The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-03-30
CONTRACTS AWARDED.
Relative neritS of Cement and Vitri=
fled Clay Sewer Pipe Dis
CuSSed,

The board of public works held a
meeting Saturday at two o'clock,
to take action upon the bids for sewers
opened yesterday afternoon.
The board voted unanimously to
award the Fifth street work to Kirk
land & Starkey, of St. Paul, at their
bid, using cement pipe every
where except on Plum, Washington
and Fourth streets. On Plum street
brick sewer is to be put in from
Fourth street to the alley, passing I'M
der the railroad track, and above the
alley vitrified clay is to be used. On
Washington and Fourth streets vitri
fed clay pipe is to be used. This will
make the price about $1,000, besides
house connections, S14.50 each.
The Byron and Pleasant street
contract was awarded to Kirkland &
Starkey, to use cement pipe, at their
bid, S2,195, and house connections
$14.50 each.
An arrangement was made in re-
gard to the North Front street work
whereby Joseph Landkammer agreed
to do the work at Kirkland & Star
keys bid, using cement pipe, $780, and
house connections $40 on the west
side and $22 on the east side. This
was S38 less than Mr.. Landkammer's
bid, but being satisfactory to all
parties the contract was so awarded
I Previous to the awarding of the
contracts very profitable discussion
took place as to the relative merits of
cement pipe and verified clay for
sewer purposes. Aid. Fowler asked
Mr.. Starkey his opinion on the matter,
and in reply to this and numerous
other questions he made a statement
substantially as follows:
During the sixteen years that /
have had experience with both kinds
of pipe, in the city engineers office at
st. Paul and contracting, | have seen
and inspected an immense amount of
pipe used for sewer construction. In
four or five cities cement pipe has
failed to give satisfaction and
has been abandoned. l never
heard of verified clay pipe falling.
West Superior started to put in fifteen
miles OF cement pipe sewers, but
abandoned the use of cement and COM
pleted the work with vitritied clay,
and uses nothing else now. Acids are
not dangerous to either kind of pipe
except opposite chemical factories
where there is no provision for storm
water which adulterates the acid and
renders it harmless. Other acids are
adulturated By ordinary fushings.
81 have inspected cement pipe at
the factory and have found it all right,
but is has cracked and checked when
put in the ground. The durability of
cement pipe depends altogether upon
two things, the testing of the cement
before the pipe is made and the cur
ing of the pipe. Vitritied pipe if good
will last forever. If cement pipe is
properly made it will last as long as
vitrified pipe. Vitritied pipe can be
tested absolutely, while cement pipe
cannot.
''The vitrified clay pipe made at
Red Wing is as good as that made at
St. Louis. Five miles of Red Wing
pipe is being laid at st. Paul now.
This pipe has better glazing than
the St. Louis pipe. In st. Paul
5000 feet of 24-inch vitritied clay pipe
is being put down, but above that
size brick is cheaper and is generally
used. | put in a sewer OF large &C.
ment pipe that seemed perfect, but
when it was in it cracked from end to
end. If you decide to use cement on
Plum street it will cost 800 NOR, md
l shall desire to be relieved from all
responsibility for it as soon as it is In.
Engineer Haynes stated that he
agreed with what Mr.. Starkey had
said and that he had received a letter
from the sewer engineer at Minneapo-
lis saying that they had stopped using
cement pipe in the sewers there. The
sewer engineer of ST. Paul also says
that vitrified clay pipe is ahead of
cement pipe for sewers.
Mayor Weaver has called a special
meeting of the council for Monday
night, to act upon the contracts.
Mr.. Starkey stated to FREE PRESS
reporter before leaving for home this
afternoon that he intended to use an
excavator on part of the work, (which
fills in on the rear as it eXcavates in
the front. This eXpedites the work,
but does not permit of employing less
men. He would take his labOring
men frOmMankatO.
Oh. Austin & Son sell the Blacker
CorCt1a g. % Cincinnati line of ladies'
and Misses fine shoes. The renowned
John Mundell & Co.'S children shoes,
Houghton, Hebbard & Warren, also
the Whitcomb gents shoes. These
are all warranted goods, and are lines
that can't be beat in quality or style.
Call at 41S S. FrontSt. and save money.
! The new pipe organ at the Episco-