New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-10
WORK ON BARGE CANAL.
What Has Been Done Under SIR
COntracts-MOre To Be Let.

Albany, Sept. 9-The State Canal Board has
just finished plans for work on the l.OOo-ton
barge canal in course Of the coming season. and
State Engineer Van Alstyne has received re-
ports showing the progress TO date under the six
contracts already let for this gigantic undertake
ing Mr. Van Alstyne said to-day that work. m
Guiding excavation. the construction Of embank-
ments and the removal Of old buildings was
well under way on contracts Nos. l. 2. and s.,
and that the plants for the prosecution of work
on contracts Nos and 5 had been located.
Contract No provides for excavatng the
Hudson River channel from Northumberland TO
Fort Miller and from Crocker's Reef to Fort
Edward a distance of seven miles. Nearly an
acre Of land has been cleared near Crockers
Reef and 1929 cubic yards of earth have been
removed.
On contract No. 2, IS ,325 cubic yards of earth
were removed in August in the neighborhood Of
Lock No g. near the Mohawk River. and large
number Of buildings have been RACED.
Under contract No. 3. $1,000 cubic yards have
been excavated near Ridge-st, in Fort Miller
for the Champlain Canal, and 1894 cubic yards
Of ernbankment have been placed.
Under contract No 6, which includes work
from a point lust south of Buffalo Road west Of
Rochester to near South Greece, entertainments
and fnclines have been constructed for bridges.
On the south side of the SPHERE Bridge Road
cut has been made about forty-five feet wide
and 900 feet long with an average depth OF
nine feet. r
For the systematic supervision OF the canaI
work the State has established corps or en-
sineers at fifteen different places along the fto
miles of projected work extending from AIoahy
TO Buffalo with spurs for the ChampIaln ana
Oswego canals reaching 10 Lake ChampIaIH a.
Whftehal and Lake Ontario at OsWego Al
each Of these s,-called ''residenctes'' the state
euDlovs a force of from ten TO forty engineers
surveyors and Jewellers. All these men are IN
der civil Service and their salaries range up 10
So 400 Just at present there is a scarcity Oh
enpiyaers and A Civil Service examination has
been held to establish a fresh eligible list Al
together the State employs $50 men on the
Barge Canal work This Of course. does not
include the army Of labOrers and superlIlteIld-
ents working for the contractors. VINO perform
the actual work of building the canal from plans
urepared by the State authorities.
Work is about to begin on the hrst lock IoI
The enlarged canal which will be constructed
soon at Waterford, the Champlain CanaI,
The canal board recently decided 10 make al
locks fortv-ive feet wide. instead OF twenty
eight feet wide, as contemplated by the original
plans. = - ~
nenditlre Of between 100000 and $6ocO,Ooo
Within the next two or three months the SD
rerintendent of public works will let contracts
which will use ~ the rest Of the SlVVpINVy
anuroDriation now at the disposal Of the canal
authorities Before the work can advance pc
yond this point the legislature must 2utnorZe
tba expenditure OF another portion Of the SlVI,-
OOA coo estimated as the total cost or the I'M
rr0venent. The next legislature viii be urged
to make such an appropriation without delay