New-York tribune., 1906-05-02
GOOD ERIE CANAL WORK
Colonel SymOns Tells of Pleasing
Start on States Big Project.
- Tlle gsibene llur,s,.. ]

washington, May L-Colonel Thomas w
s-nons engineer in chief OF the Erie Faarre
o.nsl is in Washington comforting with of,7rialo
-,sr some details of the tremendous New Vol
rroieot which Is expected to cost just about one
az as much as the Panama Canal Work on
ne canal is advancing splendldly. Colonial sv-
-,ous says and not q single hitch OF conue-
.uenoe has thus far been encountered. Colonel
symons said:
Things could hardly be progressing more sat
isfactorily. On the theory that .'Weu begun IS
az DONE we can truthfully say that New
Tork's great barge canal Is half done. About
Se0lO0DO worth Of work Is under contract and
--itb great vigor. One contractor near Roches-
ser is building and has nearly completed an enor-
nous and very expensive machine, which strad-
5es the canal and moves up and down along
tbe ditch. eXcavatng and carrying the material
Dected 10 move at least 10000 cubic yards OF
rock and earth each month. Another contractor
has imported q German eXc2vating machine
V,3jch IS doing great work All the contractors
e. building the most perfect and up-to-date
nants for the work 20 DO done under these
contracts, and the wisdom Of doing the work by
contract is everywhere conclusively shown.
On The Sth and 9th OF this month bids viii be
opene5 for about S6Oe0,O00 more OF work, and
Il is probable that before the summer is over
we viii have at least S5o,OOOOOO worth OF work
under contract, and by the end OF 1907 the
Futire work. estimated to cost O1,OOOO0O. viii
b let by contract in sections averaging $1,000
lNIO each This is rendered possible by the de-
rsion Of Attorney General Mayer, that the work
Is authorized and we can enter into contract in
advance OF district appropriations. This puts
me work under exactly the same system as
what We know IN the general government SER
vice as the continuing contract system which
since its adoption has been the means OF saving
an enormous amount OF money TO the govern
ment
The organization for doing the work Is as near
perfection as II is possible 70 imagine. The per-
Fonnel OF the management consists OF engineers
trained in canal work and public works, and an
most carefully selected for their special quail
icafions. Throughout the whole organization
here Is q most efficient and thorough chain OF
responsibility
The greatest care Is taken IN preparing piece
NJ work 10 be let by contract, and all details arc
worked out, and all contingencies. as far as they
ran be foreseen, are provided for. As an instance
of the amount OF work done In preparing TO let
q section ono Of the subjects that came before
our advisory board az fits meeting was the con-
frsct for about FIVE miles Of canal adjoining
lake Champlain- The drawings illustrating this
work comprised 49, large sheets covering every
thing 10 even the most minute detail
As 10 finances, we have thus far expended
less than So 600 600, all told on surveys. plans
snd estimates and amounts paid contractors up
70 date Only 100000 worth OF bonds has
been sold These were eighteen-year bonds. At
fbe last state election a constitutional amend
,oert was passed authorizing 1fty-year bonds
N niare Of eighteen-year bonds. This has now
-soeIved the legislative action to make II effec-
tive and other bonds TO the extent OF 99,OOO,-
on are now authorized for the canal work