The New York herald., 1875-08-17
THE CANAL FRAUDS.
Second and Third Reports Of the
Commission.
TESTIMONY OF ENGINEERS.
Explanations by Mr.. Seymour, Jr., Of
Manipulated Returns.
CONFESSIONS OF STATE ROBBERY.
How the Stealing Was
Done.
The Scientific Method of Turning
One Into Four.
CONFESSIONS OF STATE ROBBERY.
The Scientific Method Of Turning
One Into Four.
IMAGINARY WALL AND INVISIBLE ROCK.

The second md third reports OF the Canal Invcstga
ting Commission have been forwarded to tho Governor
Upon the former he has already taken action, by
questng the Attorney General to enter suit against
the contractors Accompanying the second report are
extracts from the testimony of engineers and officials
connected with the Canal Board summary OF which
Is given below. The testimony OF Mr. Horato Seymour,
Jr., confirmed as 1t is by tho unwilling admissions OF
Mr.. Scott, worthy OF attentive perusa and appears
10 fully justify the prompt action OF tho Governor:
SECOND REPORT.
II. D. DgSIsoN's CONTRACT, EAST UTICA.
TO His ExoELLEScY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF
On the 9th day of September 1862 and the same day
that the Port Schuyler contract with II. d. Denson-
treated OF in our first reportwas signed, another con-
tract entered into between the State and the same
H. D. Denisch ''or removing wall benches on the Erie
Canal from the junction OF the Chenango Canal there
constructing vertical wall along the BORNE bank Of
said canal, from a point near Clay street cast
Port Schuyler contract, and, in fact, with all tho
contracts pending this division of the cauals
SO far as we can lcarn no survey, map estimate or
made by the Division Engineer, approved by tho State
Engineer and Surveyor submitted to the Canal Board
for their adoption and filed In the Office of the State En-
gnecr and surveyor before work be et was evcr
made, approved, submitted adopted or filed.
Upon this point your attention is invited TO the test-
mony of tho State Engineer and other witnesses
ncxcd, No ].
Tho amount for which tho contractor bound himself
Slo6l7
The amount credited him on tho 1st of March last,
with at least third Of the work unfinished $50 TOO
Tho Commission visited this work the Goth of
April last, accompanied by Horatio Seymour, Jr, tho
engineer who had been placed in charge of it in Deccm-
Der preceding
The work done on the BERNIE side consisted OF about
1900 feet of slope wall, commencing 1900 feet
west of the city limits, and vertical wall extending
from the west end Of this slope wall Clay Street
Bridge within tho limit of the city of Utica, 1856 linear
feet OF the latter 100 linear feet were laid in cement
slope wall shall be composed Of field or quarry stone of
good shape the wall to have "an average thickness
measured at right angles TO the slope Of Is inches
more, when the engineer shall think it necessary TO
protect the work" and mo stone to be laid in such
wall less than II inches in lcngth at right angles to tho
face.
We found the average thickness Of this wall, from
twentysix measurements in one opening instead Of
being Is inches, only 2026 inches and in
other, from twenty y-cght measurements, only 1923
inches In no place did we find nearer the specihca
tions.
The specifications require 'he rear OF the wall to rest
npon base of clean, hard gravel, at least inches
.hick at right angles with face the compensation for
Ihe wall to include the expense of filling the space with
gravel"
There no sign Of gravel beyond this wall and the
weight Of the testimony Is that mono was used
The dry vertical wall commences eghty-onc chains
md forty of Clay street bridge which point
II terminated. We this down in different
places. We did not find any portion OF IL constructed
iccordnr TO contract only a very insignificant pro-
portion OF the of the minimum permitted
BY the specifications and although the contract
quired one-fourh Of the volume of the wall to be
found II face wall, laid so as to expose
the largest OF tho stone, filled in behind with small
stones without bond, bedding disposition Of any kind
All the coping and ties were estimated and paid for as
white oak timber There was not piece of white oak
The work. but with the exception OF about 100 feet
OF the west end, Of hcn,lock this vertical wall was
copcd throughout with bastard boech, birch and maple
timber Of scant proportions.
