New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-18
BIDS FOR A BIG RESERVOIR
LIVELY FIGHT OVER JEROME PARh.
REPORTS AS TO INFLUENCES BEHIND coNrRAc-


ToRs-No DECISION MADE.
No award was made yesterday by the Aqueiuct
Commission Of the contract for building the grea,
Jerome Park Reservoir Ia the Twenty-fourth "ard
The Commissioners met in executive session al >
D. ni and discussed the questions bearing upon the
award for neary an hour while a crowd Oh inter-
ested people waited IN tho board room, where the
open sessions hed. for the usual pubic hee'-
Ing. The members OF the Aqueduc; Commission IN
attendance at the secret meeting yesterday were
General James c. Duane. president; John D. tuck
err Henry W. Cannon and George Walton Greene
Commissioners and Controller Fitch ana 'ofn''''s
sioner Brookneld. of the Public Works Department.
members eN-onicio. Mayor Strong also an en-
onlcio member. was the only Commissioner not
present. When 1t was nearly o'clock EDWARD H.
Allen secretary of the Board appeared ana in'ue
the announcement that the Aqueduct Comh'Ss'o"-
had adjourned for one week w''nou' ""'"''''
an award of the contract under adviseme""
The eighteen bids opened week ago sho"e" '"''
the lowest bidder was John OBrien' the se,o'
rnerhcr Of the old firm Of O'Bren Il Clark VINO
buil, several sections Of IN, new aquoduc| anu
have since had expensive litigation with 'he ','''
Some of these suits are still pendlhs' anu ~,
hundreds of thousands of dollars. The . br'e" o''
was s. 2s737o which S7i.slo less than the n'N,
lowest bid that of John Il. Mcdonald. anu N'''-'
below the estimate Of Chief Engineer A. fte.oY'
Rl-MORs FROM THE INVESTIGATION
7, w.s renorted Yesterday tina; there was some
ooposltion TO the awarding Of the contract lot "e
new reservoir to OBrien among the members VI
the Aqueduct Commission proper lie ln''o'
which came from behind the closed doors lhu0a'''
that Of the six members present three oil 'n''"
President Duane and Commissioners Cannon ana
Tucker-had declared their opposition to granting
another contract to John O'Brien. The aheseu l9"-
sons were that the methods which the y b'ie" ia"
had pursued in its former contracts haa hVONeu
bad work. delay. litigation and needless expense ~
the city. ,- 80
I've had enough trouble with John . brieh lor
several wears preceding the completion OF the ne"
aqueduct and want no more OF H. WAS ~
mark credited TO one of the Commissioners Ees'e'
day.
T,s o,ber three members of the Board Controller
Fitch Commissioner Brookfieli and Comniisslo"ei
Greene who succeeded Corporation Couise' So
"a a member took the ground, il was reported 'ia'
the setting aside of the lowest bid ought NOT u ~
done without careful deiiberation ana inquiry 10
refuse a bid which was lower by S'o"" Una" any
other offered would. 1t was argued, cause si0''
AGO, Of comment and not little adverse criticism.
'nrohabv and the best OF reasons ought TO be gwen
for such a STEP After a long discussion, In which,
II is said Mr.. OBriens record as con''ae'0i W.
zone into unsparngly by some inem"eIs VI ''.
Board it was decided to postpone actloh ior VIZ
and give time both the lowest BIDDER anu ~ MS
opponents 10 subsiantiate charges ana MAKE CA
plantations.
COMPLICATIONS LIKELY TO ARISE.
The air has been thick with rumors of compi-
cations which nigh, arise from the award OF ,nis
contract. One OF these ruinors was '
Engineer Fteley had friends VINO were my.
es,ed in two OF the BIDS higher than y brien =. o,e
of these bids was reported 10 be that OF 'ohh d.
NcDorala whose BID was sl74OCo over O'Brens 3D.
ord the other was reported to be the hfth DID,
which was made bt Ryan. Drake McMu'ien q
Rodgers at sJ7S2l75. one report made GENERA
Samuel Thomas treasurer o. The Repupicah o'a'e
Committee and an ultimate personal fr,cnd Oh oo,"
Commissioner Cannon and Commissioner bIo"h-
fed an interested person In one OF the dos"
General Thomas yesterday denied that ne hau
the slightest interest in any OF the Dds Inc so'
he said. Nigh, possibly have come from 'o"''
, g. Erjen who was trying use his political eA-
per.cnce as he had formerly used his poltica pun
.'If were an Aqueduct Commissioner, SAID the
General Il would never award the contract 70
Jonn OBren. because he would not be an neon 70
lowest bidder in whose success 1t has been sa.d
have an interest have never nad % any moHe IL an
near that | have attempted 10 influence Commis-
sons Win lHe Chase National Bank OF which Mr.
Cannon is the resdent, or tnat W9u'u uu CO..
MSpooald because We Rave been on terms OF per-
sonal friendship for many years ana iuhch To-
John O'Brcn. tie contractor, expressed surprise
contract tIat to him vi have Compiled in every
way" he said. with the requirements Of me
tSe Of THIS y
ACCOMPANIED by a certified check on the American
Exchange National Bank for 5000, payable TO the
order. OF the Controller being the amount re re,
CURED By the Commits sioners (and which amount
has now been covered into the CITY Treasury,
rresume) and also by the required bond OF $4,000.
the sureies being the American Surety Company
and the United States Guarantee Company both
of this city l am sure no better bond could be
given. ,.
There has been much talk on the outside about
an alleged combination having been formed by the
higher bidders 10 BRING about the awarding OF the
contract some person or persons other than
myself and falling In that. Ii was reported that
they would cause all the bids TO be rejected. but
] take no stock in these stories as know the
Aqueduct Commissioners AID have too much faith
IN the Integrity OF the Mayor and other members
of the Aqueduct Board to believe that they would
permit any such thing as that.
THE BIDDERS AND THEIR FIGURES.
x,.b ,ha and