New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-27
CRUMBLING DOCK WALLS.
EXPLANATIONS FROM GEN. GRAHAM AND
THE DOCK DEPARTMENT.


GEExNl.s WANT OF CONFIDENCE IN GEN. CRY
HAMS sysrEM-vIEws OF COMMISSIONER WALKS.
Tie report of the Chief Engineer OF the
Tcpartment Of Docks relative to the condition OF the
dock vas at Canal and Kingsts which was published
on Saturday has created much interest In the subject
among the citizens OF NcwYork. In conversation on
SATURDAY evening Gen. Charles r. Grahan--in accord
snce with whose plans the work was dcne-sah he dd
not deem /; wise good taste for him TO make any
reply 10 the statements of Engineer Greene through tue
pevspapers at present in view OF the fact that an IN
Vcsca.oS was TO be held by n Commission OF Engineers
lie was confident that thorough and honest inVesV-
cation would acQuit him of all blame lie hao
been the victim of conspiracy and statement OF Tue
facts in the case would starte both the public ana the
Department He wished II positively asserted however,
that he attached no completely in the conspiracy TO the
Commissioners, the Mayor, the present Engineer nut
refused 10 state anything further in relation his charge
The first he had known he said, of the investigation Or
dered by the present Dock Commissioners and maze oy
Engineer Greene VIXEN he read the statements pun
Ushed i'm THE TRIBUNE OF Saturday. lie saw them at MS
breakfast table, ana Immediately afterwaTd went down
to Kingst and made inquiries Of the workmen regarding
the wall and examined much of it as he could BE
found nothing to discourage lin, provided his nsrhc-
tlo,s had been followed out TO the very letter The d.
rect supervision Of the work had by necessity been IN
trusted to suboTdinates and be was confident ' 'n!
defects were found in the work. they would be de 10
careessness and faulty construction similar system
its operation. and he knew no reason why ~ s"o '
operate as well here.
In the latter part of May, 1873 TIC subject OF the I'M
movement the waterfront under consldeIatlohpy
the Dock Commissioners aud it decided then that
the plan OF Gen Mcclellan TO erect all the piers OF SOLD
masonry was impracticabc. 1t would involve the c'
In debt greater than s annual income Commissioner
Weservelt then expressed the opinion that whch u"
homework Pier No North River should nc come'eu'
Il would have cost sum Of money the interest of which
would construct solid wooden pier every two years
At meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineers
nj Pittsburgh June 10, 1s75, letter from Gen Graham
was read, which he said: would respectfully shs
gest the appointment of Committee OF six members Oh
the Society three them United States engineers ana
three of them civil engineers in the active practcc OF
ther pro.ession for the purpose of making thorough
examination OF the plans low III use IN ms
Department, with the view OF determining whether
the system Of beton masSe is one WEIGH
can be safely and economically adopted in future works."
On June g. Gen. Graham rendered his resignation and
on June 1t was accepted He stated on saturday 'ha'
he resigned for not connected with the new plan
of dock-wal construction lie found men at WORK on
Saturday at Kingst digging down through INC coicFco
from the surface the piles in order to ascertain tic
condition OF the structure. very good quay ol con-
crete had thus far found although the work had
only extended about eight feet. He said that ne was
pleased to know that the Mayor contemplated the ap
polntment Of of such emnence and professional a"
tanments as Mcssrs. Gilmore, Newton, and Campbell,
time. lie had nothing TO fear from any Investigations
mud assumed all responsibility in tie case
VIEWS OF THE PRESENT DEPARTMENT EN,dNiEH
on July 1G, George :. Greene, jr was appointed to MI
the vacancy caused by Gen GTahams resignation His
appointment made on the recommendation OF A. W.
Craven for 20 years in charge OF the Croon water
Works Gen ". Il. Franklin of Colts Armory Col.
julius Evans Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Board
Of Public Works; W. L. Wortheu, formerly Chief I'm
gnecr of tho New-Iayen Railroad, and Others. Three
days after his appointment the attention OF MI
Greene WIS called TO certain reports received blythe
Commissioners relative TO the condition OF the dock
walls at Canal-st. Accordingly, he made an examlna-
ton there and At Kngs Nv Greene stated on satur-
day that he was fully convinced of the mpractlc2bhty
Of the beton plan. II was delicate under
taxing tn critlcise fellow engineers work before the
public but the duties Of his position required him 10 do
IT, lie knew of only two places in this country where
the system has been adopted One OF these was IN MI
McElroy's wall at the Brooklyn Navy-Yad, which had
proved failure Gen Graham 10 his report mentions this
work and cites as the causes OF is failure the want OF
sufficient number of piles in the foundation and the quail
y OF the cement which had deteriorsed in its cusile
strength Mr. Greene believed the work failed because
the concrete placed ia position while in wet coAd
ton The other instance OF the use of this system was III
The wellknown bridge at City. which Octave
Clanute Of the Railway hit reputation. i wac built
about three years A few days ago Mr. Greene
learned from engineer that the concrete walls o! the
bridge were crumbng away and men were engaged day
never in making the pchod give satisfactory
results. He had not made all the examinations OF
the work in this city that lac intended to
make. but from what be had already seen
he satisfied Of the folly OF proceeding with the work
IN the betoa en- RGsse manner
The prrcipa reason for adopting the system referred
to was economy. II gives saving of about 20 per cent
OF the cost Of Gen McCellans system and among the
advantages claimed by Gen. Graham were the icowinS
work by the adoption Of the heating process as T
Piled water sand, and stone may be prosecuted az
least during nine months out OF the twelve; mkklleO
labor can replace very great extent the Skilled hbor
required the block system the huge andcNponsiYc
lOOton derrick can DC dispensed WITH and small
6ercls employed lowering the concrete and the To-
ion derrick for placing the grano masonry, ana
eventually the manufactured rbblc blocks the raItdty
with which the work may be prosecuted, and tho in
,nense saving in its cost" On March II, 1874,
Gen Graham in letter 10 the Dock Com
missioners raised objections to the use OF cribs.
souare frames made of planks, were lowered to the river
bed and in Gen McCicllan's works at The Battery were
flied with concrete en- in order to furnish level
surface for the concrete blocks made in the open ar
The river bed there is composed Of rock and the
use of concrete inasc, said Mr. Greene was neces-
sy. In his objections Gen. Graham referred to The
fact that las 70 be lowered through from 20
to 40 feet depth OF water and deposited in the crib by
divers In the passage through tic water much Of the
cement is removed rendering the concrete wcckor 1t
appears from this observed Mr. Greene, that Gen Ora
ham had completely changed his opinion in tho following
October, W hen bio wolk at Canal and King-sts was
OPINION or COMMISSIONER WALES.
President Wales said Saturday that The question Of
construction was ono OF great importance, but until the
report o. the Committee Of Engineers who gre TO cyan
inc the work tho FOOT Of kiass is UAdc he coid not
whether the general plan wa, e1od on Dad me Ie
kngsts. was defective. II the Committee Of Eneinccrs
condemn the nse OF concrete en- mssSc' a. ou'"S S