New-York tribune., 1886-05-25
ENGINEER CHURCH'S REPLY
u,s ANSWER TO MR. CRAvEN'S CHANGES.
REASONS FoR CERTAIN ACTioNs-MoNEi SAVED
RY LIE CONIKOLLtR.

REASONS FOR CERTAIN ACTONs-MONEf SAVED
BY THE CoNIROLLrR.
The on gineers engaged in investigating the
charges against Chief Engineer Church. OF the
Aoue,lnct Commission. received YESTERDAY from
him partial answer TO the charges OF MI CraVcn,
more detailed statement vii he ma''e 10y nm ,,
fomorrow In the statement yesterday MI.
Church says with reference to the woIk AT - 60
No. II B.. near Yonkers that from MAY !, ,Io 10
November -, lSS5. he personally lnspccleu, '''
work eighteen times. lie kept himself wei m
formed as 10 the way the woik was uelns S'uu M
The work confoi med TO the SPECIFICATIONS anu NV NV
instructions gwen to the contractrs under inc
spec6cations and also 70 the requirements oi ~,
engreerlng Mr. Church ordered thr ."uSl''iL 1 H. ~
be nut ia and not To be wltnui""il. - W n
orii"s ch,,arter of the ground required II. All
logging TO sustain tie tunnel rooi thal no "a" % 1n
his visits IS p pm, cnrdit,ons IN - met The removal
ot thus tImberng and logging would pave ehdan-
gcrcd The green masonry ana woui" h"No peo" d"
uucal!cl-f0r risk 10 human lie.
Ienviug i'm the tmhcrIng and logging dld not
mud woull not in Nh Churchs opinion. endanger
The masonry. but on the contrary wonid protcI. 1t II
unfi Thoroughly seasoned. Ihe hil'ng IN WIN loss
ond timber consisted of increasing the NUMBER Oh
Iayers OF logging IN Spots until II reached au9 Sis
tanned dangerous rock at isolated rolpts ILL ILL
an when the masonry lining and r0oi arch were
put in all vacant spaces were packed tioToutnN
with broken stone under over ana atonhG IN, I'M uiiu
herring and logging. With reference to the clarRe
thai timber had been measured ana palu ~. "s
masonry Mr. Church said the tm0er r"icI'eu 70 10
upon Sections Nos. : and 9. shafts Nos anu
The charge Is untrue in fact ana sugg'ston' iio
hal given no order to measure or pay lof tlnp'i ~
tunncls under the name of excavation br uhuci VIZ
name OF ruhbie stone masonry; ne ndu olIv,v' olII,
,bc diyis ON engineer not to dsduct tlmbef oUilt
into masonry in measuring the amount for pay
,nent The contract gave him this power, ana IL
wus in accordance ith custom .
The charge that attempts nave octu ihdN' ~
prevent MI Craven's honest supervision ol tho
~ork Mr Church denies On thc contrary ne c say
that he eudcayOrcd to make Mr.. Craven pcIIoInl
his dutics Mr.. Church recommended that th9
Office Of construction engineer be dscontnu@i a.u
I'm this he was seconded by his associates IepuN
audi
Davis MI Cravens services Wcat 40 A. con
required for the work of the Commission. As con
stIuction engineer ne VAS Mas ~ t%e tnmnels
insuhor,nnate and dcmoia1ing in his influence
AMI example in the cors he once e. ,s.eao h yorR Gi
No information had been withheld from the
construction engineer necessary to enable MIN
TO perform his duties He was promptly FURNISHED
" ia al! general plans, :nstIuctiOns ana orderS.
With r,f.Tenrc to charge No. u, that by reason OF
Mir Cravens discovery and correction OF erroneous
md exc sive measurements OF masonry on
uiyIsion NO. 3. he was ordered by Mr. Church to
cease examining and approving the monthly
estimates except clcricay, Mr. Church declares
that the charge is utterly false There we're no
erroneous OF excessive measurements of masonry
on tins division he enOr referred to was an error
of a draughtsman IN plotting true ana not lalso
measurements aud the computations IRON Inc
rOttjngs wclc accurately made. MI craven hdd
no data in hi, office by which TO cheek suc1
rstimai in any other way except clercaIlY' ana
never had checked them III any otheI WAY. iiI9
duty as construction engineer dld not requlr" MN
To- examiIe them as to quantity but as I" qualliy,
which hc TO Judge Of by personal lhslecloh'
A satisfactory method of checking these estimates
had brcn matured IN the office Of the Chlel IN,
Qinccr from data which the DIVISION engineers .ad
been ordered to forward for that purpose MT.
