New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-30
PART IL.
PAGES 10 TO IS.
u,vAMEE GETS THE JOB.
nm FOR THE STEEL CONDUIT &C
cEPTED BY Mr.. WILLIS.
-,,c- CALLS FOR AN ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF EXCAVATION AND
MOUNTS TO STD CD


AMOUNTS TO sT7p.G2s.
shodoued IN The Tribune OF yesterday.
- o,,rsct tor the pipe conduit from Miiiourh
VI" ,o,- m Spring Creek reservoir was awaroeo
ca... Works Commissioner Willis yesterday 10
,tcvauee His bid for a sixty-six-inch
-, nine with asphalt coating Is S"9o@o Inc
Injections allowed an option or TWO ior'y-
.,r,,-,nch castiron pipes. While McNamee was
" ,o.ss, bidder for the r,veted steel pipe Gran
- G. Valentine were the lowest bidders TOT the
...,;ro- nine their bid being 92.Z00.
CIV Works Commissioner Wills sara IN the
.ra-noon: 1T appears from the oe'aheo report
:, tho engineer Of water supply indorsed oy
,he chief engineer that as between the douole
sa~.,..e,rht-inch castiron pipe and the riveted
..ael nine the advantage is Overwhelmingly IN
favor OF the latter, oo'h i" e00io'"s - ''' o'''
and in ultimate saving
-, also anpears that as between the sixty-s
.,,a.ad steel pipe and the single forty eight
,.oh cas,iron pipe. the latter having only nall
mn -. - the former ultimate economy is
"' = Cor NJ the steel pipe. although in this
"-''. - ,,.-aase in first cost of about S1O2OOO
-. @,rtber appears that the additional pipe
80. ,,,aar consideration. with capacity OF
,a ~ 100000 to 100000 gallons a day. is
,,a nan prepared two or three years age
.ha development of the present watershed
40 ,ha, the remodelng OF the Ridgewood
,,...,,,g Station and the contract for a supply OF
~ oro no gallons with Edwards. Monahan, Ed
Ids Miller which are parts Of the aforesaid
,,on are already under contract, and several
.y-nsnts have been made on account or that
work Also that Section l OF this additional
nine conduit is under contract and VIII, in tact'
ba completed within the next ten days. the pipes
having the capacity provided for in the design.
from, 10000 600 TO 50OO0.0O0 gallons per
dav This portion OF the conduit has cost over
100000 half OF which sum approximately would
be wasted were a single castiron pipe with half
their CAPACITY adopted now for the remainder OF
the line.
1t further appears from the report OF the
engineer Of water supply. Endorsed by the chiet
engineer that II the plan carefully laid out for
the development of the watershed two or three
wears ago. and already referred to. and which
has already been partially carried out Is 10 De
completed. the sixty inch riveted steel pipe Is
indispensable in order to provide the capacity
which the single forty eight Inch castiron pipe
has not. II single castron pipe were laid now
and the plan carried out, second forty-eight-
inch nine would have to be laid after thus sacri-
foins not only ultimate economy. but the nrst
cost which would be almost double as compared
with the single riveted steel pipe.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATERSHED
1T is likewise evident that the plan for the de-
velonnent Of the watershed must be carried out
IN order 10 provide the city with the necessary
water for the next Ave or six years. This Is the
least amount OF time which II Is reasonable to as
sumo according 10 the engineers. for the COM
pletion Of the works TO obtain the future supply
OF Brooklyn. wherever that supply may be OBJ
tanned. whether from Ramapo. the Housatonic'
Long Island. Esopus Creek. etc. and whether or
not the city builds its own works or buys the
water from private companies. While the works
are being built the city must have water
1T is further obvious that in addition TO the
foregoing reasons the sxty-six-inch riveted steel
pipe has an additional value as a prudent mar
gin Of safety in of any accident to the pres
ent conduit or existing forty-eight-inch pipe
OBJECTIONS OF LITTLE WEIGHT.
Against these positive advantages. both engi-
neers concur IN stating that they can present
only two reasons of more or less problematicai
value in favor Of the single castiron pipe. l. e..
first the saving Of $102,O 900 In first cost which
in the present financial condition Of the city
might by some be deemed Of sufficient impor-
lance 70 sacrifice ultimate economy; second. the
possibility of legal complications which might
prevent the contemplated and already partly Sc
The engineers frankly admit that neither OF
these two allegations come strictly within their
professional domain and that both the Mayor
and the Commissioner Of City Works are at least
as competent TO pass on their value as they
themselves are.
After an examination Of the case. as thus
presented and with the concurrence Of the
Mayor whom I often consulted. as well as that
Of ex-Commissioner White. who is thoroughly
familiar with all the details Of this question. l
have decided TO adopt the sixty six inch riveted
steel pipe being clearly Of the opinion that II Is
BY far the most advantageous for the interests
Of the city. and to award the contract TO J. Nc
Nance who is the lowest bidder.
A HARD TASK.
The specifications call for the work to be COM
pleted within fourteen months and three miles
inside ~ four months This is apparently i'm
possible The entire distance is 10000 feet. or
about fifteen miles. The average depth OF the
excavation will be twelve feet and II Will be at
least eight feet in width This gives a little over
eleven cubic yards 20 the running yard. or
total Of bout 261 900 cubic yards OF excavation,
Or nearly 19l cubic yards for each working day
In the specified time. Then plant Will have 10
be erected at some point midway on the line FOR
the construction Of the pipe and this plant Will
nave 70 be built specially for the WORK III TINS
is accomplished inside Of three months the pipe
contractor will be doing well. The chances are
mat the first three miles cannot be built INSIDE
ue four months that the specifications allow Tor
the work.
At Mr.. McNamee's Office. in the Phenix Build
ing II was said last evening that the contractor
mad been asked 10 appear before the City Works
commissioner to-day. He is ready TO begin work
any time or az any point designated ana VIII
yut $50 or 90 men the excavation AT once.
Ihe bid also includes the erection OF a new gate
MUSE et Spring Creek