New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-28

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MR. THOMPSON INTRENCHEs HIMSELF IN TIE COR
PoRAlIoN COUNsELs orINIoNs-HOw MIsLEAD-
ING ESTIMATES WERE MADE-GOING OVER THE
FIGURES.
NEw-YoRx, Dee. "a. 1888.
To he Hon. FRANKLIN EDsoS, MayorOJ ne CITY Of Eer-
York.
SIR: In a letter addressed to the District
Attorney, and published on the 10th Instant you made
reference to charges recently appearing against the
Department Of Public Works.
Being in entire accord with the sentiments then ex-
pressed by yOu and desrous of giving to you, Chief
Magistrate OF the city, and, through yOu every body
person. public or private, Interested in tine subject
matter. information ample and accurate possible,
beg leave 20 submit the following report had hoped
present it much earlier but a summary statement as to
the details and results OF three years of work in this
Department be prepared only after the careful
examination and labor, which, in the face OF the
constant demands OF the daily business Of the Depart
ment have not been able TO accomplish in less time.
Tie main Of the published charges Is LAID upon tho
alleged public loss asserted TO have resulted especially
through the vacatng Of assessments from acceptance
OF what terIled unbalanced" bids for contracts for
local improvements
The term local Improvements above employed here
fcrs to three classes work % The regulating and
grading Of public streets; (2 the construction OF
in such Streets and 3 the paving Of The OF
such work s ordinarily betrayed from general tax,
erty supposed to have been benefited by the work.
Under the charter of 1873 it Is required the
for such work shall be let the lowest bidder after
public advertisement and by the chapter 3Os OF the
laws OF SCI (Which has been repealed in erms
provided that upon the opening of bids the right to
the should forthwith in the lowest regular
bidder The ordinances require that the invitations for
bids shall state the nature and extent Of the work
possible Accordingly preliminary estimates Of
the work to be done are prepared by surveyors and en
employed for the work, which estimates are nvari
ably declared In the proposals TO be approximate only
The several classes OF work required and the estimated
quantities stated in detail and chat proposal whose
several prices multiplied into the quantities estimated
reach the smallest sum is considered the lowest bid and
secures the contract.
WHAT is MEANT By UNBALANCED BIDS.
BY the term unbalanced bid is supposed TO be meant
proposal for several classes of work. I'm which price
for class unreasonaby large while that for another
class is manifcsy insufficient a proposal may be con-
sisenty and harmoniousy large for all the classes OF
work. or ii may be similarly low, without being unba
anced" 1t may III the Of contract, accu
mulate the entire price upon itemhe sewer itself
giving merely nominal prices for other items, and yet not
be unbalanced" Or II may give some very low prco
upon some tem-such rs earth illnC-whch the bidder
has exceptional advantage for supplying, without being
unbainced IN iaCt tue essence oI AN unbalanced"
bid Is that ts proposed prices exhibit plain and defiant
contradiction OF the relation between the several classes
OF work, established 10y their respective cost.
But the fact that bid is unbalanced" does not OF it
continually given by the Law Department, which is my
duty 10 follow. Neither does il necessarily result that
happen any where the actual quantities do not
subsequently vary from the estimate by increase of
the high priced work. And then. IL l. matter
OF course that the entire result unjust the city and
bids have produced the city completed work Within
fair and reasonable price. The unbalanced bid is
weapon with which bidders fight their competitors quite
rs much as the city.
OBSTACLES TO TIE PREPARATION OF ACCURATE
ESTIMATES.
However both in the preparation of estimates and Of
contracts though in the face of serious difficulties the
public officers have striven to defeat such bids which
have been offered most commonly in connection with
contracts calling for excavation of both rock eart
TIE estimates for such excavation have been prepared
by the engineers in the following manner:
Where the proposed work is the regulation and grading
Of street. the excavation being deep the surveyor
bases bis estimate upon actual survey and observation
OF surface indications and trend of rock
Where the proposed work the construction OF sewer
the excavation being deep "a more elaborate and expen
The line OF proposed sewer IS divided into imaginary
crossSecOus htty less in length, each Sec
tiOu boring is made through the surface nearly as
possible to tue extreme depth of the proposed excavation
From the indications thus given the several bOrngs
the engineer undertakes TO dcneate the contour OF ali
the underground rock requiring removal
The following difficulties appear IN the practical pre-
As is we'll known TO all engineers familiar with the
work of excavation in this city, the geological formation
of Manhattan Island, particularly in It's northern pOr
ton. is such seriously embarnss surveyor seeking
learn its precise character beneath ground 1t prescn
q sngularly irregular combination Ot underground
lodges OF rock suddenly rising abruptly falling from
their general level, and also detached rock
O0uldeIs hidden In cmbinnnents Of earth Pockets in
rock filled with earth also OF COMMON occurrence
so happens thai there points nd places where
amount 81 experience or will reveal To ,hc surveyor
the faults or ecccntrccs in the underground forina-
uon. He may estimate with comparative accuracy for
great area, in the majority eases, Instances Will
result and have occurred the experience Of every en-
gueer In which the actual work tuns wholly different
IRON the anticipation, and yet the surveyor is wholly
without fault,
4 second dculty results from the lack of instruments
adapted 10 tie investigation Ot the character OF TO
be- excavated at considerable depth. The boringlod
ordinarily used by engineers becomes untrilst urhy fter
II has sunk about twelve feet Even little short of that
distance control the rcd by Of friction
with the surrounding mass au its indications sa;is-
acOry only above that depth. Hence Wien rs ease
Of sewers through unreguatcd streets the excavation
down twenty feet more, the boring rod is utterly
insufficient. Other appliances such The lamOnG-dril
the In ersoll Rand rocr might be employed. but
they would not wholly meet the dlculty wla the
lay and expense attendant upon their application TO
twenty or thirty points at intervals 0i y feet upon tho
line or proposed Improvement would las am advised
by Trustworthy and dsnterestcd ensncers render their
use impracticable.
Experience shown IN this city conduct series
)f tests which should certainly disclose the true qualities
rock aud earth beneath the surface especially
Of sewers would cost nearly rs mucn AS the excavation
Itself.
EXPERIENCE OF BIDDERS.
The question also been raised whether the bidders
not always well informed upon these points,
his answer IL is not at all unusual for a contractor
% involve himself in loss by bid unduly low. Such
he result ia the case, among Others, OF the sewer In
Eightcth and Eghtyhrst sts between Avenues and B.
Il is however, very that in knowledge the char
cter Of the earth and rock beneath the service
perenced contractors of this city undoubtedly any
surveyors engineers who be obtained This Is the
study while engineers are doing
'ther work In offices IL becomes the contractors business
op or cers py yeaIs O @ Ul OK
10 uses IL 10 his advantage. The contracts which
% e eYe Soh tos ne puss srV rue 90 a
vantage VI the city, nave not exaeted from him dis