The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-25
ATTACK TURNED ON M'DONALD
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION HINTS
AT FRAUD AT AQuEDUCT.
Counsel Tells Of an Engineer Side Tracked
After Refusing to Permit DeviatiOns
From Contract and Of Rock Dust
I ,cti for Sand--New Inquiry Likely.


hearing on the associations charge that
imperfect work has been done by the con-
tractor for the Jerome Park reservoir,
asserted that John b. Mcdonald, the con-
tractor, had received more money than
he was entitled to for his work on the
aoueduct Mr. Dougherty sought to show
that this was due to the generous treat
lnenr which the contractor had received
from Division Engineer Daniel Ulrich.
Mr.. Dougherty carefully refrained from
making any direct charge, but limited that
things had happened in the last thgee years
which need investigation.
Mayor Low and Comptroller Circuit were
present at the hearing. The Mayor has
been attacked by the association for supine-
ness in not taking up their charges. Yes
,ertlav, at the close of Mr.. Dougherty's
speech, he got back at them by remarking
that it was the first time that charge
of malfeasance had been brought before
him, and that, had the organization ac-
ulainted him at the outset with the
nature of their accusations, the long delay
which occurred through the John Doe"
inquiry might have been avoided.
Comptroller Grout told the members of the
association. INSTEAD of going to the District
Attorney, you would have saved great
deal OF time. l nave always contended
that secret inquiry was unlawful and
had been the attorney for the other side
| can assure you that the fantastic idea
of holding one would not have continued
very long
The Merchants Association Is hghting
against the payment to Mr.. Mcdonald OF
500 600 out OF the 10 per cent. reserve which
is held for the proper complexion OF me
work. Mcdonald mas aPPneu loi .his
money on the ground that the WORK Is
so far advanced that he Is entitled TO Il.
Mr.. Dougherty SAID that "heH Aipnonse
Fteley was the Aqueduct board S engineer
the work was properly carried OUT but that
since Mr.. Fteley's time the retaining walls
had not been built according TO X eCinca-
tions. "The walls built since Mr. Fteley
left Office he continued, leak TO such en-
extent that the reservoir when filled, would
lose four inches of water day. One of the
GA ,scs of this, as we will show, is that the
contractor has been allowed to DEF art from
the Specifications with regard to mortar.
We will show you that Alfred Craven, who
was division eli gineer from 1895 TO 1900, YVES
approached ard asked to allow the con-
Since Mr.. Craven was transferred rock dust
has been used. Sand would cost the con-
tractor 81 so a cubic yard, whereas rock
dust cost nothing but the small expense Of
crushing.
This is one of the reasons why the new
walls leak while those erected under Mr..
Fteley's s,Iperyision are impervous Let
me tell YOU this. too. When work on the
Rapid Transit subway, for which MIR
Mcdonald is also the contractor, was begun,
Chief Engineer Parsons of the Rapid Transit
Commission was asked to permit rock dust
TO be put in the mortar instead of sand.
Mr. Parsons declined TO consider the sugges-
ton for a moment"
Mr. Doupherty argued that the EMBARK
ment had not been filled according to the
specifcations. He stated that there had
been an ind;scrimnate filling in of rock
covered over with soil to hide the violations
oftbe contract. and that unless some Of this
imperfect work was removed there was dan
ger of catast rophe some day by the giving
Engineer Fteley, Mr.. Dougherty said,
measured the field Of work and ascertaiIed
the cost Of it. When Mr.. Ulrich took charge
he replotted and recharted the field.
-Ulrich recharted in such way that the
contractor would make more money" de.
cared Mr.. Dougherty. "The engineer did
not reclassify the diagrams by going over
vision this man. in his Office, released the
fields of excavation, and the result is that
we charge that the contractor has been paid
for work he has not done"
Mr.. Dougherty also asserted that, for
no apparent reason, higher prices for
materials than were charged prior to
1900 are now allowed the contractor. "Mr
Fteley allowed the contractor so cents
cubic yard for crushed stone for the max
ing of concrete Mr.. Ulrich increased this
allowance to $l.1O, although it has since
been reduced to ST. The previous charge
of S. a thous and for brick has been put up
to So Cement, for which Mr. Ftelsy made
no allowance is now being charged to the
city at 81 80 a barrel.
Another peculiar transaction | wish to
bring to your attention is that some time
ago Mr. McDonala oelveleq sonie plpiis
at ne reservoir lor w VIC nv reeelseu
then doing some work in water mains in
rne,,i upd' eor,e No w Mining and we are pre-
~ I'JI " ~. 49, ,hat NJ Wcf)onaId took awav
Par, 10 snow Ilial WI w rhinh ~ hoayS
the pipes at the reservoir, whlch had peen
paid for by the city and delivered them
to his sub-cont ractor at the mains:
Mr. Doupherty said that the Merchants
A'sao;a,;np IL ,renorod to prove these
a.lonH, put ,I,aC ny u ' W. ~
the witnesses under oath' ne suggested
that as the AQueduct Commission had no
power to swear wit nesses the Mayor should
n,o,,,d =. n,aral,, 1oino ovor the ground
Mouiu ne merry soiis wv. III S t
mat JUSTICE Mayer hd,i GoNersu; "Hele-
upon the Mayor suggested .haC tht Soh,-
the inquiry, II was decided to adjourn
Tho aat;r,t;on for a week in order that