The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-25
THE CITY'S NEW WHARVES.
oFrFCIfL ETIDENCE or SERIOUS
DEFECTS ~ THE WORK.

tiOu. TINT was Mndc NOt u DnJ TOO SOoh'
Tho Dock Commissioners have sent re-
port a. Mayor wckham, in which they say that
the Higina plan for the sea wall around the
city, d viscd by Gen. Mcclellan, Va known as tho
be'Dn block SYSTEM OF the formlti ~ mas
spe concrete blocks, IN moulds, and manui"o'
t.red In the open air, In such sizcs as the nature
81 the work demands. These blocks wheh pop
srly hardened, were lowered by the ala OF tno
iarge floating derrick to a foundation oI pics
aruly driven. and then sawed N so as to maNo
An even bed Anexamplc Of this system oi CON
,tr,,ction IS found at the Christopher Suec'
section.
In Iuiv 1873. Con Chas. X. Graham was ap-
poinied cneinecr-in.chief of the department
la October ISL with view to greater
econony In the construction of the sea
wall, the Ensncef-iu-Chief recommended to
the hoard. a. substitute for hcton
blocks. that concrete On m1sse should be
formed upun a foundation Of piles IN wet
raisson. the concrete bcing lowered to its place
within the caisson, 10y appropriate machinery,
in fitting buckets, and then left to harden into
solid mass. The heads Of the pilos were not
cut on after being driven. In November the
old Dork Commission adop,cd the recommen-
dation of Gen. Graham, ard ordered the work
to proceed. AOout 3i7 feet were constructed.
Tho new Hoard Of Commissioners was organized
On the ed of Nav last, and ON the - II June
Gen. Graham resigned the ONCE Of Eneinccr-in-
chief. und AS soon as Urac ,icahle his succ ssor.
GrNr-o is. Greene, Jr.. was appointed to nll the
t,.nncN rnn attention. of the Cummissiunofs
having been called to possible defects In TINS
method of construction. the subj I'ct was refer
fed Tor investigation 70 the Executive Couimt-
tee. vino directed the Engincor-n -t'licf to make
ac.frful examination of the work ana report.
Ine result is printed bellows
TnE CnItF ENGINrER's REPORT.
DEPARTMENT or DOCKS,
OFFICE OF ENGtNEER-IN-t tHiEP.
NEW lORK. sept. ID. lsi5.
Gon. H,atv ,. b'pnoei. chaanan hSecure Com
SIM. Immediately after nv appointment to
the position / now hold In this depnrimcnt,
received - communication from the Executive
Committee calling my attention To cettnin ic-
ports received hv said committee IN rel tioh TO
the Cautl street section Of tn" buikhe.d wa J.
aud requesting tnht Voh viii MAKE most
thuruurh Investigation and examination Hs to
the ch ractcr oi the work porf rmed and tue
ferred to, and report To them IN Whiting the re-
suit aud your oaintun IN regard to tho cons trdc-
In ncroriance with the above. nave made
constant examinations of the Canal street Sec
tion. and have also examined the Kin, street.
section. winch was bliit upOn tue same pl n
and principle. aud have devoted as much time
ns possible to this subject consistent with my
The exa IN tion Of these walls has taken
u,ucn time hcc.usc tho greater uart of them
de undci water, and had u ue examined nN
means Of divers IN aimur ahd attn lhrn have
not yet been bic 10 make as complete un ex-
amtnhti IN Hs | wish 20. have aScori aimed GER
tiin facts IN regard 90 thom waicu &c, IA IL my
duty 10 las before you nt the earliest po-sillc
The { nal street section embraces ninety feet
OF wall con pleted before iny q, n0intment, and
IN 'front.' VI which New Per No ~ was 'lso BUM
before my rival on the held and bout nets
feet more IA pr"-ress of construction al 81 4
time. Ipon examining the method Of the
work. found ID Necessary To q once m lie -cv-
eFal changes in the dctqll-. and although feeling
aI'ck OF condo ccnce IN the principle Of con
stTuotion, decided To nll. " this potion ~ the
wall under construction to tie finished. takns
detail L. % 'g "a @ sso s 90 @.'%s .as wo5H ani 1as 70,
suit, II tae principle admitted IT.
