New-York tribune., 1875-10-11


needs careful and earnest consideration 1t has been
stated that for time all the books OF the En-
gineerpg Department connected with this work were
missing from the Division Engineers office IL was also
discovered that Mr. Thorn, the assistant engineer IN
charge during its prosecution could not be found Beng
unable therefore, TO obtain the necessary data OF our IN
yestigation and believing that fraud in the inception
would be followed by fraud in its prosecution we caused
a careful survey be made by Mr. f. Sweet r 1.-THE en-
eineer of the CommissOn) and his assistants to test the
accuracy OF the quanttcs that had been credited 10
Denson in his final account with the state From care
full computations they give the following result;
Total earth eNcava ,2 W , cubic yatais yi
1otal yertica N All ............. 3,753 onDc yards
Our examination disclosed the absence of gravel
lining and that embankment was made from eAcaVa-
ton necessarily hauled more than 200 feet parallel WIN
The canal Tho embankment there;ore was not charge
able under the contract.
In estimating the quantity OF rock excaVauonl was
assumed that the surface Of the rock eXcaVaed III tno
canal la the plane Of the rock found "lihou' 'no
prism either side between each set OF
in this assumption we are confirmed d! the cs'o9 vi
Mr.. Buard as follows:
q Was this rock as You observed it, higher in the cen
Ter o tic new prism than Of the Sides was there ds
prisin Just high at the cepter as al the Hidts
would average any higher IN the center thah az 'e
sides -. - ~.
O. And You are positive that remember the lay OF
the rock in the new prism a. Yes sii. oot q, tbe
priSrni A. There was not.
Being very desrous, however, to confirm the accuracy
OF our own survey and estimates We requested Sta'e
Engineer Svvanus A. Sweet to carefully inspect 'he line
of this work and make sch tests ~ hc deemed necessary
to satisfy, himself of the correctness of the results as
soted ahcve We are under many obligations 10 hn TOT
the prompt and cheerful manner in which he acce"ed 10
cnr wishes The result of his examination Is given In his
own words
OFFICE OF rrR STATE ENGINEER .sp srsvfYoR,
ALBANY, Oc'. |, 1870. }
Ion. john BiCELow, Chairmd" -Ca'% IHre'''''""9
s,H: hayc made n persoHal examination OF That
portion OF the ChsIupl1n Canat embraced III tle ba,
ilrd's Bend Contract Of II. D. Donison from me som
sIori iock above SchuyerNillc Ia Billiards. Bend WIN
reference tie survey made by direction oi your On
mission | examined ON the rroHli tie WORK t,l' hoeH
of te survey tbc diagrams of The crSSsecon tGe NOES
of the borilgs and t'sillls, ~" I3,i.s - @ and ti5
and tcSt-pus made ana hnd hrh eorrs an' @ ,i
tuc h1rgs show the surface OF N rock accurelc aa
in ms lad ulcnt. the quantities obtained from e7' tx
There is no reason why the quantity oi rock should rot
have arrived al with reasonable ''Cu'u! "ei"e '"c
also examined the vertical wall fax rs could and
ma " Gi STiI nSrt and aS Tar short of ne dmt
sons 81. .cd for nc fiai account - -,
s,islitutr in place slope wall upon this work IEc
NOT require facing with walls al p0its wgrro ie f"rA
came 20 tic wafer surface and a'oYe; E,sKtruni@
yours, CIT. H.. -, 80 - = .,'"r,,.,r - ,
From the preceding statement of facts We derive The
following summary of amounts oycrraid on tins con-
tract 10 D,soii either through the medium of c1aSgcr
atcl esnatcs from improper classification Of work III
the final account:
2c o. cubic yards -oc excavation. at S8...-S7at8s 20
5z7 100 cHh> yards yer,ical wall At - oS8d -
70i S,i59 cubic. arb eubanknlenl al 10 cents so d
.Olo 50
From hsh i.irci sl57 90 cubir ards Of earth
e~ciya:.o. "a excess II to amount paid Tor IN 40 -
hnal account. cents yard ..---...''' l'i'Z -
Total amount payments prcicied Oh false - CO.
USELESS WALLS.
In this statement il ,ll he observed that reduction
IS udc for inferior " useless wor il Simply shows tie
amount that been paid TO the contractor ior work
hst we have no 10 believe ever done and ma
ras thai have reason 10 believe were ever FUR
ulshcd Large this anoant Is, il docs not represent the
total loss tle State The w;s that were butt amount
| ing to 3T53 cubic yards, at a cost o. S1l,259 are
comparatively worthless and should never baNe beeh
accepted they viii always he source of expense and
trouble until replaced by durable and permanent
| structures.
The STRENGTHENING OF the canal at this point was not
ucccssty- had been in its theD condition for yeats
but granting thar il desirable Improvement 10 canal
n3yigatiou with ordinary "rcsisht the result aimed ~
could have been easily attained al comparatively small
expcnsc 10 the state Had the quantities. properly
classified been exhibited m the letting thus securing lair
conpccn fair prices fo the different items o work
necessary to its construction, and had slope walls been
substituted for useless ana expensive vertical WALLS ;'
the statute directs the cntr cost based upon The est-
mates Of our engineers, would have been unugr T3O0oo
FEW POINTED QUESTIONS.
The question Will very naturally he asked who ia re-
srou.Ie for all these of Judgment" these fraud
uent estimates Why shoud contract covering ter
| dto-y only half Uilc in length through an open fed
and all dicnlt engineering problems. be let
for the comparatively small sam 0f S3,2"b 80. ald finally
cost the cXtrayasIntiy large sum Of Fl46,8l6i why
should an estimated amount Of rock excavation OF 600
! .sfrt,.. tod ia lac Ai.f
Of $500 hc ,welcd 10 39.46o90 cubic yards. aud paid
for At an outlay OF S11S1OJ 20, more tlan double
is value assuming that il all had been removed Why
should this contractor Dnson, receive from the officers
OF the stac $-5,5I7 62 tis SG23O 30 contract for
WORK that believe never Gone; and why were hlS
imperfect walls accepted and his final account set'ledf
The answer Is simply that every state official in any
way connected with tho work culpablS indifferent TO
| his duty o. faithess to his trust.
WHERE TIE RrsroNsiBItIrY LIEs.
Tho statute never intended That tue Canal B'a'd should
b. as ignorant it appears to have been Cua ~ II
seemed satisfied 10 bel in regard to the extraordinary re
pairs for which they voted away immense sums o. money
annually We Of opinion that il was the intent ot te
Law that the members Board should be educated
through the medium surveys, maps, plans and es
mates carefully made INTO fun knowledge Of the char
acters thc cost. and tie utility OF every work, adopted
| by thcm and ordered TO he let
| Furthcr-hat II imperative duty on their part
o. study and understand the laws under which they as
sunod to act In tins respect there scoms TO nave been
strange oversight 1t never was intended that costly
| vertical wall should have been built upon this
section Of the canal, which extended through an open
farming country, far removed from the uarts OF com
merce OF the localities OF business Here are The words
| Of the act:
| syc . The whole OF the tax shall be
applied rs follows The of s42j 600 the proceeds O
said tax. shall be applied and expended i"l ana lnS
the enlargement of Chanplan Canal, III such mnnuef
ns To give throughout the entire length of such canal
uniform depth o. feet of water, and width ~ - zee