New-York tribune., 1903-06-10
LOW ACCUSES CENTRAL.
NFW RESERVOIR DELAYS.
.John b. McDonalds 4nszCer to tho
Merchants Association.

charges against the commissions nlaisee1iisis
Of its work were presented were John g. n0-
f.lonald's detailed statement. giving reasons Ao
,ba 6elav IN completing the reservoir and Mayor
VOWS assertion that the New-York Cenraa
7,.,,-,aa Coruany had broken its promise to the
e a. connection with accepting compensation
for shifting the tracks OF the Mahopac nranch
of ,ha Putnam division, where the tracks cross
-bn MINER norton Of the new Croton oaTn elpe'
.rTt will be necessary" said the Mayor ior
.ba hoard TO take UP anew negotiations WIN
the Central Railroad looking to settlement oi
.ts claims for the cost Of shifting its trscAr-
The company has fatty broken its Veroai agree
mont made in December, 1899. TO accept GER
tain sum for the expense IT has been coinpeiieu
"a ,,c,,r In shifting its tracks. Inasmuch as we
have no written contract with the company we
cannot hold them TO their agreement
Later when Mayor Low was asked aoout inc
coupany's dereliction. he said:
I'm 1899 the New-York Centrals counsel
mt Nr Place. but one Of his assistants-con-
duc+ed the negotiations looking to the pay
,,,ent bv the city Of proper sum for the trouble
incurred in shifting its tracks where the pack-
soU of the Crcton dam submerges them. The
sum agreed upon was 1864, ,992 50, the city 10
provide new right OF way This settlement
i-wss approved in March OF this year oy the
Aoueduct Commission and later ratified by the
Board of Fstinate and Apportionment Tne
papers were sent 10 the company for its sigma
sure Not until then were we Informed that Ii
would not stand by the previous negotiations
It. defence was that there was no contract we
.7ow must negotiate for another settlement
It IS expected that the company's claims next
tiue VIII reach the 100000 mark
OPPOSITION TO RESERVOIR REPORT.
Recent comments regarding the condition OF
or-
tendance at the hearing yesterday afternoon in
the Stewart Building. The first subject taken
up was the Joint report of Mr.. Lewis. an engi-
-1eer of the Board OF Estimate. and Mr.. Nc
Lean. chief engineer of the Finance Departs
,neut published last week, which recommends
that a cement flooring Of eight inches be laid
in the westerly and southerly sections OF the
new reservoir, instead Of three inch flooring,
as provided for in the original contract When
she report had been read, President Ten Eyck
asked II any enc had any desire TO discuss the
matter. George i. Duval, OF the Merchants
Association. arose and had read a communica
ton he had sent to the committee on water
supply OF the association, in which he referred
10 the joint report, and urged the committee to
intend the meeting Of the Aqueduct Commis-
sion Members Of the committee were present.
and with them was Alfred Craven, who for five
wears was engineer in charge Of the reservoir
construction.
Mr. Craven read long statement, IN which
he disagreed IN many important details with
the Joint report Of Messrs. Lewis and Mclean.
He declared that from his familiarity with the
work on the reservoir there was no need for an
eight inch flooring the two sections of the
reservoir. He said there were open seams
that the rock was solid and compact, and that
there was no need for the proposed additional
expense of about $4,000
Mayor Low moved as there seemed to be
division Of opinion among engineers TO refer
the contract TO Messrs. Burr, Herring and Free
man, the commission Of expert engineers re-
Gently appointed by the Mayor to report on the
best method of improving the water supply in
character and quantity, and TO give them such
additional engineering assistance they may
need. This motion was unanimously adopted
THE CONTRACTORS STATEMENT
The Mayor then said he understood that John
B. Mcdonald, the reservoir contractor, had
some report TO make. Mr.. Mcdonald said he
had, and read his statement as follows:
The contract for the construction of the reser-
Tor was signed on August 3, 1885, and the esti-
snated quantities OF earth and rock TO be excavated
were dnoIe ore than geeVoO ceple yaTos when Is near
pured on the rapid transit subway now under con-
be hauled by railroad and deposited in the swamps
at Pelham Bay, four and one-half miles beyond the
The principal cause of all delays occurring in the
voir was not finished within the contract time. was
shat neither the Aoueduct Commss or the con-
tract provided the contractor with legal authority
for constructing, operating maintaining this
railroad. which was absolutely necessary to carry
deposit and without which the work could not be
done. The contractor was left therefore 10 do the
best he could, without any corporate right TO build
the railroad or condemn property for such purpose,
obtain temporary permits from the Department OF
Parks and fhe Department of HIGHWAYS The only
could
granting such permits was the magnitude Of the
Interest OF the city in forwarding this great public
Improvement. and the thanks of the Aqueduct
Commission and the contractor are due TO the Park
Department and the Department OF Highways for
granting and continuing these permits Up 10 the
Il was the contractors intention to prosecute
this great work by night as well as by day but MS
the reservoir 10 The swamps on Pelham Bay was
attacked In The courts By residents along the line
stances denied Injunction that would absolutely
stop ne wSnk yet they - a%spgeo Gamsges s & 10 te m
the ground that it would disturb the communities
through which the railroad The work OF the
removal OF the large mass Of earth and rock to
form the basin OF this reservoir was of the first
consideration. Nothing could be gained by CON
structing the walls and putting in parts Of the
bottom lining IN advance OF the excavation. and
Of interest Oh the sum expended for such work.
COSTLY PLANT INSTALLED FOR WORK
AS one who has spent lifetime in this business.
J have hesitation in saying that the finest and
most expensive plant that ever installed
The Jerome Park Reservoir. including a compressed
air plant of the most modern type. and at that
1iue the largest in the world for such a purpose:
steam shovels. fifteen standard gauge locomotives
more than two hundred about twenty miles
OF railroad track fifty steam derrieks, and full
complement Of all other tools that necessary
20 complete the work within the time specified in
the contract. Having made such extensive prep
Hraccns Of plant and equipment as above stated
yoa can rea silly lima CINE nv disappointment when
The use of this railroad plant and equipment was
curtafle6 by one-half. causing many years delay
sn the completion OF the work and adding largely
10 my expense. These conditions could not be
anticipated either by the Aoueduct Commission or
the contractor, and in 1t has not been
possible 10 prosecute the work with greater vigor
he II Was