New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-10
THE AQUEDUCTss DEFECTS.
REPORT BY PRESIDENT SPENCER.
MEAsukEs TAKEN TO MAKE THE CONTRACTORS. DO

MEASURES TAKEN TO MAKE THE CONTRACTORS DO
THEIR WORK PEoPERLr--MoNEr WITHHELD.
At the meeting Of tho Aqueduct Commission yes
serdsy, all the members were present except Com
nissoners Fish and Ridgway. Tho first business was
the opening Of the bids advertised for second time,
for Section 49, In other words, the pipeline connec-
lion Of tho now Aqucduct a. onc-hundred and thirty
6fth-st with the Central Park Reservoir The bids
were divided into thirtyn items, including excaya
ton, masonry, paving iron and sewcrpipc, Tagging,
stone, etc. There wcro FIVE bids in all, and their
totals were follows:
%sa p.a. Ss cd.%s
Niles Tisrley ' tSSs59s 81 q o"'" liSa2ss 90
AT the last bidding, in March, William f. Dean was
tho lowest bidder. His present bid is S5e,e24 more
than his former bid for The same work. while ODnen
d Clarks bid is $22,I63 less than their March bid
Tho chof engineer directed to tabulate the bids
AID compare them with his estimates, and submit his
report to the Board on May Is.
President spencer's report on the defective work
found In tho Aqucduet was then submitted 1t gives
In detail all the facts and circumstances as well rs
the action Of the Board which relate to the defective
work. 1t indicates throughout desire and purpose
the part Of the Commission that the investigation
should be complete.
THE TROUBLE BEGAN MONTHS AGO.
Mr. Spencer shows that before January last there
were troubles and disputes between the Commissions
d Coz In regard to tho werk Of Section g. On the
receipt Of two reports by the Committee on Conssruc
ton from Chief Engineer Church. which charged that
Mr.. Nc Bean and other representatives Of the contract
had dlsobeyed the orders OF the engineers and a.
lowed unsatisfactory work to be done, resolutions
were adopted January 81 approving the Withholding OF
$4,000 tom Brown, Howard Co. until the evils
complained Of should be corrected, ard assurance
given tina, the orders OF the engineers should be
piled with In tho future
On January 10 the contractors informed Engineer
Gowen that IL was impossible to do work under him,
and appealed to the Commission. The trouble began
about the concrete laid In SHAFT Of Section 2. Tho
Commission sustained the engineers in condemning IT,
and ordered an Investigation OF the entire work OF the
contractors. Then began the extended investigation
which is now well known to the public and which
tinued until March 10, when Chief Engineer Church
submitted the testimony taken with his report,
charging Brown, Howard & Co. With executing their
contract in bad faith, and urging that strong action
be taken. The Commission sumomfcd the contract
ors boforo them, and after much consultation be-
tween the Commission and the chief engineer on the
one hand and Wheeler H. Peckham, the counsel for
Brown, Howard s. Co. on the other, the firms
promise to make good the defective work at its own
expense was accepted, to be carried under the
direction Of the chief engineer. The Corporation
Counse, subsequently approved the proposition.
Additional regulations providing for thorough and
continuous Inspection Of the brckwork and Missionary
OF the tunnel adopted, and the contractors put
fun force for the work Of correcting the defects
discovered and showed seemingly honest desire to
mako It fully Satisfactory. Mr. Church reported
April 30 that the methods adopted met his approval
In the meantime, in addition to the 10 per cent
retained Of Brown, Howard Co.'s estimates amount
ing to $780, GOO, there bad also been withheld the
sum Of about 1925 900, money due the firm General
Samuel Thomas, Of the firm appeared on May ard
that payments whatever be made to them until
the proper authorities were satisfied that the work
done under their contract had been fully, strictly and
honestly fulfilled
REPORT FROM CHIEF ENGINEER CHURCH.
President Spencer attaches to his statement long
royor from Chief Engineer Church, of yesterday,
which called for April 25 regarding the defective
work. After referring to the thirty miles of Aque-
duct from Croton Lake to One hundred and thirty
nAst., mostly in tunnel and divided into fifteen
tons and let TO six different firms of contractors,
Mr. Church details the manner in which the work Of
Brown, Howard q CO. was sighted, reports Of which
constantly being condemned and tern down, but on
account Of the general bad character OF this iubble
must be bad. About $50 holes have been cut through
tho brick and rubbe masonry, and about eighty per
rnoer presents schedule showing that tho actual
withheld from Brown, Howard < Co. their con-
tracts amounts 70 Sl,O4l,bl4 Al, SuHclcnt
be thinks, to protect the city against ali loss.
An examination Of the whole line Of tho Aqucduct
has bean started, and some holes have been cut
Divisions and and will lie cut Division 2.
Outside o. Brown, Howard 81 Co.'S. contracts, the
amount Of bad work discovered has been small, less
than rs 900 In value, and where any bad work has
been found there has been earnest effort to repair 1t
immediately.
Mr. spencer says that the foregoing embraces all
the principal facts concerning detective work known
10 tie Commissioners or its engineers up TO May !.
The examination, however, is being pursued in most
thorough pianner with every means known to en-
cheering SKILL and the actual condition Of every por
tion OF The conduit from Croton Lale to the Harlem
River will soon be known. Within a fortnight or
three weeks Mr. Spencer estimates, every portion
OF tho work viii DO completed In accordance with the
contracts.
An additional extension of six months was granted
In brown How ard a Co.. o. Brien Clark, and Heman
Flark I'm which to complete their contracts, providing
these contractors shall. within ten days, givc bonds
for the performance Of the sams