New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-06


Fcrry-street bridge in the city of Buffalo"
Van Dusens bid amounted to $1A535,
and the engineers estimate to $l7OO0. The bid was
not very badly unbalanced. but the amount for bail
| ing and draining was ridicuousy low. IT could not
be done for less than S3O000 and Van Dusen agreed
to do it for $500. When he learned his mistake he
abandoned his contract, and the Legislature at its
next session authorized the Canal Board to cancel
! it. which was done June "a, 1878. Van Dusen
stopped work in February, 1872 and he was paid for
what work he did 1920 2S. The work was theh
taken up by the State. under the direction OF the
Superintendent who expended on 1T before the pres
ent contract was awarded S795OS 90, and for tools,
| pumps and materials $1,000 making total eXpeh-
dture of S95 97S 49, from which must be subtracted
the amount refunded to the State by the present
contractor. $4,000 leaving the net expenditure py
the Superintendent and Van Dusen S75.91S 81 leay-
ing balance of appropriation OF S'o'9' o' WIN
| which to BEGIN the year 1913.
| Neither the Skinner-Lord contract nor that OF
Van Dusen contemplated increasing the depth OF
! the canal or carrying the division bank beyond the
north end of Ferry Street Island. But. in 1873 the
Legislature granted q new Appropriation OF $i,o'oOo'
making then available S2i5,197 81, and 1t was deter
mined TO increase the depth OF the canal 1Or the
whole length of tins wOrl, to feet and to extend
the division bank 203O feet further than had before
been contemplated. This increased the engineer
estimate for work yet to be done, and as the canal
had been punped out he was able by more
exact measurements to correct some OF Dis
former estimates This contract was let to
Henry J. Mowry. who is now doing the work,
for S252,245. This is one of the contracts that
THE TRIBUNE has already published The en-
gineor's estimate for the work was S253,0N. The
other bids for the same work were made 10y Clark 81
ID S,O.D -tl. 1ppff
Henry s benson, SSl4S7O; and n. c. Osborn, $50
OC0 The engineer thought Clark & Benefits bid
better balanced and il amounted to only $500 more
than Mowry's bat the Commissioner thought he
was abiged to accept the lowest bid and awarded
the contract to MOwry. The engineers claim that
| although Mowry NAV receive more on his contract
than the amount of his bid. the work will be COM
| pleted for the amount Of the original estimate.
| S37OOOO omittine of course the extra award made
to Lord and that further appropriation Will he
needed.
| Accompanied by one of the experienced engineers
! employed by THE TRIBUNE, | visited this improve
ment. yesterday, and examined it Throughout its
whole length. Reaching the canal near Central
| Wharf, in this city, walked along The bank on
| the west or lake side for about mile. until we
arrived at Slip No 8, the point where Mowrys work
began. Before reaching this point, we casually OBJ
! of the canal which we passed built, although
we did not know the date at which they were put
up or whether or not they had been constructed
during the period which it is intended TO cover by
| the proposed Investigation. The vertical walls of
the canal between Central Wharf and Slip No. 3
| were far superior TO those which have seen at
other points visited. There is an abundance of ex-
ceeDt material for such walls in Buffalo, and ii IS
very accessible and the greater part of the structure
was composed of stones larger than the specifications
require the chief defect arising from the of small
stones on the top Of the wall and Immediately under
the timber coping. These very easily displaced by
! the contact of boats, washed out by the rains
| We examined also with some care, the bridge over
thc canal at Genesce-st, not included within the
limits Of Mowry's contract The masonry Of this
bridge on the west side OF the canal built
sufficient foundations, which have settled and caused
portion of ii to break OFF from the main body of
the structure that it will have to be taken down
to prevent it from tumbng into the canal The
work on this bridge, with the exception have
named, was fair sample of that on others which
we passed. In one abutment we counted as many
as 90 where the bond or lap of the stones
less than the required nine inches, and in the re-
tanning wall great quantities OF stone smaller than
the specifications require had been used At the
same time the mortar used was of good quality and
the general construction OF ne mSDOTy was iOJ so
defective as very greatly impair the value Of the
work
From Slip No. 3 for nearly or quite mile, Mowrv's
work has consisted in dredging ont the canal to q
depth of nne feet strengthening of the vertical
wall already built, and placing a new coping of
white oak timber Oh the top. We had no means Of
determining how much dredging had been done in
this part of the work. but citizens of Buffalo inter
ested in the of The canal say that has been very
greatly improved. For the greater part of the dis
lance the old wall has been stIMghtened up;
that is it has been rebuilt for two or three
feet from the top. and n new white oak
coping ten by twelve inches has been placed upon
1t. The stones used for rebuilding this wall
were those which had been taken down, and
generally large. at intervals throughout the WORK,
however, considerable quantities of small, irregular
stones have been used to fiji UP the spaces between
the large ones, and these so disposed az TO give
neither bond OF stability TO the work, Especially is
tins the with the top Of the wall which had in
majority of cases apparently been constructed by
first putting in place goOd-szed stones, forming
irregular surface Oh the top; then the coping was
nut on. and finally the irregular spaces between IT
and the large stones filled with small stones
and stone chips which give the wall an appearance
of completeness its face. but add nothing to
its strength. A great many of these stones were
already loose. that we could easily push them
out of the wall into the canal with our umbrellas
Many of these stone chips were obtained from the
stone-yards which line the city bank of the canal
for a great part of the distance. The of small
stones on the top of vertical wall makes it fatally
defective The rains are likely to wash them out as
they have already in many instances. and the
slightest blow from boat utterly destroys the up
per portion of wall thus constructed. Especial
care should be taken that the top course Of stones
on structure like this should be Of such form and
weight that they would be able to withstand the