Evening journal., 1897-12-27
CANALS COME HIGH.
What improvements In New
York State Will Costs
ENGINEER ADAMS SAYS Sl6,OOO,OOO.
He Presents an Exhaustive Report Ac-
counting For This Sum and Stating
That the Work Has Been as Rap
idly Pressed as Possible.

That the Work Has Been as Rap
idly Pressed as Possible.
ALBANY, Dec. 27-state Engineer
and Surveyor Campbell w. Adams, in
response to an inquiry from r.. r. Hef-
ford, chairman OF the executive canal
committee of the chambers OF COM
merce Of the state, regarding the pres
ent status of the work of improving the
canals Of the state, has made a report
TO that body on the subject in question,
which has been approved by Superin-
tendent George W. Aldrdge of the state
department OF public works
This report shows that IL will take at
least Si6.OOO,OOO to improve the entire
canal system in the state on the lines
begun under the 100000 Improvement
act, which amount is considered in the
total mentioned above.
Total amount OF engineers estimates
for ell contracts. St444S.4O2 total
amount of advertising and inspection
paid, Sl47079; total amount of engineer
ing expenses, $512 900; for expenses not
in original estimate and difference be-
tween engineers estimates and contract
prices, S97OOl9; total, S16,07T5OO Deduct
amount appropriated for canal improve
ment by chapter 800. laws of 1896, ST.
500. Total estimate, S160O0,0O0.
Several tables accompany the report
showing i'm detail the lengths of the va
riOus parts of the work and the portions
already provided for and the features
of cost Of every contract. whether
awarded or not. These tables show
that of the asa miles OF work involved
307 are now under contract OF this
amount 259 miles is on the Erie, % miles
on the Oswego and 20 miles on the
Champlain canal.
The whole work has been divided into
125 contracts. for which the engineers
estimates cali for $14, 44s, iO2 which is
divided between the three canals as
follows Erie canal. S11,03l 1876 Cham
plain canal Sl,999074; Oswego canal,
81, ,45S, 203 Seventy-three OF these con-
tracts have been awarded for %,l2lSi2,
or S62i los less than the engineers es-
Inmates. Eleven of these contracts are
completed and have cost S7O1 ,094, which
is 500. .4s1 in excess Of the engineers es-
Inmates, though on two of these the
cost has been S6.22S less than the cngi-
neer's estimates. The salient points OF
the report may be summarized as fol-
lows:
l.
ment of the canals as is now under way
had ever been made up TO 1896
2. That the estimated cost of this int
provement as submitted to the consti-
tutional convention in 1894 was prepared
in u days, and was therefore well
known and stated to be practically mere
guessworS.
3. That the careful surveys and esti-
mates made In 1896 from a thorough ex-
animation Of the 454 miles Of canals TO
be improved showed that the probable
cost of such improvement was about
$4,000. .OO0
A. That an unsuccessful effort was
then made to cut out work to bring the
cost within the appropriated S9OOO,OO0.
5. That the impossibility Of using a
large portion Of the excavated material
for use on the banks of the canals, as
originally contemplated, very greatly
increased the cost.
6. That during the progress Of the
work Of excavation the unpreventabls
caving in of dilapidated and topping
walls and structures necessitated new
constructions and increased quantities
at large additional expense.
Z That contracts have already been
let for the completion of about two
thirds Of the proposed improvement,
which portion 1t is expected viii hava
been completed at the opening OF navi-
| cation in 1898. The estimated cost at
contract prices Of this two-thirds Of the
work aggregates S7.121.Sl2 though this
| covers two-thirds of the length and not
the volume Of the whole work.
8. The contracts already let cover
what are believed to be the most Diff
cult portions Of the proposed improve
ment.
9. That approximately $1,000 900 addi-
tional viii be required 20 complete the
Improvement
TO- That with that sum available we
believe the entire improvement can
| probably be completed at the opening
| Of navigation in 1899.
II. That the progress made TO date has
been as rapid as was consistent with
other conditions, and that the whole
work might have been under contract
now had sufficient funds been available.
12 That contractors are required by
law to bid upon a definite character and
| quantity of work. and that they are
finally paid for the actual amount OF
work performed at the contract prices
Under this plan the state always pays
for the work actually done for it-ne
more. no less.
Well Known Manufacturer Dead.