The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-04

much OF each variety Of bottom tor
wallis really would be shown on exea-
walton was a matter Of Judgment SOLE
". Boring would be Of no value, as
strata a be found in 4 short space
of one hundred feet or less.
Our preliminary estimate was $780,
That ehe dihicuity Of closely esti-
mating this work was real and not
Imaginary, is proven by the fact that,
Notwithstanding that all the bidders
went over the line of the road on
foot, accompanied in several cases by
their engineers and also accompanied
by myself and assistants. Thorn and
r. D. Earle, Jr., with protiles, the
variation Of bids among the eight bid
ders who presented proposals was be-
tween S13.615 and s107 ,757, a variation
of s34, 142. n an average of $50, $50, or
within $500 of the estimate made up by
Mr.. Brush and myself.
All of these bidders are well known
and experienced contractors. and at
least four of the concerns who bid had
been for many years engaged In rock
work and street improvements in the
immediate vicinity, n all made up
their estimates using their very best
judgment as to the correctness of the
engineers quantities, and with a view
TO securing the work at the best prices
attainable in competition with Others
as skillful as themselves.
The bid of Mr.. Curley was S73,6 lo.
This figure, however, presents no
criterion for comparison as to proper
cost of the work, as it was obtained by
an ingenious combination of figures of
unit prices which resulted in showing a
low aggregate, this does not mean that
the bid was unbalanced, that is, that it
was so made up that a large price on
some item should make up for a small
price on another to detriment of the
county,yfo for, as a fact, the preliminary
estimate for rock and earrn excavation
called for "a, 900 cubic yards at an esti-
mated cost of $40, 500. 90, and the final
estimate submitted to you shows that
under the contract 1888 cubic yards
We're removed at an actual cost of but
$37, 722. 65, or IA, 529 more yards for ST.
777.& less than the preliminary esti-
mate.
The contractors estimate on dry re-
tanning wall, the item which really in
creased the cost of the work, was 1926
per cubic yard, 5 cents less than the
preliminary estimate, and certainly a
very low and fair figure for the class
of wall now on the road. The total
final estimate calls for $113, PSI. 80, or
$50, 275.20 beyond the preliminary. Near
ly the whole of this excess is account
ed for in this one item-that of dry re-
tanning walls.
The estimated quantity of this item
: was 1000 cubic yards. The quantity
actually required is 1852 cubic yards,
which, at the contract price of 1926,
would make an increase of $19,38 40.
This may seem a large discrepancy,
but it must be remembered that an
increase of so per cent in the heighth
of a wall adds 120 per cent. to it's cubic
contents, and doubling the height in
creases the cubic contents our times.
1t was found very early in the work
that many of the heaviest walls have
to &c much deeper to secure good bot
tom, and where rick seemed Indicated
on the surface, it was found in hun
dreds of cases., that the face broke off
perpendicular and many feet were
needed to be added to found the wall
on good foundation; This contin-
gency also increased the earth exea-
walton to the extent of about 1000 GU
bic yards, but of course good bottom
had to be found, or the walls would
not stand a week.
Twelve hundred dollars more of this
excess is caused by reason of an in
crease of bridge masonry at the cross
ing of the North Hudson R. r.. Co.,
made necessary by the demands of the
railroad company, that the grade and
abutments be raised, which was lone
by resolution of your Board. The num-
Der OF Standard receiving basins were
i mefe aeeo from the for + preliminary monr s estis
was made necessary as to six basins
by new intersecting streets being
opened and graded during the con-
ions for disposal of the water at the
corners, and as to the others, by rea-
son of placing Standard basins instead
OF small drop basins as originally in
tended, the quantity of water flowing
off, as shown grading, making it fol-
ly to use the small basins.
[ hope that this explanation will
satisfy every member of your COM
mittee that no error has been made in
the estimate. submitted as to the
quantities. The cross section of the
whole work, rock, earth and walls.
were most closely taken and are plot
ted in the greatest detail, and are.
open to inspection at my office. The
B. Brush & Co, who also made up
the calculations of quantities used in
the estimate submitted, all being re-
checked by Mr.. Thorn and myself.
ing less than the most exact care
would enable anything like Justice to
be done either to contractor or county.
In conclusion, l would call the at
tention of the Board to the fact that
the knowledge that the actual cost of
this work would probably over-run the
preliminary in the matter of retaining
walls, was well known to the last
Board a few months after the work
was commenced in 1895, and acting
upon this knowledge, a committee of
the Board, in conjunction with a COM
mittee of eminent citizens from Hobo
ken and NORTH Hudson, procured the
supplement to the act under which the
road was commenced, allowing of the
additional funds to make up for the in
crease in land damages, construction
as here. noted, and also to provide for
the future paving, now in progress.
The same explanation herein given
will apply generally to the work on
the upper section, which will also x
ceed the preliminary estimate and in
the same items.
Respectfully submitted,
E. w. HARRISON,
N Chinf ", r;p o1r