The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1895-09-26
A Hitch in the Bridge Question.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BRIDGE
COMMITTEE REJECTED, AND FURTHER BIDS
TO BE ADVERTISED FOR.
A special meeting of the City Council was
held Monday evening to act on the bids for
building the bridge at the foot of Main street.
Plans and specifications had been sent to
which were opened by the Bridge Commit
tee just prior to the meeting of the City
Council. The committee reported as follows
BELFAST, Me-, Sept %. 1895.
70 the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Coun-
cilnsen Of the City Of Belfast:
Your Committee to whom was delegated
the authority to submit plans, advertise for
proposals and receive bids to build the pro-
p sed bridge wish to report progress. At a
special meeting of the Bridge Committee
holden on the evening Of Tuesday, Sept 18th,
the Chairman was ordered to advertise to
invite bids sealed, to be opened att o'clock D.
H. Monday evening, Sept. 23d. Your Commit
tee at it's meeting tonight at the Mayors
Office find four bids from the following COM
panles and which read as follows:
Berlin Iron Bridge Co., East Berlin, Ct,
per plans and specifications, wood joist
$61 $50; steel joist, $69 800; one deck span
200.
Groton Bridge & Mfg Co., Groton, N Y :,
wood jost, SOS, $50; steel joist, S71 100; one
deck span omitted, wood joist, S5s $50; steel
joist, S65, 800.
Boston Bridge Works, Boston, Mass.
wood joist, 63,7SO steel joist S71 ,216 one
deck span omitted, wood joist, 50 $50; steel
joist, S66,0OO.
King Bridge Co., Boston, Mass wood
| joist SOL 800; steel jolst, So, 100; one deck
span omitted, wood joist, $50, ,260; steel joist
S66, 900.
vi q M tha Rarlin Tro, pr;,I,r., .,o D., y; j
the lowest. We, the committee, recommend
that tile award be made to the Berlin Iron
Bridge Co. Of East Berlin, Ct.
f. II. WEIGH,
f. F. HANSON, Bridge
j. II. STINsoN, }Commituee
F. H. MAYO,
u. IL. KNOwLTON,
r. +. Dunton, Esq. appeared before the cit,
council as attorney for Messrs. H. E. Beech
er, representing the Toledo Bridge Co. ol
Toledo, Ohio, and FL. L. Brumbaugh repre-
senting the Wrought Iron Bridge Co. d
Canton, Ohio. He asked that they be allow
ed to bid and argued that the bidding hat
been confined to few companies. which
was not for the best interests of the city
The agents presented the claims of their re-
spective companies, and E. J. Morrison spoke
in opposition. Both Boards voted to reject
the recommendations Of the committee. The
following order was passed:
Ordered, That the bridge committee be
and hereby is authorized and instructed tC
advertise for proposals for bids for the super
structure for steel highway bridge ovel
Belfast bay, according to plans and specit
cations on file at the Mayors office.
A petition was received and referred to
the committee on highway and bridges for a
5-rod street from Front street, north of J
W. Frederick & Co.'S store to the shore, and
from the opposite shore on the East Side to
the Searsport road.
Orders were also passed for weekly pay
ments OF the men employed on the sewers
and to provide suitable place in the base.
| ment of Memorial building for the storage
OF city property, such as tools, lanterns, etc,
The plans and specifications submitted
call for a first-class bridge of sufficient
strength for the usual highway travel and
an electric railroad. The terms s'wood ioist''
and ''steel joist'' refer to the floor timbers
on which the planking rests. II wood the
jost will be of hard pine. Zone deck span
omitted refers to the easterly section of
about 13O feet which may be either built Of
oOoOis VI Hilcu III Will StOu0y dS bl6 ClLy
Council may decide.
The Mayor and Committee take the groun
that in confining their dealings to the four
companies, they are following the precedent
OF the great railroad corporations, who in
yite bids from but four companies and only
from such as they consider to be the most
desirable in all respects. Mayor Hanson
says he should 10 the same in his private
business, las he considers the large corpo-
ratlOns safe to follow in such transactions.
The oppon ents claim that in order to ges
the most favorable terms for the city com
petition should be as free as possible.