Tlir GESEnAL rLAS
of construction was as follows:
The mud Vas drecsed out on the site OF the
wall 10 about twenty ieet below mean low "
Ter. Round piles we've thcn driven fpr tho wal
80 rest upon' by means II follower tp suel
depth Tn their he dis or tops were about FOUR
seen feet below mean wv water. \ huX '
yet c,.sun was then constructei around the
--'and piles, TO give shape 70 the concrete Nnt
prevsn; ine cement from beu- washed awa'
before it had time TO SET TINS c"-sun VA
built ny driving square Iiles about ei-ht fee
ounrt and placing shutters or pInos II ulIul
betwrcu them. IL was NOT I'M, ndcd 10 SMUT on
tho v.ior nut ~ prevent currents from wash
tnc Inc rnncrcte ana to give the runns-,ge sh .Dl
.nl hold ~ n position M, ~ had hecuinl
hardened or set. The spaces hctwecn the rouu'
piles were isen niiod IN with small stone Il
sabOut sixteen feet below mean low water ~
outside - the edison being embarked al th
stone. lhc Interior "f the chsson was thrl
filed witu concrete, lowered through the watt
lON. and dep lS ted Dl oltnius tiN uNA Ncai
the bottom. and allowing The concrete to 81
out upon the smgll stone lying between u
piles. and upOn aud around the plles' 10 IN
height OF about twelve feet, Or Two feet Nv
inchcs below mean low water. Al tins pom
the top u the concrete was levollei 10 recely
the first or bottom course Of the granite iacinl
whicn was then LAID course by course To the to
Of the wall. the concrete bAckins being ais
Tised u correspond with the courses OF grant
ts each was laid.
Having taken care by Instructions a. to de
ttils. and 10y sending Diver Med Ia dow
g.. IA az l1tlk II
a. Aproper position rs It WIS lowered under Tn
" Ncr, ex 'mined the wall already huili unde
ne Pier 81 Passing unuer the itcr ~ q bo u
fDu nd that all tnc square piles Of the cals3p
had been removed. hut Only three of the shut
tefs or pnicls oil the otLcr shutters wer
iau. ,ned asslust the face Of the wall By ma.
or trap stone piled against them to an yci
wat, q. lhey meyer have been removed, ana a.
face pf the VIII has never been properly eXam
ined. nor can il be until me tone aLd pane
500 l. roe 10 be removed 10y the divcrs Uhey est
mate some Of them TO weigh nearly toni an
some icyice with steam power must lo used I
Semuv , them. Upon questioning DIVER McDot
Old as q the examination made by diycr' Of III
lace on the W n, he informed me IA he ha
made = the examinations under water up
only one panel about eight feeU out Of 90 fee
oi wall uilt ard living under the Iieri that o
shis one )1nel he mad found the face Il the COT
crete wal good, smooth, ana hard, for about Il
feet dow. from the bottom OF the granite, bt
below ths the concrete Ind fallon aWas frul
ths mass, lni the face curved in and back iron
Wuen n g. ~ covered the second row Of pil,
from the ir' mt "a distance OF over two fceU, an
leaving the iout row OF piles bore of conc et
nor support o. the wall IN any way. Iy the fni
Ing on OF this ou er bottom faCe Of tn
wall, its tend 3ucy to rotation or rolling over
VA4ilv increa ial, ami especially so when IA
sarlh tllins %. ombauliueSit Is placed behind I
IN tAis l ~ i'u ir case. however, the Iier I'm
built AGAINST tl - face OF the wall will pTobdbl
prevent any su, N disaster.
IXAN AEp ny THE DIVERS.
Idlrected diy,v Mcdonald to go down an
carefully examine rs uuch Of the lace Il IA
wall iui he p .aiIly could. lie did 80. and 70
ported to me- that the thre panel near the soiat
sry side of the .tcr. were an that ne could ~
At; ono Of them he had * mined before, AD
they were ALL extending over a distance of 2. q
- feet, In the same CONDITION " tie one pro
Viltisly eNamincd and above described. his
all that has been examined of that part Of th
Rl'l under new Iier No. -. the removal OF IA
-. zap stone ln # nj OF the rem. iudcr - IN
Wali sul 1ca work Of some time. ia condition
may b, tetter than that p4ri examined or ma
bo worse. That part Of tne wall Directly norll
OF new Iicr SO. "a, belng under oousfuc, lpn
Wa c8mulctcd TO the level OF the b so OF "a
coping. Oh the Kjtl Of Au4u,t crack was dls
covered just month of new pier "a, AN
upon applying the instruments, II was ioun
that The wall had settled ahout three
quarter of nn nCh NJ a point rs res
from north 81 lc of zoe uier, and proportion all
NCeu f4lu point aud the cTaek, and that