New-York tribune., 1875-08-17
MORE CANAL REPORTS.


The Canal Investigating Commission has pre-
sented a second and third Report to the Cover
nor. and we print them both to-day with accom-
panying testimony. The third Report relates TO
a comparatively tlifling bridge contract, lnvoiv-
ing only a small sum of money, but valuable
as an example of the mannerin which contrac-
tors are enabled to persevere III dishonest
work in spite of the positive Injections ol Il
competent and faithful engineer. The prln-
cipal interest of this batch OF dOcu-
ments attaches to Report No. z, the subject
of which is one of the DcnisOn and Belden
contracts for removing wall-benches and con-
structing vertical wall East of Utica in 1869.
The price specified i'll the contract was
$1O,617, and on the 1st of March last the
amount credited to the contractors was
$50, 700, at least Onethird of the work being
unfinished The Commissioners examined the
work thoroughly, and the account they give
of it is wonderfully complete epitome
of Ring engineering. There is hardly any
variety of cheating which has not been
practiced in this construction. The wall is
little more than One-thild the stipulated thick
ness. There is no gravel lining "a required
by contract Very few of the stones are even
of the minimum size; &" headers" which were
to be one fourth of the volume of the wall,
are entirely omtted the cement has no more
tenacity than dry mud; all the coping and ties
were estimated and paid for as white oak,
whereas there is not a single piece of white
oak in the work, and nearly all the timber
is of the most perishabe varieties; pieces
which purport to be ties are only II or Is
inches in length, their scant dimensions hay
ing been originally concealed with dirt; and
finally enormous Overcharges have been made
in the quantities of work done, great deal
of rock blasting and rock-excavatiOn paid for
where none at all was done, and materials
charged for of which no traces can he found.
The Resident Engineer in charge of this work
was Babcock the Assistant Engineer was
H0ratiO Seymour, jr. 1t appears that Mr.. Bah
cock was deeply interested in some way in the
fortunes of Mr.. DenisOn, for he endeavOred to
force his assistant to certify fraudulent meas
urements in the contractors favor, and when,
in spite of his insistance, Mr.. Seymour refused,
Denison stopped wolk and requested the Canal
Board to cancel his contract.
Denison had for partners in this job j..
j. Belden and Meade Belden, and undoubtedly
he had official partners also, whose names will
perhaps be disclosed when his books are open
to examination. The contract was made on the
same day which witnessed the granting of the
notorious Port Schuyler contract to the same
parties, and both seem to have been executed
with the same disregard of law. The Commits
siOners say: "As in the case of the Port
Schuyler contract, and in fact of
"all the contracts ROW pending on
"tllis division of the canals, SO far
cas- we can learn, no survey, map,
estimate, or specifications such as the law re-
"qlres in all cases to be made by the Divis-
ion Engineer, approved by the State En-
"gineer and Surveyor, submitted to the Canal
"Board for their adoption, and filed in the
office of the State Engineer and Surveyor
before a work can be let, was ever made,
approved, submitted, adopted or fled" Ex-
Lieut.. Gov. Beach will probably stop and think
few minutes before he rushes into print to
denOunce this statement unjust and en-
tirely without foundaton,' and to rebuke
the Commission for IGNORANCE and misunder-
standing of facts"
The Governors Committee seems indeed to
be fulfilling its trust in the most admirable
manner. It's investigation is thorough, sys-
tematc, and intelligent; its conclusions are
stated with refreshing franllness. yet without
tinge of political feeling; and its reports will
intensity the reform sentiment which is rap
IDLY gaining power all through the State.
There can hardly be a doubt that the death
blow of the Canal Ring has been struck.