The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-03
GAMEWELL OFFER TAKEN
YET ITS BID is $17,5OO MORE THAN
THE NEXT COMPETITOR.
Safety Board Decides to Invest in
This Police Patrol System, as
Was Anticipated.

The Board of Public Safety awarded the
contract for equipping the new central and
subpolice stations with police patrol tele
graph system to the Gamewen Company
of New York, yesterday afternoon, as had
been long anticipated. The company made
a provisional bid for $39. 500 which was ST.
800 more than that of the Western Electric
Company. With certain omissions the up
set price was fixed at 1888, 200. The board
had not decided whether to dispense with
certain features, and the exact price that
the system will cost the city cannot be
stated until the contract is made. AT the
top figure the company will equip each of
the hundred signal boxes that are to be
scattered over the city with automatic cut
offs, so that no box will be on the circuit
when not actually in use. 1t is said that
this is great advantage, as in case a troll
ley or electric light wire were to make a
cross" the boxes would not be burned out
With this feature omitted the price would
be reduced $1,000. A saving of $500 more
can be made, according to the statements
of w. Chandlee, of Richmond, who was
here to represent the company, by substi-
tuting blue stone for storage batteries. He
advises against this. He says that in three
or four years all bluestone batteries will
be done away with, and it is his idea TO an
ticipate such improvements. According TO
Mr. Chandlee, it would cost the city $500 or
5000 a year to keep up bluestone batteries,
while the current for the storage batteries
could be obtained at practically no cost
from the electric company that will place
incandescent lights in the station. Mr..
Chandlee also advised against substituting
paper covered with rubber covered cables
in the conduits although this would make
a further reduction of $1,100
But one company beside the GamewelI
complied with the boards request to set up
instruments to show the workings of their
system although there were two weeks
time in which to do 50. For two years the
Gameweu Company has had It's apparatus
on exhibition in the courthouse.
When bids were opened in the forenoon
six were submitted. One OF them, for tel
ephones only, was not considered. The
others were as follows:
United States Fire and Police Telegraph
Company, Chicago, $23,214; with slight mod
National Electric Manufacturing Com
pany, Milford, Conn.,, $25,5O0
Western Electric Company Chicago,
81, $50.
Postal Telegraph and Signal Company,
Each bid was accompanied by a certified
check for $780, indemnifying the city in
case of failure to accept the contract II the
bid were accepted.
In the afternoon the board met with
Mayor Taggart, Superin tendent Colbert
and George Holderman, superintendent of
the Indianapolis fire alarm telegraph sys-
tenn, to consider the bids. They were gone
over carefully. Mr.. Holderman said that
the fire department had been equipped for
over twenty years with GameWell inStru-
ments, and that they have proved satisfae7
tory. He seemed to regard the Gamewell
as the best. Superintendent Colbert said
ne had at different times talked with most
of the police superintendents of the coun-
try wi satisfaction
the system after personal observations.
Data as to what the other companies have
done was lacking. Expressions from mem
bers of the board and the mayor showed
that they thought it would be unwise to
pass the best system for something else,
even at a lower figure. This they thought
would be false economy. President Ma
guire said he did not want to see a system
put in that would prove worthless after
year or two and have to be repaired con-
stantly. The published specifications said
that the board would require years guar
anty from the successful bidder. The
Gamewell people volunteered to furnish
five years guaranty and a bond protecting
the city from any infringement OF patent
suits.
widely distributed over the city and pro-
vided with at least five separate signals to
the central station, besides which they
must be large enough for telephones Poles
and ducts are to be furnished by the city.
Provisions were inserted in the contracts
with the telephone and telegraph, COM
panies permitting the city to use the top
arms on all poles, beside one duct in the
underground system, so that there will be
but little if any expense in this direction, it
is claimed.
The system is to be ready for use by Nov.
l. or by the time the new station house is
completed. Mr. Chandlee said last night
this was a very short time but his com
pany would commence work at once. lie
said that in bidding the company had Of
fered the city the latest and most approved
appliances.
I've could have bid as low as any of
them" said he, 'but did not care TO put in
out-of-date devices. 1t is the motto of the
company to give the best, not the cheap
est"