The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-07
The Big Contract Given to Houla-
han. Griffith & Morris.
FIGHT TO A FINISH.
The City Engineers Combination Idea
Laid on the Shelf.
The Successful Bidders Agree to Do the
Work for 1881, 700, and VIII Conn
mence at Once-An Important
Public Improvement.

Llon TO De employed In the gravity SeWe
was fought to finish at the Office of tn,
board OF public works last night, and vic
tory perched upon the banners of tn,
brick men, while Houlahan, Grifiths 4
Morris, and Robson & WiIkerson walked
off with the contract.
Of course this action is not final excep
so far as the board is concerned, and tn,
whole matter is now with the city council
All the members of the board were
present last evening, and the room was
well tilleo with interested spectators,
most OF them brick men.
DoREMUs DEFENDS HIS PLAN.
City Engineer Doremus opened tn,
proceedings by making an exhaustiv,
review of the entire proposition. He de-
Scrlbed examples of sewer construction il
various parts of the world, and read from
the works of authorities extracts bearing
on the subject. The gist of his argumen
was to the effect that concrete base
with brick arch, called the combination
construction, was best adapted to this
class of work.
STEVENSON FAvoRs BRICK.
Colonel Stevenson spoke in favor of the
brick construction and criticised the plans
of the engineer freely. AS to the opinion
OF the New York expert, the very infor.
nation on which his conclusions were
based were not given.
cLAwsoN FOR GOOD WORK.
Spencer Clawson thought that this
sewer was the most important public
work which the city had yet done, and il
could not be done too well. If it was
done properly, it would be a monument
to the judgment and foresight of the city
and the extra money which would be
spent in covering and lining the sewer
was as nothing, if it brought the work ul
to the highest grade. He stood
for home production, but in 6
matter of this kind, he relied
upon the knowledge of the board
board, he favored the Wick construction
For the reasons stated, the combination
plan seemed to him to be an experiment
and this was a matter with W hich the city
could not afford to experiment. In cast.
ing his vote for the brick construction, he
believed he would be best subscribing the
interests of the taxpayers. 1t was true
that the bricks produced here in the pas
were not as good as they might have been
but the manufacturers said they would
produce them OF the quality desired
CoNKLIN ON THE BRICK SIDE.
j. G. Conklin said that this sewer, i
properly built, was piece of work which
would rebound to the credit of the city
and no mistake should be made. II the
engineer had specified a sewer of con.
crete, it might be better than brick, but
from the propositions laid down anc
from all the evidence he was emphaticallJ
in favor of the brick construction ane
should so vote.
THE BRICK PLAN ADOPTED.
This ended the discussion and Mr.
Clawson moved that the board recon-
mend to the city council that the contract
be let to Houlahan, Griff1ths & Morri:
ct al, and that the combination of brick
and concrete be adopted. The motion
was lost, Messrs. Haines and Clawsor
voting for it and Messrs. Downey, Conk-
lin and Noble voting in the negative.
Major Downey then moved that the
board recommend that the contract be
awarded to Houlahan, Griffiths & Morris
ct al, and that the sewer be constructed
of brick, according to the plans an6
specifications of the engineer. The mo-
ton was carried, Messrs. Downey
Conklin and Noble voting aye ano
Messrs. Haines and Clawson voting no.
The bid OF Houlahan, Griffith & Morris
and Hobson & Wilkensen for the brick
construction is 1881, 949. IS, and for the
combination construction 1857 ,327.S5
READY TO COMMENCE.
Mr.. Griffith stated to a HERALD reporter
after the meeting that his firm was pre-
pared to commence work within few day,
after the council designated the method OF
construction. They would push the
work as much as good construction
would permit, and would employ through
the summer force of about 800 men.
MR.. KIRK FAVORED BRICK.
In THE HERALD's report of the Friday
nights meeting of the board of public
works, the types were made to say that
Mr.. J. HI. Kirk had said that there were
only five or six brick layers in Salt Lake
who could build brick sewer; that they
got So to 81 a day and struck regularly
every Monday morning for more. 1t was
not Mr.. Kirk who made these remarks,
but Mr.. Wilkinson, of Hobson & Wilkin-
son. Mr.. Kirk favors brick for the con-
struction OF the sewers, and thinks the
brickmen of Salt Lake can furnish enough
material and labor of the proper kind to
construct the sewer.
A GOOD INVESTMENT.