The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-14

: WVVTUTITdTIOUs
would not complete the worS; some Q! me work
| very bad ana very dangerous; dld not tnink
! the apprOp ration sufficient 70 40 II all; my IN
I preston y my estmate was mace OF the theory
/ o. removing All the very pa points, ! nave
70 fecoheeuon as 70 We mas g1ac wonI1
reach; after makingihe estimate sent II 70 ne
+ canal commissioners IN cnaTge; had not seen NJ.
Dsnhison PRIOR ~ ~ curing TN laAlnA y. NY
estimates; the contract was proceeded win
Z enuer my SUPERVISION; WORK was commenced IA
/ september, 1850: the assistant engineer Wh0 hld
I the WORK especially in charge was George ?. OH
yer, now OF Troy; the contract was 70 De COM
pieted IA April 1870, buI ~ was nor colnp!eseu,
the monthly estimate made OF tne Work, as II
progte ses. must he by the assistant engineer anc
must pc Given TO the diylsion engineer IN whose
Office IL Is kept on ne. The witness then testified
! as to the manner IN WHICH tue monthly estimates
1 were made. IN 1870 ana 10 ISL approprA-
/ tloas OF $4,000 and $4,000 respectively We're
made for tue same work; | cannot tell
wnetner any work was done on this contract after
\ 1871; lett the ollce on January l. 1872; made
Y bat one estimate and that was not expected 70
l complete ,he work. out 70 exhaust the original
\ appruprlattOn OF 100000; the distance 10 be
eXCavsted aua built up was ten miles, and on Its
\ lace my estimate appeared u call for ire entire
! work nelug DONE DuJ IN truth II was not 50, Tor
II could nor DO done Tor the amount approprla ed
i il was merely 10 20 as lar as the Appropriation
would permit; contractors usually get pay when
they come across al emnankment Tor removing
ii, or after, Tor rebuilding II.
ESTIMATES ON SUPERSTITION.
4 NY estimate IN some tainas was made upon sup
4 position-Ior instance the blasting o. rock;
assumed tnere was rock 10 be blasted. ana yet
\ there might not have been any rock. The atten-
tlon OF tue witness was then called 10 a contract
~.
the krIe Canal, near Uuca. fhe estimate Tor that
work was sl3,497; 90 not recolect precisely now
ton ior that work was $1,000. win $4,000 and
$1,000 set apart by Tie state Engineer; TIE
PROBABILITY Is that the estimate was not
made Tor the completion OF the work. but
to use ug the original appropriation; made
estimates tor the constructor OF Two LOCKS AT
west Troy; the estimate was about 50, 900 lor
eacn, and lie was supposed that that sum would
complete them; the contracts were let To Messts
Boomer and DsGraW. but were assigned 10 wizard
Johnson not THINK ground was broken Tor lilis
wor6 when lett ONCE, although ma teriai was oe-
liyeIed Tor the construction OIL tue LOCKS; know
DeGraw as u SOFT OF contractor; never knew MIN
20 any w0rk as a contractor; Boomer | don't
know never heard Of MIN.
ne witness was tAen shown several contracts.
but very niue OF importance was eilcied. Wit
stated that at times tue resident or DIVISION
engineer ass umed the authority oil allowing extra
work 10 contractors when they had performed II;
tnis was done 70 avoa making Applications TO the
Legislature.
THE STONE DAM AT couoEs.
Counsel introduced Ia evidence Il contract let
Tor the coHslruc ION OF a stone dam at Conoes.
The estimate made Dy Mr.. Jennings, wno was at
that Time DIVISION engineer ior tnis WORK, was
Sll4,O30. Inc amount paIo Tor THIS work Was over
Witness was asked to explain this discrepancy.
lie said he thought iresnet nad broken away the
dam before IL was completed.
