The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-02-11
Des moines River improvements
New Contract.

Des Meines River Improvement
| New Contract.
/ We give below the contract of which we
spoke in our last 1t will be seen that i'm
portant notifications are made by 1t in the
contract of 9th September. We have no
space for comments to-day, but shall proba-
4 bly, allude to the subject ere long:
/ "Whereas, it is deemed advisable by the
parties to the agreement of the 9th of Sep
TENDER, to wit the Des Mones Navigation
and Railroad Company, and the State of
\ Iowa BY their Commissioner and Assistant
Commissioners, TO lay the masonry of the
locks of the Des Moines River Improvement
with quick lime mortar, OF such seasons of
the wear as the weather and other circum-
stances will allow, and also, to define more
particularly, the style, character and quality
of the masonry of the said locks;
"Now therefore, it is mutually agreed that
the said Des Moines Navigation and Railroad
Company, parties Of the first part, shall be
and are hereby authorized 10 lay up the whole
or any portions Of the masonry of the locks
of the said Improvement, with quick lime
mortar, or grout, in the interior of the walls,
provided the face stone Of the same shall be
pointed with Hydraulic Cement, and in such
case the timber and plank facing of the
chambers of the locks provided to be used
/ by the said contract Of the 9th Of Septem-
Der, 1855, may be omitted.
! ''The masonry Of the locks shall be com
posed of sound, we'll shaped and durable
stone, laid up with quick lime mortar and
pointed with Hydraulic Cement, in a work
manllke manner, so rs to produce firm, com
pact and durable work. The walls shall be
formed Of stone, which shall have their sew
eral dimensions, not less than the following,
10 wit: Four feet area of bed, SIX inches
/ thick, two and two thirds feet length, and
one and one-half feet width. They shall be
properly quarried, with smooth, level and par
alle beds, and when the natural beds Of the
stone do not afford such surfaces, they shall
be dressed or pointed off. The stone form
ing the facing of the chambers shall be
scabbled to close compact joints, on the face,
and shall be beveled up to regular lines, the
walls shall be laid up with stone, as before
mentioned, and the intermediate spaces shall
be filled up with smaller stone and spalls, SO
as to make close, compact, strong and dura
bic work. The main stone shall be laid in
the form of headers and stretchers, SO as to
tie and bind the work in the best manner.
The top Of the walls shall be COPIED with cut
stone, not less than nlhe inches thick, and
four feet long, and of sufficient width to al
low not less than two stones to cover the
wall, so arranged that they shall break joints
not less than one foot past each other. The
coping stone shall be tied together by iron
clamps let into the stone, and well bedded.
"And the State Of Iowa, by their said
Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners,
do hereby agree that the price for the mason
rs upon which the Engineer Is to make his
estimates 10 determine the amount Of land
which is TO be conveyed, and for other pur-
poses. as provided in the I4th section Of the
contract, made on the 9th day Of June, 1854,
I shall be OF the rate of four dollars and sew
enty-fve cents per perch, for the masonry
laid in quick lime and mortar, instead of FIVE
dollars. As provided in said contract, adding
to the said price the twenty per centum to
cover contingencies thereon, as provided in
said l4th section.
sin witness whereof, the party Of the first
part, by their President and Secretary, have
hereunto subscribed their names and placed
the corporate seal of the said Des Moines
Navigation and Railroad Company, and the
party of the second part by their commission
ers aforesaid, have also affixed their names
and seals, this fifth day of December, one
thousand eight hundred and fifty FIVE
''Des Moines Navigation and Railroad Co.
BY w. c. JOHNSON, Pres't.
"a. HuSr, Sec'y d. NJ. \. Il r. r. Co.
stW4. MCKAY, Com. ID. NJ. r. |.
''URIAH BIGGs, Asst. Com"