New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-05

technically called extraorHnary-tbe enlargement
work. removal of wall benches. &c.-and cover the
work OF removal which began in 1853, and winch it is
hoped may be completed by the opening Of navigation
in 1876.
The following table shows the expenditures for extra
ordinary repairs the Canal from 1868 to 1874 both
years inclusive:
1s63..s36To7 ca 1888. sl5s4ss rs 1873 s9G7l76 80
1861 1888 1869 m $4,000 Sc ISI4.... 9cll6l 81
1865. so. i64G II 1870 80. C95,G23 80 --
1866 2O606i 2a is7I 735IO2 vs. Total s. 1886, l6l So
1S67.....1ls.477 OF 1872 .... 6iO,9l3 81
1t will be noticed that tho foregoing ngures which
are taken from the Auditors books, exhibit a steady
and rapid increase in the expenditures for extraord
nary repairs from $4,000 in 1862 Immediately after the
enla rgemert was declared completed, to nearly mil
lion dollars last year. II be remembered however
that the enlargement was completed then and Is not
completed vet the announcement to that enect belng
legislative fiction. Up to the year 1Sis the canal was
constructed that the slope wall rested upon bench
in February, li9 Canal Commissioners Cook Beach and
Kinds changed the form of the crosssection of the
enlarged canal, that the slope wal! was carried
down to the bottom OF the canal, ana
from that time on the latter plan was
followed in the construction Of the enlargement In all
the reports Of the State Engineers and Surveyors be-
ginning with the time OF sas Seymour in 1851 the en-
tire and early removal OF these wall benches, winch
in the portions completed prior to SS was
strongly recommended, their place 10 be supplied by
full slope walls. There 30 miles OF these wall
benches, II the Eastern Division, &c on the Middle
Division and thru the Western Division aud work
upon their removal begun the year after the es
laure had formally declared in 1862 the enlargement to
be completed. The work has gone on since that time
without Interruption except during the years 1857 ana
1863 and at close OF the last fiscal year there re-
NAMED not under contract the EasternDIys0n, 90
miles Of wall benches equivalent to 29.6 miles on each
side adding to this an equivalent OF five and har
miles on each side OF the Middle DIVISION the total
length of bench wall is equivalent to S5l miles on each
side the canal Before this work began Its cost
e.timated at slssa2 per mile Of canal THIS would
have made the total cost follows
Eastern Division. Il .si,337,072
Middle DIVISION, 10 miles. observation-disclosures. 5Ol,1l2
Western Division mes................. 66i%
Total. .sl694,ooO
The.foOwing will show how the actual expenditures
are likely 10 compare with the original estimate;
Estimate OF 1863. .'si'GG'Soo w
Deduct expenditures. l,Ito,5o5 10
------
Cost to complete. ............... s5isI2o
TINS sum, compared with the estimate made by the
State Engineer January .lS7i-that the completion
would 7l40-sbows, IA deficiency OF sl9Jll9 49,
equal to IL per OF the estimate OF 1863 This excess
accountoTfor by State officers by the fact that large
quantities OF vertical WALL not originally contemplated
have been built instead of slope waone OF the fruits
OF the vertical wall swinde which has been
fully ex posed THE TRIBUNE. Ii Is estimated that an
OF 1851 600 to follow that OF JG00O by the
Legislature OF 1874 ought TO complete the work when
this has been accomplished 1t is saidghat the expendi-
lures for extraordinary repairs be reduced one
third decrease which may be considerably enhanced
by the completion the work of doubling Locks upon
the Eastern aud Western DIVISIONS during ;he present
Spring.
The end OF the work OF removing the wall benches
would seem now 10 fairly in view. The removal has
been completed the Western Division; on the Middle
Division towingpath side will be clear by the opening
OF navigation IL miles remaining on the bernie side
equivalent to 3: miles on each sde the remainder OF Inc
IS miles before cited being the Eastern Division. The
probability fits completion for the sum named depends
of course entirely upon the appetite OF Tie Cahal nR
for vertical wall.
The work OF removal is evidently much the largest
item Of extraordinary repairs and the statistics oil tAe
various other Of this branch OF expenditure can
be summed up very briefly. These are Tor dOuOlIhS
locks for reservoirs and feeders, vertical wall Du6cs
and sceane0us items
The expenditures for doubling locks were, IN 1860
$4,000; in 1852 sSiO in 1870 sG46s0 1871 s39i2O 1872
sl7O794 % 1879 Sss.C7I &c 1874, $l56oT "a total
S7l9s24 o. The work Is complete, except single
lock on the Western Division. and Willard JOhhsOnS
contracts at West Troy and tho officials say that these
gaps may be closed up this Spring.
The expenditures for reservoirs and Feeders nave
amounted Eastern Division to si3l5 7o on the
s52G36 TO- total, s3i3774 81. For vertical there has
been expended on the Eastern Division $5325l CT; on
the Middle Division $79l3 sc on the western DVlsI0n
sil5.3l4 ca total s2i3i79 % Both OF these however
are merely formal statements and do not represent the
actual amounts expended Large amounts have been
expended by Commissioners on reservoirs and
feeders which have been charged to- ordinary
and miscellaneous repairs. and the amount given as
expended on vertical wall does not include the vertical
wall built In connection with the removal OF wall
benches and the substitution Of slope wall-which
has been great source OF revenue to the Ring The
expenditures upon bridges have amounted on the East
erny Division 500 Gl9 As the Middle Division, $780,
ISL &c on the Western Division, s30990l 20; total
S65O37 o. The miscellaneous repairs for the same period
amounted to s2259l5 40. The total Of extraordinary
repairs on the Erie Canal during the last u years Is
therefore 1856 G1 S. about and half millions
less than the sum expended all the canals under the
same head during the last five years.
THE RELIEF ACTS OF THE RING.
AMOUNTS OBTAINED DURING THE RULE OF TWEED
IN THE LEGIsLATURE-HOw HONEST ENGINEERS
WERE PREVENTED FROM GUARDING TIE TREAs
URY-GEoRGE d. LORDS BILL FOR HIS OWN
RELIEF
IRON A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
ALBANY, April 1.-The success of the Canal
Ring largely due its great influence every
State Legislature 1t is conceded that there has been
apparent warrant Of everything that done
by the Canal Ring. just as there WAS by the NewYor
City Ring. II Is conceded, too, that there were ap
parently legal provisions for the immediate indictment