Counsel showed that q relief bill was passed by
the Legislature allowing the contract prices TO be
raised, wnlcn had the effect OF nearIy doubling The
WHAT A COMMISSIONER KNOWS
Canal Commissioner joan ID. Fay was then
sworn, ana titled that ne was a commissioner
Wleu contract CARED september, lSoy, WAS let
10 Henry ID. Dennison he knew nothing ABOUT
the work. being on the western dlvls.on; ne SAID
That commissioning IS expected 10 know ABOUT
MS own divl-Ioa and o be reasonably ignorant VI
other sections or the canals; he, therefore, knew
absolutely nothing ABOUT Mr. Dennison's contract;
the CONTRACT Of Edgar b. Nanhausen, DARED June,
1875, on the Genesce Canal, Tor the removal OF a
slide bank, was familiar to him; he
SAD the engineers estimate OF thar work
Vas $4,000 the WORK was 10 cot away
q bank Hhics altcrward slid into toe canal aud
stopped navigation; IL was a necessity that the
tue canal, therefore, asked Tor aud succeeded IN
OBTAINING an appropriation OF s24L. 900: as the
estimate o. The cost Of tnls work was then made
by Engiueers ruoDs and RlcnmUnd-tney report
Tag It would cost 10 remove the NIL Sle.OOo-the
contract was let and completed as the contract
Z tled for: ~ was done under witness supeTyi-
Sion as commissioner; tnis estimate was Tor ex.
witness thought mat would be enough;
but 1t Was found necessary TO remove
the lnal accounting OF that contract reaching
STs,gd7; tue price paid Tor excavation twenty
yards excayated was ascertalned DT cross sec
tons; all measurements mace are preserved aud
Kept In tue superintendent ONCE; David Rlcg-
mond, witness believed, MADE the measurements
oil e4rtn excayated IN tue case, ana. upon his
Z statement, WINES signed the paper when testi-
lied tbat 2sS,OJO yar1s u earSh was removed, wiz
ness mas been Caual Comm ssloner ior SIX years;
wnen outside work Is done, not In the original
estimate IL u generally approved by the COmmis-
sIoner IA charge OF the work. there Is no new let
TIM or contract ia such cases, but additional APP
/ preparations are called Tor; my impres IL .
new estimate was sometimes made; / thlnE Inc
state nas received :ae worth Of tue money paid
tae contractor tins particular contract, and my
explanation Of tie amount expended above tse
original estimate Is tnat the extra work vas
really rendered necessary, and was, therefore,
met oy appropriations; also entered INTO con-
tract wltu Charles T. skinner August 25, 1868, for
raising a reservoir at OH Creek estimated 10 cost
So. 500; that was 10 comUlete the work men,
tioned IN the contract; there Is q supplemental
suAnce OF 4 resolution 0. the Canal Board. ana
signed by mysen and Mr. Skinner; the resolution
was passed under me provisions o.
the supplemental contract was for more
and diGereas work, ana was not open
unuer tne first contract Inc bank was to be raised
ana u new outlet made; the new contract was Tor
repairing OF an old culyert and putting IN new
pipes; We arl not advertise Tor the doing or II,
because IL was needed TO be done at orce; IL
bidding; regard tue prices IN me contract as
Jair, aud tuet was the reason We did not let
Oy bidding; witness recognized the contract
dated August o 1870. VIII charles n skinner Tor
widening the canal IN Black Rock HarDJr 10 some
places and wsAiug On one side; 1 As Canal Com.
missioner, recommended the improvement, and
Mr.. Baker made the estimate dad not make any
measurements; the navigation was bad there.
aud ~ was cIncalt ior boats 10 get through and
thought Tor the Improvement OF navigation the
work should be done and 10 recommended
feet Of pine were estimated, and 2s2 900
paid for: 900. feet on white oak were estimated
wor1 was alterward caanged and tns timber put
IN t1at 10 Que reason why SO inucn more TIMBER
was used: Mr.. skinner and George -. LORD mad
this contract; tue amount or the original est.
mate was s. IL, s73-cXtras, 1851; the contract
was then cancelled ior reasons set forta "a .
aud rel.t to Z. b. van Duzen, ana he stopped
aud felet 70 Henry }. Morey; ne ala not work II;
on IL al this time; That contract ls about nine.
tsnths Completed; $4,000 has peen paid on
Morey's contract, ZOO on tue Nanduzen contract
and $4,000 70 skinner; tas original appropriation
was $4,000; the increase vas had bY approprla-
os Gs Contract -" o. Mr Wiisms. Who did some
work in another part ~ the haroori tue