent and Post Offices. the grading
was paid for by the days work; that IS the con-
tractor had his pay-rOlls and other expenses reim
bursed and he was given percentage of profit.
Mr. Blickensderfer found that this grading cost the
United States 81 0G a yard in Est, and 81 10 a
yard in Seventh-st There was included in this q
payment for lowering a main. great part OF the
grading in the city has been done without preparing
beforehand any data from which to estimate the
amount. In such cases as this the amount to be
charged for has been guessed at One of the streets
estimated in this way, Second-st., from Pennsylva
nia-ave to list, was estimated by Mr.. Blckensder
fer. He found that the amount of grading was
about 91O6 yards, while the contractor was paid for
"a 333 yards.
Mr. Blickensderfer's measurements covered only
about Eve per cent of the whole work done so that
all over the city. the robbery of the United States
Government and of the citizens must have been
enormous. The ngineer said that he had shown
his work TO Gen. Babcock and Col. Samo aud given
them opportunity to explain, and that Col
Same had accompanied him while he was engaged
part of the work, The revelations Of fraud in
measurements are the town talk tonight.
sEMI-OFFICIAL DETAILS OF MR.. BLCKENsDERFER's
TESTIMONY.
iGESRRAL PRESS DIsPATCH1
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE most damaging
Testimony in connection with the District Of Columbia
Investigation elected to-day by the examination OF
Bickensderer, the expert engineer employed by the
Committee to mako measurements around Government
property. The witness testified that he had measured
all circles, and In each instance had found that the
Government had been overcharged. According to his
measurement the work should have cost &4,7s9 o.
whereas according TO Col SamO's measurement the
Government has paid s7S,54O H. On Scott-sauare the
Government has been overcharged 5000, giving Same
the benefit OF his own estimate OF grading
On Rawnssquare witness measured t222O 81.
1t charged against the Government at 81 1863 co.
after allowing Same an error admitted TO have been
made by him Of upward Of $4,000 which does not ap-
pear Gov. Shepherds answer but which Col Same
alleges has been credited to the Government COW
into the Treasury The greatest overcharges
10 grading. Witness measured ew-Hampshire-ave,
that &, should have slO92ss but
charged in the Governors answer at s4944 making an
Of charge against the United States Of s4O2
lie found that contractors IN instances had
been oyerpaid. On New-Hampshire ave. they have
been paid for work in OF what has been done
Hulsey, contractor oyerpaid 1900. Murray was
overpad s25 81 The point witness measured was
vrguiaave.; had complete of the entire avenue
cross sections and pr0fles Tue grading, including the
reservations at Twenty fourth ana Gss 100 657 yards
There allowed the contractor 1903 900 yards The