Church added that his constant ellOft was 10
oulfail Mr. Craven's set-imposed office work and
yonminous lettcI writing ana navI n he p"rr.f
entity neglected in violation OF the bylaws ana
Mr.. Church's Instructions Nh. Church aided that
he had full authority to give MI. craven inc
Instructions referred to. He had no other motive
than the best interests of the city, Ills great
GiNcuIty with Mr. Cavcn was to get him to do his
rutv and not to hamper oOstruct him III doing IT,
III. Church tcstincd 1t much length, celebrating
the dcnlals gwen above.
The Commission aiJOUrned until to-day al j a.
H. The Corporation Counsel has given the follow
Ing important opinion to Controller Loew:
lam iu receipt OF your communicating under date OF
tract o section oi the aIuciUci with acoy OF the
contract. ald also communicating received hy you
srrrn I Ie to th tc st fcrth in these papers yon
lcl uy opinion whether 5000 cubic yards OF slope
excavation incinGed In tie estimate under tAe Iessn
ton OF earth excavation IL open trench can ifopoy,
under Tie ois ana visions OF the contract DC p"u
Tne srecaca,ios ior the contract provided onpage 3
f. T." lee Vii, nom roilt G. TO uont &" marked
sheet 40 %, pan total distance OF 1892 feet
Upon tue pans IT was nhcated as am Informed ~ tne
Cef Il-iuc,I That for certain portion OF tls section
tin alpclpct VS. to Ne nDt ~ oICh utuch. !,v PaaS
ami slccncttoi are expressly rcitrrrd 10 III thc con
ul, II is pIpNiled iu ihc subdivision aioNe ce' ~.
Nofk. during ~ rloeleN- and on ~, compelon. mu, M
engineer must be Duit IN acsordance with the plans
drccio given by man from time to time Siplcct TO
surh no lhciious and additions as ne s'nil deem
necessary durne It's execution; and IN 10 case VIII any
work excess oi tAe requirements oI ihe pa - 81 OF
the spccncatons Dee pad Tor unless ordered Ia Wiling
Ly tie 81. .ueer 4 hereinafter set iorth'
II Is CANNED As lni,r from the letter o. Inc secretary
AZ the Aacuc Commissioners that THIS section gives 10
tie engineer ihe li- 10 alter ans oi the inn trench
oi the atnoduc 80 as 10 allow ioI s.vIo ~
instead o pcfpcndlculT cut 1t Is inriher proF'e1 III
the srcca"3s On pase ~ a. ir|s a. icr Inc
suedHci tol tut structures connected thefcwih -
,asirtan tigm ami to Keep The eNca,nio tree rom
wsirr The clear bot width, length Hn depth OF The
excavation 10 he established by tho cn-iheer ana ~
e,iimtu, the quantities cScdVaied no allowance what
bc made 'or side sl,pes. or for falls 9r slides OF
Incnis O trench excavation are 10 he drternned by me
width OF tie bottom and by vertical SIDES Tor tho wh"4c
channels be ,de above or below the waste weir' or
au,' other excavation that nav hc ordered 10y tho
suocr Wh SLOPES other iOrns shall he made To tnc
lines given BY him. and he paid iOr 10y thc cubic yard oi
material coutaned within tue saii ines
In my opinion, whatever authority Is conferred upon
The englncrr the specifications above cited ON page
Is not sufficient to warrant him in allowing In il7
estimate OF quantities fol side slopes IN Il main TROUGH
OF aqueduct The language Oi the specifications a
lanh intended to torecose all question as TO the
power o. Tie engineer 10 alOa for slopes in the main
oino IN. laiiy refer to the subsidiary excavations for
The channels a,cve below waste wclrs and otner
simsr excavations power Of alteration 81 extensive
IL reserved TO the engineer would practically defeat Nc
object sought 10 be obtained 10y exposing the WORK To
couI 'on because tue bids cr earth eAcaN ati"h were
undoubtedly based upon the hypothesis tla the WORK
was 10 De Hone acSofihe 10 ,me Iiahi ana tSe vor
awarded upon The o, them would be. practically, TO
deprive the city OF whatever benefit II might Obtain 10y
competition tor excarauIn of The modified character
advise therefore that The allowance for slope eNcava
~hoGll under the terms and provisions OF the
contract, 10 paii for as a charge against the city
The contract price for excavation at this point is
So cents So that the city saves $500 by ,hc
Controllers watchiulness.
THE NEXT BRlBE-TAKER TO BE TRIED.
Distrci-Attomey MARITIME laughed at story told
III Montreal dispatches that attempts had been
maIe 10 kidnan iilly y MOloncN. the fOrmer rcad-