New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-03
CRAVEN WILL NOT RESIGN.
HE ACCUSES CHIEF ENGINEER CHURCH
CHARGES WHICH MR.. CHURCH PRoNoUNcES EN-
TIRHIY FALSE.

TIRHLY FALSE.
The controversy between ChleI Ehs!neoi
Church and Construction Engineer Craven vi 'u0
A0ucduct Commission, took on new phase yeSoiu"1 "
n letter written by Mr.. Craven u tue Com Hi9'''
setting forth bis views OF the recent action Vi ' 'oV
I'm appointing Commissioner Dowd to request tHo 'o"
truotns engineer to hand his resignation ana also
his opinion Of Chief Engineer Church or. C'd'on
refuses to resign lis letter. dated Tayrytown March 2
is as follows:
GENTLEMEN: Commissioner Dowd mas lniorlneu ni9
that without any formal action on your part 3U
bo pleased to receive my resignation as cOnsLruc.nS
engineer upon the new aqueduct lnler Iro W.. ~.
DowG says aud from the satensnt5 III tho puUie PH
mai Tho demnnd Tor my resignation results, not nom
auy acts Vi al ON me mart of tho Commission
ers to avoid being further troubled by controversy
existing between myself on the ono SIDE anu Chei
Engineer Church, and to some extet sope 81 o ~
public nature. having no personal elellehi WuaCfo,,
and It's present situation Is thst IN te 80 W 3
Chief Engineer Church OF acts lnFplFihg seriVl,
beraya ct his trOst NY I%n & fsm
should in rom lining silent have become an accompre ia
wrongs to which have caed h1D d
Indeed, you md upon your own mes eviuoye o. tIl
bnlIs and refuses to approve bills approved by CDiei
Tnriueet Church containing charges AGAINST tno
N",edic Commission for articles furnished him Tor ms
ncr.onaI and family use for the pay Of private
servants pat by him upon the aquelnct pay ron; ,,,,
Non Yourselves have the masonry AT I've saw VIII
River crossing, which has been condemned by myself.
i",o assistant engineers and three inspectors but
accepted by Mr.. Church. Nothing but lneOmetency Oh
worse could accept that masonry "a IN accordance win
the spccicatiJns OF O'Bneu * Clarks contract: hhl
ready 10 prove by engineers this work the truth or the
800, o,ie ~ mo that the contractors. OBfien q
Clark have Withdrawn the lmberlng IrOm Ino roo,
of the tunnel or e in the space with stone a. Iequrel
ne tIo speccaons. have filled in the space with
logs aud timber in such manner that wlon tue! 1eCi
tie earth and rocks above Will have no support anu WIN
he liable 10 cone down aud crash the masonry: 1Ou
can readily verify my report that on tae run JlsSt
at shafts II aud IL. by ordaf of Cher Enelneer
Church in violation of the specifications, timber Already
estimated and paid for once under the chargo Vi
ton being measured aud rad Tor again rs ruooio
xii rot resign, for by doing would admit that
o Ti ni we'll iosnded No other Inference conld be
INA conceTc Of ths possibility that your Commission
after suc charges nude, would force OUT Oh once tne
,vhon tbcv sIe made unless the Commission hd nrst
examined them and 11nd thoin 10 DO Untrue lot t4se
IS practically what the suggestion loI NY Resignation
T5js il me fourth attempt which has been mado to
pr, Hrnrl unon this nqueduct The first 10
~" ,orp Of AN lntnaon FROM Mr.. Maurice Il; Flynn
that saw much, was too oXaetg, tnat hhd DeeI
be quiet ann draw my pay OF that v MY 60 md
Navy wpuld be procured 10 terminate my edEo auu
1,oa c,rcuustaucos we're promptly communicated to
some OF your number. and Ae5srs. DoWd ana spencer
made All application 10 she secretary Oh ehe Nh,y W
p,rest auv action OF the kind proposed The second
attemnt wns ia the form OF application To you by
Chief Engineer Chu,ch for the abolition OF the once OF
etiou engineer which held under your appoint
men You refused Mr.. Church's application ana
MISREPRESENTATION action on the part the chief in
withho.lng from ne contracts, reports and other
Ine4 and this IN direct violation OF the rules adopted
bv Won ior the goy ernmcut OF the chief aud oil other
Tho cfst Of tiis action in violation OF yOur rule is to
make II Impossible for you know and you 90 not now
obstruction oi the aqueduct. The division engineers
mOIthly estimates. upon "hch the 9
~ t Kan ctIoIIy seen the work progressing. About
discovered and reported cOHSu-
erebIc error made by Division Engineer Molrechti III
80 ~ tbs contractor, In the estimate tor Division No.
