The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-18
THE RAILROAD BRIDGE Diff
GUILTY.
Communication from the Oontrae'
tors.

|
little space in your valuable paper TO 50,
. few words about our contract with the
| United States 70 construct the abutment
and p,ers OF the bridge to connect Roci
island with Davenport together with
some of the difficulties we have had &c
cor tend with in our endeavors to execute
the work under said contract?
The contract bears date of June lst, 1869
| and binds US to the mason work necessary
10 the construction of the abutments and
| piers of the bridge to be erected by the
United States to connect Rock Island, His,
With Davenport, Iowa, the Government to
furnish all materials on the cars at the
Government switch on the Island, the work
to be completed BY December LIST, 1869,
unless the Government should fail to supply
% ate vial, N which case the work was to be
com pleted as soon thereafter as is practics
ole.
As soon as our contract was executed We
commenced immediately preparations 70,
doing the work, supplying ourselves with
the necessary tools and machinery required
to do the work in the most expeditions
manner, and by the 9TH day of June, 1869
We had workmen engaged in preparing TO,
the work this preparations continued unit
the 22d day Of July, 1869, when We were
Notified by Gen G. X. Warren, in charge Of
The work, to suspend all our work under
contract until further orders. This occur
ring ~ it did, in the month Of July, when
outdoor work can be prosecuted with little
# Any interruption from unpleasant weather
and when the days are long, was keenly fell
by US, but we quietly submitted to the delay
dlschsrging some of our men, and paying
others whom we desired to retain, should the
work be resumed, for their time.
Thus matters continued until the 23d day
If August, 1869. when we received order,
to resume work. Nor until the 23d day OF
August, 1869, did we ever receive from the
officers in charge of the work, and official
Inform alton of tbs location or position of the
sbutments or piers which we had contracted
to construct, neither have we. up to the
present time. ever been furnished by that OF
any other officer or person in charge of the
work, with full detailed plans and drawings
of the entire work, as We should have been,
and which is usual in such work.
On the 23d Of August, 1869. We received
notice that the location of the sbutment on
he Iowa side had been determined and
.tAked, but it was not until the 4th day OF
It's construction. which was something over
three month. after the date Of the execution
# our contract. This would not reasonably
cave us but little over two and a half
months time of suitable weather in which to
prosecute our work to completion We
would ask in all fairness Who was charge
able with the delay? Was it the contractors
or the government, or it's ofii Gers 10 chsrgt
# the works. 1t was surely not the con
tractors, for We had repeatedly applied
TO the officers in charge OF the work tor the
locations of the abutmeDts and piers
As we'll as for the plans of the same, but
failed TO receive them until as before stated
We are now charged with hardness in th.
progress of the work on the contract, and
.uperceded in our work under this contrac,
by the advice. we think, of the identical
party who was mainly instrumental in bring
ing about these DELAYS. We think that fair
minded people will agree with us when We
Iay that We have just grounds to complain
of hardness on the part of the government
or its officers in charge of this work.
Again on the 18th of November 1869 we
we're again stopped in our work, ostensiblv
account of the cold weather but really for
the season that the government who we're to
furnish ell materials. we're out of cement
which delayed our work until the 18th Of
Novemb Der, when We resumed work. but with
the loss of some of our most valuable men.
msAing it necessary to entirely reoreanize
our force.
On the Eth of April, of the present year,
we commenced work again, and completed
the soutment on the Davenport shore, the
water then being very high. We consructea
Golfer dam for the island shore abuIment
in Is feet of water, when in ordinary stage
of water we could walk about it's base on DIR,
ground. This was done BY Us to expedite
the work, aud at an extra outlay to US OF
So, 900. At this same time there were land
piers on each side of the river to be oou
structed, as We were informed by Major
S.ickney, which, could We have been fur
nished with the plans and location of the
same. would have saved ia this needless
outlay, but having made personal application
to Gen. 6. X. Warren for the location and
plans of these lsss mentioned piers, and
receiving from that officer gross and abusive
language in answer to our inquiries. VT
thought it best to do what we could IL
pushing any part of the work however much
it light or would be to our loss or disadva
tape All this time there had been no
location of the draw pier. IN which was
the greatest amount and most
difficult mart Of the masonrv and from tns
usnersl knovledu % AT thu, t;ms of the nlaps
prooosed for its cons,rnct;on. We beIieved
that nearly suffi cient material was at hand
for its completion.
e -
uor, .nd =. - - 80
goyarrmsr, in wh;oh NO 80 - s
NO. ,ban ;ns, snanah % go -,
do. Of tho msnne- md .n;r;,;, wb,ob :,
va. done and leave o,be-, 70 ;ndas vhs,hs,
., no, ~s b.v. mo-, w;,h Ca. 80 honorahI.
,raa,man, a. ,ha Nd. of d. .ona..,
or rather its officers in deriving M Of III.
vork.
The first ;n.im.,;on Va had of . contain
plated taking control of orr work by thu
qoyernmen. was on the 9Th of Octohe,
when onr NJ, H.ryev called at the ofica ot
Col. M.comb. III. officer in charge of IN.
vorL for Tho ,,no.. sc ah,an; 81,