The New York herald., 1875-08-27
THE CANAL INVESTIGATION.
MEETING OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE YEsTER-
DAY-TEsTMoNY OF MR. swEET-ADMIssIoNs
OF FRAUD-nfPoRTANT WITNESSES FOR THE

MEETING OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE fESIEh-
DAY-TEsrMoNY OF MR.. SWEET ADMISSIONS
OF FRAUD-rdPoRTANT WITNESSES FOR THE
NEXT sEssIoN-oUTLINE OF THEIR TESTIMONY
ALBANY August 20, 1875.
Tho Joint Legislative Committee resumed its nvesti
cation this morning of the Beden contract for the
Otisco Lake dam
Mr. @. A. Sweet was recalled who testified that he
first made survey at the Osco Lake reservoir 1865
ank had charge until 1870 When he left there
still nineteen In the swamp to be cleared On the
east and west shores of the lake clearing done
In the original estimate for the work three only
were mentioned being necessary to be cleared and
grubbed. This the estimate Of the resident en-
gneer These three acres were at the DAM and the es
innate included the erection of new road All the
grubbing done the whole 600 acres taken by the
State was one stump the dam. He received in
structions to build new road, and of.
did not build one there to see that the
tructor fulfilled his contract The wall did not
come up 10 the specifications in thickness
and size OF stone. The contractors paid
for H. $40 lineal feet of piles; they were
paid for cutting them, and the land owners paid
Tor cutting them besides. He admitted this not
rght, but that he had nothing TO do with that That
was the business of the Division Engineer and Canal
Commission He insisted that the length of the dam
was $50 feet, Notwithstanding others testified that it
was 200 feet by actual measurement The contractor
carted away timber before the land appraised The
term 'tmber land" included only land with solid tim
Der It, He never ran line through meadow land
while measuring timber land nor was his attention
ever called to such fact The object of clearing the
land was to prevent logs, brush &C. from floating
down and injurng the dam The land well cleared
and the brush and other material takon away and
burned Some Vas left along each side Of
the dam, which went down It, The timber would
pay for clearing the land. The temporary dam
was built above the permanent structure; was built
more in the interest of the contractors than the Stae
the material on the ground was used to construct this
DAM and the State paid for it three times over; the
State paid So per night for watching for the benefit
the Contractors he admitted that there loose
ness on the canals then than now but did not believe
there was anything wrong in connection with this par
tcuar job The contractors were not allowed for clear
ing the meadow land; the land allowed four
times as much as their land worth; there was no
grubbing done between the dam and the lake, his in
structions were TO chop and CUT he was told by the
resident engineer Hiram Soule, that grubbng was not
necessary; never knew grubbing TO be done connec-
ton with reservoir
By Mr. Cole-when you went on to do piece of work
did you get your instructions from the resident en-
gineer2
BY Mr. Cole-Dd you follow out his instructions
without paying any attention to the terms Of the con
tract?
Witness-Yes, sir
BY Mr Coe-suppose the contract was submitted to
you before you commenced would you follow out the
terms of that contract?
Wltness-Yes, sir.
BY Mr. sherman-Did you have the specifications
before you when supervising the worlr
Witness-Not always; l might have had them before
me on this work
BY Mr Cole-So far as you know was there proper
interest mlnesed beiCrs the Board OF Appraisers
the part OF the State to preserve the Stat Is rights
pricesS
Winess-No sir, there was not: as regards the
Hicks claim Tor $40, 900 damages to the mill owing to
backwaer he prevailed upon TO appear bsfore
the Appraisers by the claimants but did appear and
saved the State $40, 900, Hicks allowed notLing
his property was doubled in value by the construction
Of the dam.
Recess until halfpast three p NJ
THE AFTERNOON SESSION
1t was expected that exCanal Commissioner Fay
would be ready for examination but he is still before
Governor Tldens Canal Commission as well as other
witnesses, whom the joint committee desire to examine
Hence there were no witnesses ready for examination
Mr. Fred. Seward, a member Of the committee was
present this afternoon In view of the fact that no
witnesses were present, Mr.. w. Peckham called tho
attention of the committee to the fact that az the in
vestigation last spring Mr. w. w. Wright x-Canal
Commissioner while on the stand was extremely
desrous TO make an explanation to the commit
tee, alleging that some of the newspapers had
misrepresented him in connection with what then
known as the Voorhees, claim. H asked tor and was
granted the privilege OF making an explanation, in
which he attempted TO defend his official action. Mr.
Peckham said he had been hunting up the Of the
voorhees, claim and desired to bring it before the Joint
Committee In 1855, when the State was lowering
Jacks Reef to drain the Monezuma marshes the land
OF Peter voorhees, adjoining used, alleged by
the State, dump the debrs taken from the Seneca
River upon. Mr. voorhees, that his land de-
stroyed by this use and these deposits and claimed
81, 200 for six acres. His clam not allowed In
1869 he went to the Legislature for relief and presented
another claim, amounting to p1 This claim
was heard in September 1869, by Canal Appras-
ers ID. brocKWay ana william Wasson, under
special act passed by the Legislature (52o, Laws
Of 1863. Alter personal examination of tho
premises and due notice given to the claimant
and the Commissioner in charge OR. Wright the
appraisers made the following award rd:-Temporary
cupaton of lands $2,O50; destruction of rails and
fences $115; destruction Of timber ST. 0OO interest for
fifteen years, So 325 rs. Total, SO, 400 IS.
The Joint Committee propose to subpoena ex- Con-
gresham Wright before them that he may have
another opportunity to make explanation Of how he
representative of the State permitted the appras-
to award So 400 25 when the CLAIM originally de-
manded only 81, 200 The Joint Committee then ad-
journed over until Tuesday, August 81, at ten A NJ