The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-04
Governor TiIden'S Canal Investigating
Commissions First Report.
MONTY RAID FOB WORK NOT PERFORMED.
How Contractor Can Make The Lowest Bid
and Be awarded the Highest Prices.
COLLISION OF CORRUPT ENGINEERS.

frauds have been committed against the state. The
commission seems to have done It's Work ably and
although early embarrassed by the refusal OF Con-
tractor Dennison TO produce his books for their
examination, SUFFICIENT Is shown TO prove tnat the
Governor was perfectly justified in inaugurating
the war against the corrupt Canal Rlng;"-
To the Hon. SAMUEL J. TILDEN, Governor Of the
State or New York.
your EXeellency under ana by virtue OF coRcar-
rent resolution OF the Legislature. adopted IN
March last, TO investigate tne anars OF She canals
OF the state, and especially the matters embraced
IN the special message OF The Governor, communl-
Gated 10 the Legislature on the 10th DAY OF March,
1876. have the nonor submit the following re-
port In part, OF the progress Of their lnVestlga-
Your Commissioners assembled at Albany,
qualined and organized on the 18th day Of April,
Is 5. AS but FIVE or six weeks could elapse be-
lore the water was TO be let into the canals, IL
was immediately decided TO pront by such oppor-
tunIty as remained Tor Inspecting the most I'M
portant works Ia progress, or recently completed
In the prism OF the canals, before the water should
render them inaccessible.
Commencing al the eastern extremity OF the
Erie Canal, we inspected the more important
works under contract along its enLire length
lorJ-one IN number and along the enJlre length
OF the Chamglaln Canal, nine IN number, one on
the Genesee valley Canal and four on the extern
sion OF the Cnenango Canal In the inspection OF
several OF the more Important OF these works we
were also assisted by Professors Peter ). Niche
aud j. B. Waeeler, OF the United States Military
Academy at West Point.
We took down sections OF walls TO their founda-
taon whenever and as often as 1t seemed neces-
sarS to comprehend the method upon which Jney
absence OF lining headers and pudding; we took
measurements OF the stone ana or the height ana
depth OF the walls TO show in what respect and in
what proportions they failed to conform to spec-
ncations and TO the engineers allowances, and
We took specimens OF the mortar used on nearly
every contract.
When the introduction of the water into the
canals late Ia May, interrupted the further prose-
cuJi0n or our inspection of work done in the
prism OF the canals we returned TO Albany and
proceeded TO supplement- the Information we had
cludng officers or the state, under whose more or
less direct supervision the work inspected had
been done. We commenced this supplementary
examination where we haa commenced our pre-
limlnary inspection. at the sasterly end OF the
capal, with the contract OF H. d. Denison, thence
passing on TO the succeeding contracts in the
order dictated by convenience.
The contract OF II. ID. Denlson 'for removing
wall benches, constructing slope, pavement, ver-
tical and retaining Walls ana Strengthening the
Erie Canal from Port Schuyler 10 the Lower MO-
hawk Aqueduet,'' distance OF just seven miles
and PSI rods, was signed the 9th day OF Septem-
BY the terms OF the contract Mr.. Denlson
agreed TO DO tue work, to furnish all the materials
good quality" "aad to perform all the laoor
necessary 70 construct, and finish It. in every re-
sPect, IN the most substantial and workmanliRe
manGer,o Tor S7 1853 10, or about $4,000 less than
the sum at winch the work was Estimated by the
division engineer, $64,645
AT the opening OF navigation in May, 1875, but
about two-thirds OF the work was completed,
while on the first day OF the same month tue con-
tractor had received Tor that two-tAirds the sum
OF S4l7,57l, ana had Deen created IN addition
therete with $7a es9 the percentage reserved as a
guarantee for the complexion OF the contract
making an aggregate OF s491, eco
In our Inspection in April we took careful
linear measurement Of this WORK, tore down the
wa 10 its foundation Ia ten different places, took
hi It's dimensions. measurements OF the stone at
nine OF these places and q corraspondlng number
81 cross sections.
