Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-02
BIDS WERE ABSENT.
Allegheny's Controller Vexed the
Public Safety Committee.
MEMBERS THOUGHT 1T STRANGE.
The silsby Rotary Engine Again Defeats the
Amoskeag.
CHIEF JONES WILL GET A NEW MACHINE

Controller Brown, of Allegheny, failed
last evening to present to the Committee on
Public Safety the bids received by him tor
the sale to the city of lots as engine house
sites in the Seventh and Eleventh wards
This failure caused stir in the COMMITTEES
and great deal of talk among the men,
bers after the meeting had closed. The
Controller received severe scoring from
Councilman Simon Drum in the meeting.
The advertisements for the lots were pre-
pared by Chief Murphy. and they specified
that the bids were to be filed with Controller
Brown by June 8. He was to present them
to the Public Safety Committee at the first
regular meeting after that date. The meet
ing was the one held last night The ad-
vertisement said the lot offered for the
Eleventh ward engine house must be Gin
the vicinity" of the Eleventh ward school
house. The Seventh ward lot must be near
the Hartje property on the hill. The num-
Der OF bids received was known only to Con-
troller Brown.
Mr.. Brown and the Bids Gone.
When the committee met last evening
the Controller was on hand. As soon az the
committee got down to work the Controller
went out quietly and left the CITY Hall.
When the bids were called for, and INQUIRY
was made for Mr.. Brown, it was found that
he was lost
The bids were not asked for until several
other matters had been disposed of. and
when 1t was found that Mr. Brown was
missing Councilman Drum said tba. the
Controller ought not in that way to neglect
the public business Bids having been re-
celved four weeks prior, it did not look
altogether right to have their presentation
to the COMMITTEES postponed longer. Alter
other members of the committee had
growled slightly, it was decided to hold a
special meeting next Tuesday evening, when
Controller Brown will be expected to
be present and to have the bids with him.
Ine other important matter before the
committee was the proposed purchase of o
new fire engine. and in this the old contest
between the Silsby and Amoskear engines
came up. The Silsby got the best Of il.
but the Amoskeag has many friends in AL
legheny. One member of the committee
said after the meeting: 'Those frst-class
Amoskeags are the best in the world. but
the Pittsburg. firemen don't know how to
handle them"
Purchased New SiIsby Engine,
Chief Jones told the committee that he
considered frst-class engine necessary for
reserve purposes, and the Controller was
directed to advertise for bids. A resolution
was then offered that Chief Jones be directed
to draw up the specifications for the class,
size and kind of engine he desired. The
Chief, in answer to questions, said he pre-
ferred the Silsby rotary engine and would
80 advise. Mr.. Drum wanted the specifca-
tions left open for all makes, and moved to
that effect. Mr.. Stauffer presented an
that the rotary engine be adver-
tised for in preference to the piston engine,
and after defending the work of the Silsbys
in Allegheny, he carried his point by a
vote of to 4
The committee approved the pay rolls
and bills Of the various bureaus, amounting
to S21. .448 %. The ordinance giving the
city the right to place its fire and police
alarm telephone wires on the two upper
,ross bars on all telegraph and telephone
poles, was ordered printed for Councils.
Che petition of Charles Simon and many
others for the establishment of sanitary
avs, and for the appointment of plumb
ng inspector, was indefinitely postponed.