Twenty-io four pieces, purporng to be ties, only from
twelve eighteen inches in length werc found framed
into the coping within n distance of $50 feet What
they lacked ia length had been originally concealed
frofp ba rVO of n
tho rain had since washed to considerable extent
through the loosely iointed wall into the canal
The portion Of this wall purportng to be laid in
cement we found Of ko character as TO work, size of
stone and their disposition. The mortar had no more
lcnacity than equally dry earth.
Though this wall was all built since 1870 II is already
badly bulgcd and dslocatcd. Several sections have
fallen, and all Oft will stand IN need of considerable re-
pairs annually. The coping upon IT, made as IL is, for
the most part of the most pcrlshablc woods of our for
est badly decaycd.
BESIDES tho difference between such wall as the
tractor engaged to furnished and the shameful piece of
work he has put thcrc tho estimates show that upon
every item Of labor and materials that entered
charged. over 1000 yards of rock excavation were
credited to the contractor in places where by sounding
10 tho depth of two feet below canal bottom, rock
could be found The space included between tho of
The wall and plano inclined at angle Of forty five
degrees from It's base estimated both excavation
ana embanEmcnt, though very httlc earth was moved
at all and what under the contract not charge
able rs cmbankment The excavation of all the old
bench was estimated to the contractor though over the
greater part of the work more than foot of the old
bench still remains undisturbed In the canal
Large quantities Of hemock timber for foundations
were estimated Of which could find no trace in the
work
More than 20 600 feet u. NJ. of maple, birch and
beech were estimated as white oak.
over 1000 cubic yards of rock blasting werc cst
timatcd, though we have evidence that yard OF
work entitled TO this classification done
Under these points your attention is invited to the
annexed extracts from tho testimony OF Horatio Sey
mour, Jr, Assistant Engnccr charge Of this section
Of the canal sincc December last; Of Mr. r. j. Cantwe
his predecessor under whose supervision most of it was
done, and Of Winfield s. Iasher, lcvclcr who was in
nructcd by Mr.. seymour to inspect this work and
port upon It,
tied to the contractor through false and fraudulent
measurements and for which hc had no pretcxt of a
claim at Sl4 III 20
In his summary OF those fraudulent measurements
Mr. Seymour puts down excavation and cnbankmcnt in
rear OF vertical walls given in tho estimates Of the
engineers who made them, having personal knowl-
sdge of the work when this was alleged to have been
lone
engineers who supervised tho work that 1859 cubic
Tards of earth excavation cOnstructvcy estimated
Ihc greater part Of which was never done This and
fauducnty estimated excavation in the prism OF
The canal we believe aggregate 200 yards, which,
Vt twenty five cents yard, amount to $1,000.
This swe.ls Mr. Seynour's estimate OF the amount or
fictitious work and materials furnished by the con
Escto on this contract from $l4 III 80 TO SIG 3D.
MT. H. j. Cantwcll, Mr. scymours predecessor, by
whom most Of these false estimates wcrc made puts
these ictitiouschargcs at much higher figure, will
appear by the extract from his testimony, No. :, which
sanncXcd
Hitherto have spoken OF tho work on the bcrmo
side Ot the canal
We will now invite your attention 10 tho character
md history ct the work done under that portion OF tho
contract which provides Tor The removal Of wall benches
aud tho substitution of slope walls along the tow-path
Sidc Of the canal Tor tte same distance.
Nr. HCratio Seymour, Jr., appontcd5 assistant
Engineer IN charge oi the Utica Office December 1874,
w place ul r. J. Cantwcll who in turn detailed TO
him. day or two before tho let out
Of The canals Mr. Yates Division Engineer, was
IN Uucp, and told Mr.. seymour that this work was
~ be opened by Dcnison Immediately. No survey
my at The preliminary measurements prescribed by law
70 guard against erroneous and fraudulent estimates
Occh taken Tho following day tho contractor sent "A
gang ~ nen aud toro out tho bench wall for nearly tho
ehtlfa extent o tho contract, 120k chains or about
niue ara half throwing tho stone tho tow path or
'n 'he canal and thus rendering navigation at that