Armed with the Information we had thus &C
CURED ne proceeded 70 take the testimony OF w.t.
nesscs
IL was our desire and intention to AVIAN our
selves OF the testimony Of Mr.. II. D. Dsnison, the
contractor herelnbefore referred TO, and OF the
books Of account kept by him. to supply the in
formation
tained IN the missing records OF the engineers
Of this contract. In this we have thus far been
disappointed. we subpenaed MIN 10 appear be-
MIN containing entries OF the WORK DONE mate
rlals furnished or money received TINS con-
tract. lie aid appear on the day but declined 10
produce his books. You VIII scarce need TO be
told that Mr. Den1son's erslstent refusal TO give
additional value in our eyes as a means OF estab-
ilshlng and protecting the rights or the State in
its varied and Important financial relattons W1ta
MIN and MS business associates.
should the judiciary sustain US in the authority
which we believe the Legislature Intended to con-
fer upon US we shah nope to be able 10 demon
str4le with precision wDat Ii any proportion OF
the s4sl, 26o which nave been paid or credited to
this contractor he should be permitted to retain.
At a very early Stage Of our examination OF wiz
nesses It appeared that or the contracts In trip
Lcate. one OF which is required by law 70 be de-
posted with the Canal Commissioner or the di-
vision In which the WORK was to &c done, and
another with tae Auditor or the Canal Depart
ment, but one could be found; that there are no
recorded details OF any OF TINS work to be found
1868, until December, 1870, nor for the work done
during The year, rom April l. 1873, to January,
periods the contractors have Deen credited with
the sum IA the aggregate Of sl7I447.
We not ouly ialIed 20 ind any surveys, maps
ana estimates, such as should have preceded the
letting Of tnIs contracr, OGt.we nave learned from
AIR. Croker, tae division engineer, under whose
direction the work initiated tEat more we're
ever made; that the work was Begun and carried
on for more than a year without any record TO
snow thab sihgie cross seclIOh Was taken, OF any
Otner means provided for aiming the original
proportions OF the prlsm OF the canal, or even
that the line Of the WORK wac located al all. we
1OuD0 very few field books none at ali for several
years, ana not one prior 70 our visit TO the work
Ihat was mixed up. Some are rreVocab!y lost.
TIE lack VI an original survey, and OF the maps
and estimates wncn shUuld have preceded the
letting VI thls Contract together Win tue lack OF
considerable proportion OF the engineering
record tnat snoud nave been made during the
progress 0l tie WORK under 1t, and the Migrant
imperectlons Of sdcn as are preserved, have
&c mas 0een necessary no. Only 10 make new com
putauons from measurements made py our own
engineers, out TO rec.assfy AID compute anew q
VERY large proportion OF the surveys.
Nv tne aid OF these calculations and the testi-
mOny OF tne Witnesses we have above enumer-
Rted We were enaOiea 70 confirm ID reference 70
the wboe work. the impressiOn5 we BAT formed
OF 1t from the parts We h@o dlasecleu IN APRIL
ytcd.
Tae wall, which, in accordance with the con-
tract, should have been composed VI sound, well
shaped ana Die quarry stone, net less than
Six inches IN tnlcEness and three ieet area OF bed,
olu nor answer 70 thess reqnirements IN any par
ilculAr Much OF the VI was already out OF line,
and tnat more o. IL IS no. 10 cue sane or worse
condition IS cue less 10 tne Bcf5 tie wan than
20 the well cOmpaetel old bank ssalnst which
most OF IL was built.
One-0urth Of tue wall bEiit was iaid in cement,
for which TIE contractor received 81 yard,
though no cement wal Was PROVIDED Tor N the
contract ana the WORK was az done IN direct yl0-
l2tlon Of the law requiring al eXtraoramary re-
pairs 70 pc let W contract % t1e lowest BIDDER
OF tae I've sections Oi this wall Whlch we tore
down The cement IA the lower part VI that near
lock No. 8 lad set moderately wei, 5utsn iii tae
Othcr sections the mortar was utterly worthless.
It WAS appareat that if the cement vas ever good
Sny 4lbg 10 had been used in TOO small prOpOr.
tons, and tn1t large perCsnta Le Of what pur-
porto1 ~ De- s4ad mixed Nttn u was clay ana
VeGegabls noulG.
For accepting sand ant the stone OF tho charac.
ter we have described, lfe best excuse offered OF
sue several gn41gers IN cnlfre was that thsT
were instructed VI the re- .usnb ana division en-.
g1neeTs - accept HEM and gneir excuse was
taar they were tne best 70 be found 10 Lae negn-