New-York tribune., 1875-10-21
THE REPORT.

much as il took TO build the whole canal originally.
THE REPORT
TO His Erctllency SAMUEL j. TLpEN, GorCWot Of The
state Of NCr-l York:
The consequences of the gale on the lakes referred
70 in our fifth report, the gravity of which Is 40
where SO manifest a> in the magnitude of the Legis
lafive appropriation made to Lord for repairing
them furnished a pretcxt for passing another act
"for protecting the Erie Canal fIOm the encroach-
ments of Lake Erie by extending the Black Rock
broakwater southwark from the entrance of Black
Rock haIbor TO the Erie basin, distance OF one
mile and Gppropriatipg the sum OF S13,ooo Tor me
purpose contract for this work was let on the dth
of August 1870. T. Charles r. Skinner, who, on the
9TH OF tie following month, assigned II 10 George d.
Lord Lord agreed 10 perform the whole work
for S45.6O0, but the contract, not proving as
reInunerdtiVe was expected, or lnterlei-
ing in way perhaps with other arrange
ments which we've more So was abandoned,
and on motion of John ID. Fay, then Canal Commits
sioner, vas cancelled on the oath day of June, 1873
The work done up to that time was estimated 10 the
contractor at 81 292. The Legislature Of 1913
made an additional appropriation for this same
work OF 500 900, and the l4th of October, 1873,
contract was let 10 Clark ~ Bennett to complete II
for the gross sum of T60,720. 1t wasnOt completed
for that amount An additional appropriation OF
$4,000 was made for continuing If by the Leglsa-
tnre of 1874. Under color of this contract, how
ever the contractors have already been allowed the
ium of SI5l, ,1:}3. which is more than $4,000 in
excess of what thciI contract entitled them to, and
over 81 900 il Of the amount actually ap-
proprated for the work and il still less than half
completed. AT the past rate of expenditure this
Improvement viii cost the State over $4,000,
for no part of which have been able to find any
good excuse
FOLLY OF THE COSTLY BEEAKNAT.R
The Central Railroad runs between the Canal and
the bay. 1t affords the canal all the protection il
needed from the storms of Lake Erie and if il did
not the greatest possible damage that the canal
could sustain from tho gales Of the lake would bear
DO sensible proportion TO the interest upon the ex
penditure already made, not 10 speak Of that which
tbe continuation of the work must involve The IA
cihty with which the cost OF this work has already
swollen 10 several times the original contract price,
il another illustration Of a lass of canal phenomena
which our Investigation has by this time made IA
1iliaI 10 you. The contract was let without any
such suTycys iaps or estimates rs the law required
and without amy CONVENIENT means OF verifying the
estimates OF the engineers.
TWO HARBlR CONTRACTS.
On the same day that skinner took this contract
for extending the Black Rock breakwater Aug. q,
1870 lac took another contract for deepening and,
improving the narrow canal in Black Rock IIarbor
for SIS, 800; and on the same day, the 9TH of the
following month, That lie assigned the first he as
signed the second contract to George D. Lord.
Jarvis Lord and William midget Were their sure
ties BY the terms of his contract this work was 10
lie finished before the fin OF Auril. lS1l.
On the Ist of August, ISL, another contract was
awarded 10 I'd wara W. Williams for crib and YER
tical wall and cutting bend or projection III towing
path guaid-iOck section a. Black Rock, and clean
ing out mouth of mil racc leading from the barber
ut lower Black Rock to mills Cf Thornton d Co. and
Others. for Sls,25l. williams was only an iGSlru-
ment Of George u. Lord, to whom he assigned this
contract, in which he held only nominal interest,
within ten DAYS after II was awarded 10 Ilin The
suIeties were William hudgett and George ID. IOld
himself.
piece of work, aud rs George u. Lord was the pro-
prietor Of both shall hcnceforth speak of them
az his The work done by Lord under them con-
sisted in deepening some G,4Oo feet of the old canal
prism the consl slructon OF leZG linear feet OF crl1
work and about $50 linear feet Of dry vertical
wall and abou ut 900 linear feet of Vcrtl al retaining
wall IN cement. The walls lat mentioned were so
badly founded and composed Of such inferior stone
and 50 badly laid, that large sections of them had
already fallen when We visited them IN the Spring,
and others were bulged and must soon be TeDWit
from the foundation. The other vertical wall Wds
very much distorted, and of quality below that
qulred 10y the specification.
LORDS SEVENTH APPLICATION FOR RELIEF.
For the work above named which constituted bnt
a very nconsiderable portion of the work Covered
Toy these contracts, Lord received S72,707 0G, and
then asked the Canal Board 10 cancel his unfinished
contract. Nh Fay was AGAIN his advocate. and
made a report IN favor of releasing him. and the
9Th Of August 1872, this contract also Was can
ccled. But this application not made by Mr..
Lord nor it yielded to by the Canal Board until
after the Lcg~lature had passed act directing the
Canal Board
To make an examination into the expenditure made
for deepening and improving the canal in Black
Rock Harbor Iuf0 aud constructing crib AMI
vertical wtIi. ana cutting on bend prOecon IN tow
path CuaId.Ock section at Lower Black Rock, and
ClcaDnr month ~ Lillracc leading from haIiOY at
Lower 81 k Rock 90 mills Of Thornton Go. aud oihcr..
aud n they snail hud, such examination and taking
proofs said Bditurc exceeds the pricos paid and al
lowed for said work t,y sall allow therefor amount
which sh t exceed tho difference between the prices
paid for said work and the actual cost thereof bat they
thaii allow amount 10 cover the actual cost Of said
work.
This makes the seventh contract connected with
these local Buffalo Improvements which Lord has
made the pretext for successful application 90 the
Legislature for relief.
THE TREASURY PLUSDERED or 5ll9,20s.
Under the act just cited, the Canal Board ap-
pointed committee consisting of John g. Robinson,
Thomas Raiues, Daniel Pratt, s. ii. Sweet, and
James Jackson, jr 10 take proofs and ascertain to
what extent, if any, the work referred 10 in the act
bad exceeded in cost the amount the contractor had
Ieceived for it The Committee assembled ut the
Delsvan House Ia Albany on tile 18th day of March,
4 A. On tl,e 18th day VI March they reported that