3 rbe error from excessive measurements R| lhg
the contractors over 80 per cent more allowance LOT
ro.,,,ry thnn they were entitled to. Thereupon Chief
Trn.SSr Cbnrch ordered me 10 cease examining and
approyng the estimates unless FOR additions hu1 eAlen
sons matter purely clerical properly belonging to Inc
familiarity with the work as construction engineer
would he OF no value whatever.
The result Is tip: Tar "a practical benefit and ~.
efficiency ~, Chief Engineer Churcn mas oNetrue thc
Commissioners and abolished the ONCE o con t-uctOn
on iurcr SAY 10 YOU that under THIS action the u2nt
now stands open for frauds In the Oding ot td,7
and tho nature OF WHEN you may infer from tue smal
brgiuuines which have already reported anu reierIou
Let me- suggest that your public disapproeation OF
vigilance AMI iil adherence to the Guys rlshts unes
The contract would tend toward the proteouou Oh
thos, rghts future n the construction ehSineet.
without charges ntilnst MN IS I o a,ni he cnn
b,cAse he has told Won tue uuth ana eafho! VIC con
trartofs' and Chicf Engineer Cburchs displeasnre
thereby how many division assistant engineers IN the
future viii bo likely 20 1nir theins.Se III tgo ,i
wny cannot believe that the call Tor my re'guHtlon
"A 10 the Heuu'l OF tNc lL''t ltNpht
a. ,ybich / have made against Chief Engineer
Chmyrs conduct OF the work aud which you have had
i'm your possession for some time past as ohcl records
Wcysp"ctiuly, Ii. 5 CRAyES. Construction Engineer.
Cnief En- neer Church said last evening 10 TRIBUNE
ter that he Understood that thore was formal
action Of the Commission requesting the resignation aud
n ti, WAS not handed in Mr. craven would be dsmissea
,- iosuhordinatlon Ever since his appointment, said
Mr. Church the construction engineer has Distracted
tho work on tho aqueduci and has been guilty OF IN
,rordpatlop recommended the creation Of his office
m oue needful IN view OF the magnitude OF the WORK.
lint when tho construction engineer showed himself
| ,nsubordlnne and incapable recommended the adolf
,,r q, ,he office last summer The Commission stood
trcc 10 three on the matter but last week by vote Oh
four 20 two Mr. Dowd requested to ask for the
.i,pa,,on As for Mr. Cravens charges, this Is not
porsonal matter between himself aud me- hut an Official
! CONTROVERSY Tho statement as to the Finance COM
mittec and the prevail OF bills are not rae AS well as
those regarding articles for my personal or family use
an, have no private sery the psyroll as alleged
As 10 the masonry ut tho Saw Mill River crossing
or,onnod nv him. the wall is or the best Oh the
work and was constantly watched while being con
| strncted by myself Deputy Chief Engineer Flteey
Division Engineer WOlbreeht Special Assistant BoIey
and tbe inspector and was approved 10y all OF the'
Know Of no assistant or inspector VINO mas
ronortcd otherwise The timberiug over the roof was
not withdrawn because the tunnel arch was danger
ma and tbe timber had to he built into the masonry
| ., distribnts tho woight OF the IOOi OF shafts Il
and 49, It was with perfect proprety measured IN WIZ
a. sonry built around IL, ~ IL entalled an extra cos
W" tb, contractors to put 1t in that warranted It
Timber is never paid for as eYeava
- "a Mr. Craven ought 10 know
u s.ertou on this point ia indicative OF his In
competency and ignorance. There Is no eohtrao
Urina for timboring. that must DO usec
tina contractors where necessary as par
y; tbs ncidentals When tho timber doe
& ~ nm produce effect and 1t is nonsense 10 taH
,Te enrth above II crushing the masonry.
1.-THE call for Mr.. Crayen's resignation nae
,tn, to do with his charges ngalns
no hhl arose from his nsubordinaton as have stated
Mr. Craven is civil engineer In tho Navy
u" know nothing OF any attempt on any
h,hv's mart to influence the Secretary or th
navy to terminate his leave. aid recommend the apo
o1 of tie Office OF construction engineer because th
nsthos of doug work Initiated by hun were particular
| iy obstructive The accommodation was lnciose,
" CnnsuItiug Engineer Davis and Deputy CHIEF Engi
peer Fteley. IL is not true that withheld