The Evening critic., 1882-11-15
THE DREDGING CONTRACT.
II Is Awarded to n Pet mt High
Price-what the Parties I'm Interest


Price-what the Parties In Interest
Say.
Late yesterday afternoon General Wright
Chief OF Engineers, forwarded to Secre.
tary Lincoln tho letter OF Major T. @. Hains
relative to the dredging OF the Potomac Hats,
General Wright recommends that tho bid OF
W, II. Adams, tho lowest bidder, DO rejected,
and that the bid OF p. Sanford Ross be ac-
cepted and tho contract awarded him. Tho
Department, nfter careful inquiry Into the re.
sponsibIlity OF Mr.. Adams, concluded that he
could not perform tho work In satisfactory
Tho award OF tho contract for dredging In
connection with tho reclamation OF tho Poto.
mac Flats having been mado TO p. 3. Ross, OF
Jersey City, the next lowest bidder, Instead OF
to Mr.. W. II. Adams, OF Washington, the low
est bidder by considerable figure on the
amounttho matter has stirred up considerable
comment and Adams friends arc loudly cry
Ing "foul play" Tho latter claim that Mr..
Adams 10 thoroughly responsible and can do
eomneor niSr aI awnes MI US and S the War pc
partment to tho contrary notwithstanding,
and that the whole transaction smacks
II Mr.. sHl Adams can give q good and G suinclont
bond for tho faithful performance of tho work,
which they state no can do, that that In itself
is evidence enough of his ability and respon-
sibillty In tho matter.
Secretary Lincoln
said In reference TO tho matter this afternoon
that Major Harris had convinced him fully
Of Adams irresponsibility, and no had accord
ingly sanctioned the award being made to the
next lowest responsible bidder.
The Secretary refused to allow members OF
tho press access TO Major Haines' report, but
gave out tho following, which is General
Wrights Endorsement on tho papers:
"oFFIcE OF CHIEF OF ENGINEEns,
"Nov. 10, 1882.
Respectfully submitted to tho Hon. secro.
tary Of War"
In view OF the statements contained in tho
within communication from Major p. o. Hains,
concur in his recommendation, that the bid
Of W. II. Adams, the lowest received, for dredg-
ing In the Potomac River, near
rejected Srsav and that the
lowest responsible bidder, bo accepted. The
magnitude OF the work and tho great import.
nnce attached to Its proper performance, In
duces me, however, TO submit the papers for
Chief Of Engineers, Brig. and Bvt. Major.aen.
what the Chief of Engineers Says.
| General Wright is absent from the city, but
General Parke, who Is acting rs Chief OF Engi-
| neers, was seen by CRITIC reporter.
He said tho papers had not been returned to
him from the War Department yet, and that
| way, as tho transaction had been solely be-
tween Major Halns and General Wright.
| Later In the afternoon tho papers wore re-
turned to General Parkc, and by him trans
| mitted to Major Hams.
1t is Understood that Major Haines' recon-
| mendations form quito volumnious docu-
| fused TO allow the contents to be seen is prlma
facie evidence that tho Major speaks In un.
Vanquished terms OF Adams "incompetency."
Rushing Ross Through.
It is understood the contract with Ross Will
| be entered into Mt once, as no doubts appear ~
| have arisen MS to his responsibility, and that
tho latter Will Mt once remove his parapha-
| MALTA TO this city, in order that operations may
begin as soon as practicable.
The dredging machines that will begin the
y6r of are nSw Lying
ments will be made with tho flrm
who excavated He'll Gate for tho use of a
number OF their scows. The impression is
that not much real work Will be done before
spring, as nearly the whole winter Will be
required for the preliminaries.
what MIR. Adams Says.
Areporter OF THE CRITIC met Mr.. Adams at
the corner Of Four.and.a-half street and the
Avenue to-day, and asked him how 1t was thai
no failed TO get the contract for tho improve
ment OF the Potomac flats.
Mr.. Adams eaid: "There is a ring, and II
had TO have tho contract. Tom Murphy is the
| man that beat mo. He is warm personal
friend OF Major Lydecker's father and of Presi
dent Arthur The District Commissioners pu
themselves to great deal OF trouble to prove
that was falling contractor"
| "What had that TO do with the contract"
| "Nothng that can see."
| "Were your bondemen responsible?"
"There were. They were not questioned
| by anybody"
Then how do you account for tho. action o
Major Hams In awarding the contract Z
and had offered II good and sufficient bond?
An Engineer Ring.
"If there Is one thing better known In thi
country than another 1t Is tho fact that II thor
is ring in this Government 1t is In the Engl
neers' Department"
"what is tho difference between your bic
and that Of the successful partlesW
| "About i and 2.1O cents per cubic yard
amounting to about $4,000 to $4,000
all profit Tho firm that got the contract ar
very close to Murphey, which, In my opinion
| ~ 4 In In a.
"Mr. Adams, you say your bond was un
questioned by the Department"
81 do so say. My bond was as good a bont
as the parties to whom the contract 10 awarded
has offered or can OFFER"
"Did Hams ofrer any reason other thai
that you were alleged to be a failing con
| tractor for awarding tho contract to the othe
and higher bidders?"
"Yes. He did not set that up as valid oh
| lection, but pretended to base his objection oil
the , fact that had not SUFFICIENT engineering
"Is i usual for contractors to be good en-
the contract. But wait awhile and you will
see and hear moro on this subject"
The Feeling Throughout the City.
The feeling of disgust at the action OF Secre
tary Lincoln, General Wright and Major Hahn
in awarding tho contract to the next loves
bidder is general throughout the city. Th
Recommendations OF General Wright ant m
Major Hains, fails to state specifically wherein
Mr.. Adams is not a responsible bidder, adds I
this feeling very materially. The correspond
ence between Secretary Lincoln, Genera
Wright and Major Hams is not obtainable a
the War Department, orders having beel
Issued not TO allow any one access to tn
| papers. II these papers show that Mr.. Adam
has ever been a falling contractor or that h
Is not fully able to carry out the contract,
| would seem that the public ought to kno,
these facts Why pigeon-hole tho correspond
ence? Why not let the public know, as It |
entitled TO know, all the facts bearing on tn
subject?
A Few RcpOrtOrial Side Remarks
THE CRITIC ventures TO predict that 1t wi
not be so easy for General Wright TO satlsf
Senators Ransom, Vest, German and Congo
that the Government owed p. Sandford Ros
$4,000 worth of favoritism, rs 1t seems
have been for him TO convince the secretar
OF War to that effect 1t Is worth while TO not
as we go along that there has been a good def
OF lodging OF direct responsibility In this ma
ter. Hams turned It over to Wright, Wrigf
| passed 1t along TO Secretary Lincoln with
"private recommendation" Why privatef
Why not public? Did anybody suppose tht
the facts could be hid? II is a very singula
transaction. About the only wise thing thu
| has been done in tho premises has been tn
able dodging OF responsibility by the arm
officers who are involved.
GRAND JURY WORK.
| Anafhav Rnfel, ne unIictnanaa Is