The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-24
BOTH COULDN'T GET IT.
TIE CHEMICAL ENGINE CONTRACT
AWARDED.

/ --S GO-AONaJ E4Sl1S OF 6e4l4n ore
Decided Upon-The Agent OF the
Chicago Engine Charges the Fire
Committee with Crooked Work
Alderman Bailey Denies That There
Was Any but Fair Dealing-The New
Engines Cost
TIE FIRE committee Of council. at its
meeting yesterday, accepted the bid of
Charles 7. Holloway OF Baltimore, TO
furnish the city Holloway chemical en-
CINE for sL7l0 The engine is 70 be deliv-
cred in Savannah by March Is. It viii be
s double copper tank engine, each tank to
contain eighty-fve gallons Of chemicals
There are to be 200 feet Of four-ply one
| inch rubber hose, and ell the latest attach
msats Of a chemical engine. 1t will weigh
aboug !, 700 pounds, TO be drawn by two
| horses, and the engine is to be painted in
English vermiEon and striped.
In the spirited competition between W.
/ Z. Stoddard, representing the Fire Ex-
| tlnguisher Company Of Chicago, 'manufac-
turers Of the Champion Chemical engine,
and Ar. Holloway, representing the Hol-
| loway Chemical engine the city saved $40,
but Mr.. StOddsrd was highly indignant
yesterday when he was informed that the
| contract had been awarded to Mr.. Hollo-
way.
FIGHT FOR THE CONTRACT.
1t appears that she fire committee invited
bids from the manufacturers Of each engine,
and the New England agent of the Cham
pion put in a bid for s2,2j0 for ION boardn
at Chicago, and Mr. holloway bid s., $50
delivered at Savannah. As Alderman Reid
had seen the Holloway 81 CINE working in
fa n
with 1t, and as the bid Of Mr.. Holloway
was the lowest Chairman Bailey
was abou, to accept the bid,
when a Savannah agent of the Champion
made a second bid Of &, 200. Last Satur-
day the Chicago company sent Mr.. Stod-
dard here and he asked TO be heard before
the committee. Chairman Bailey con-
cluded to reopen the matter and called his
committee together again, and Mr.. Stod-
dard was heard.
NEW BIDS PUT IN.
Mr. Bailey feeling that it would be I'M
just to Mr.. Holloway not to inform him
that the matter was being reconsidered,
instructed the chief fireman TO telegraph
Mr.. Holloway that Mr.. Stoddard was in
the city and wanted to put in another bid.
It seems, however, that Alderman Reid had
telegraphed Mr.. Holloway. and he came at
once to Savannah, and Friday he was be-
fore the committee and had hearing. As
a result each of the councillors put in a
new bid, Mr.. Stoddard's being fer 81, 73O
and Mr.. Holloway's 81, no. with fve-year
guarantee. Mr.. Holloway's bid was ac-
ce ted
Yesterday afternoon Chairman Bailey
Informed Mr.. StUddard by letter of the
action OF the committee. To say that Mr..
Stoddard was mad when he received the
inf Jrmation but feebly expresses his indig-
nation.
Mr.. sToDDARD's BOLD CHARGES.
He said that he had not been treated
fairly, that it was not much better than
robbery to bring him here when it was in
tended to award the contract to Mr.. Hollo-
way anyway, that his BID was the lowest
on Friday, and the highest yesterday, and
he added tn t one of the members of the
committee in an unguarded moment had
shown him a personal letter from Mr..
Holloway, in which the latter had explained
that the reason he had not sold many OF the
Holloway engines in the north was because
Of prejudice against hun on account of
his service in the confederate army.
Mr. Stoddard thought at first that he
would stay over until the council met, and
lay his grievances before that body, but as
he could produce no tangible evidence to
justify his statements, when pressed for
something specific he admitted that they
were impressions, and he could not prove
them.
A CONFERENCE WITH ALDERMEN.
He consulted Aldermen Haines and
Myers, but after they heard his story and
found that he was not prepared t. show
any positive evidence they declined to en-
courage him in going before council: in
fact, one Of the aldermen told him frankly
that question which he complained was
not ans wered by the members of the fire
committee ought not to have been an
swered. Mr.. Stoddard wanted to know
what difference in the bids would be neces-
sary to secure the contract for
his engine, and an answer was re-
fused. He asked if there was but a diff
ference of a dollar what the committee
would do, and Mr.. Bailey replied that under
such circumstances the committee would
feel it necessary to examine the workings
of both engines.
Last night Mr.. Stoddard left for Chicago,
but before going he wrote Alderman Bailey
letter charging unfair treatment, and
wound up by saying: Fortunately for you
slant al evidence to offer.n
WHAT ALDERMAN BAILEY SAYS,
Mr.. Bailey says that MIR. Stoddard was
not sent for, He came on his own motion
He was told on his arrival that the matter
was about settled In favor of Mr.. Holloway,
but he insisted on putting ia a bid, saying
that he had nothing to do with the bids put
in by the New England or the Savannah
agent Of the Champion engine, and Mr..
Bailey said that as he wanted the commit
tee to be fully informed in the matter, and
the contract not yet having been finally
awarded, Le saw a possible chance to get
aRengine at better figures for the city. Mr..
Stoddard, he said, had fair treatment in
every way.
Mr.. Bailey says he had nothing at all to
do with the award. The Holloway engine
was selected because it was believed to be
as good or bettsr than the Champio !, and be-
cause the bid of Mr.. Holloway was the low
est. 1t is untrue, Mr.. Bailey said, that Mr..
Stoddard's bid was the lowest on Friday.
The Holloway chemical engine is working
satisfactorily in Nashville, Baltimore, in
some of the cities of South Carolina and
elsewhere, and MIR. Bailey says that Mr..
Stoddard's complaints a unsupported.