New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-01


est one. 1t is Difficult to whore such quantity
of rock as is here indicated could have been taken
from within the limits of this contract. Wherever
rock occurs on this ground it is partially disnte-
grated argaceous slate while the price bid for this
excavation, whether blasted or unblastcd, was 81
per yard more than twice the fair value OF the
work. So that Mr. Donisou has been paid, or can
claim on this item. not only double the price he
should receive, but compensation pesldJs ZOE jill
amount as suspicious as it is large
The 1000 yards of vertical wall dry, bid for In
the contract, have been increased into 430'9 GU
bic yards. and there have also been estimated as
done l2,33J cubic yards OF vertical wall III &C.
ment, which were not bid for in the original con-
tract at ALL The prico paid for vertical wall dry Is
81 per cubic yard. about so per cent TOO high lor
such work "a this contract requires. III VIII po
noticed that the vertical wall in cement Is estm'teu
as extra work Mt SO per cubic yard lhiS worn
il also supposed TO have been estimated rs vertical
wall dry, and it is said that the estimate Oh %
per ward is TO cover the additional COST of using ce
mcnt. which can only be described as most pre-
posterous swindle.
The work of laying dry vertical wall is going
on under ills contract at two points. and that Oh
LAYING vertical wall in cement at one point lne
form and Dimensions of these dry vertical walls have
been fixed by the engineer as follows Hight,
feet; thickness at bottom, II feet; thickness at
top, .! feet; the rear of tho wall TO be vertical
These Dimensions give sectional area one-thlrd
greater than is demanded by conditions OF stability,
but. as will be seen presently, this is moro tlan
counterbalanced by defects III construction. III IS
further revelation Of the way III which toc0ntfact Is
being performed, and the admirable npudence OF MI
Jarvis Lords claim, that there are no caha iraudH'
to say that the materials being employed Ill the CON
struction of these dry walls are very unsultape'
Thrce-quarters of the stone used III building theih
fail TO comply with the requirements OF the CONTRACT
as to form and size, while the manner OF MIR dispo-
sition DEPARTS still further from its provisions. not
single header or binding stone rs "sef Inc larger
stones having a face are all placed in the front
course, and almost invariably with their largest d.
nension parallel with the face of tho wall The
space between the front course thus laid to the
canal bank which has been trimmed nearly vertical,
and rs nearly as may be to the rear plane OF the
wall is then filed with similar stones, rIeGuiatiy
disposed and leaving largo vOids which are hlled
with quarry chips, broken stones and common
earth ready to receive succeeding COut5e OF ahar
stones disposed in the same way. The provision OF
the contract requiring the graycng Of this wall Is
disTcgarlcd as completely rs those are which relate
to the FORM dimensions and disposition Of The other
materials. No gravel at all has been used, common
earth from the bank being employed in its stead.
The vertical walls in cement are, by the directions
of the engineer to be eight feet in hight four feet
wide at the base, two feet wide AT the top, and
vertical in he rear These dimensions give greater
volume by about p pr cent th1l required icr sta
bilitv but in the construction of the vertical Wal!
In cement now in progress, there Is still wider
departure fiOm the requirements of the specification
than in the case OF the vertical walls Jn. described
A larger proportion Of the stones are understood
and there is the same absence of headers or binding
stones. willie the Sling OF the spaces behind ia"
barrow front course of the walls with small stones
is again TO be observed. ard the mortar used
is utterly worthless Th- sand dscd in this portion
is exceedingly dirty large proportion of it beng
mold or vegetable matter, and IN 10 part OF the vail
under construction does the mortar show any haId-
cnng or ADHESION. thuS pcrni ilng the water u run
through the wall IN numerous places, so that stones
may be removed with the hand from the iroat
courses near the bottom; good indication OF the
way in which halfmillion jobs are peri rmcd Tho
wall is not laid throughout with mortar nor is the
middle of it groutcd. though one OF these methods
is absolutely required by the specifications Was
either method honestly employed to ill ali the
spaces with good hydraulic mortar, the wall
would on the setting of the cement ac-
quire monolithc character and thus become
a firm and durable structure bat the cost OF the
Of such mortar sufficient 10 iii these spaces
would exceed the price paid for the Wal, and
hence the use of the inefficient substitute described
What is the result What Il the character Of
Mr. Dcnison's wall as an engineering structure 7
1t is miscrably insecure, and for permanence must
depend rather upon the stability of the adJa'ent
bank than upon its Own strength. Mad this, let Il
be remembered, is not the statement of Albany
GOSSIP or the quotation by correspondent of float
ing accusations, but is the careful judgment OF
sklul engineers who examined this and other con-
tracts with no other instructions than to obtain and
report the truth. The dry vertical wall Is Of greater
strength nasmuch as the front courses are built OF
larger stones but the backing, which n lkes up the
larger part eff the wallis volume is so badly con-
structed as scarcely to add to the stability Of the
structure, So though these walls arc
designed Of much greater volume than the cOndl-
lions of stability demand, and have been paid for i'll
these increased quantities, the mat erals are SO an
stable and are ineectlyey disposed that the en-
ginesr8 report Tie structures are not scce and ca|not
be permanent
The condition of the walls already built tends to
establish this conclusion. for they show by dis
tortion of alignment and batir in numerous places
that they are yielding to the pressure of the banks,
while the lesseuing and displacement of numerous
top stones exposes the effect of the Fiction and
blows of boats. The mortar has washed out Of ali
the spaces among the stones composing the vertical
wall, leaving many of them SO loose that they may
be removed with the hand
Comment upon these plain unvarnshed facts is
scarcely necessary. Mr.. Denison received this con-
tract at $4,000, and has already made vt cost the
State nearly S5oO,OOO. In what way, by what
means, and by whose cOnnivance and assistance,
this has been done may be easily inferred from the
foregoing facts
And vet Mr.. Jarvis Lord says there are no canal