The record-union., 1898-11-03
The SAN JOAQUIN UT-OFFS.
BIDS OPENED BY THE PUBLIC
WORKS BOARD.
John Hackett. of San Francisco is
to Do the Work for the
Sum OF $1S,65O.

A meeting of the Auditing Board to
the Commissioner of Public Works was
held in Commissioner Leake's office
yesterday, all the members being pres
| ent
| Bids for making cut-offs and on
the San Joaquin River We're received
from John Hackett of San Francisco,
the San Francisco Bridge Company, j.
D. McDougal and T. P. Lovdal.
The contract was awarded to John
Hackett, his bid being lower in the ag-
gregate than any of his competitors.
The work consists of $4,000 cubic yards
of scraper work on cutoff No. 3, 16O,-
600 yards of work other than scraper
work at the same point, and 35,OOO
yards of excavation at cutoff No. 4.
The successful bidder agrees to do the
scraper work at cutoff No for 91a
cents per cubic yard; work other than
scraper work at the same point for
1212 cents per yard, and excavation at
cutoff No. for 1212 cents per yard.
According to the estimates of the engi-
neers to the Commissioner the aggre-
gate cost for the work will be SIS, 800.
| Work will be commenced within ten
days of the signing Of the contract and
will be finished within ninety days af-
ter commencement.
William Schaw, one of the directors
of the local Chamber Of Commerce, ap-
peared and explained to the board that
! the city had under consideration ~ e
proposition of constructing system
of wharves on the water front below
n street. He called attention to the
| f9Nt that fho riU0r iC chno1inO on
Sacramento side, and that at and be-
low n street boats drawing more than
three feet of water cannot land He
said the city could not afford to go to
the expense Of putting in a costly
wharfage system and find after it's
completion that there was not enough
water to permit boats to land. He
said it was proposed to make an att
tempt to get the Federal Government
to take favorable action in the mat
ter, but that the Chamber of Commerce
desired to get an expression from the
Commissioner of Public Works and the
Auditing Board, as to what action they
would take provided the Federal au-
thorities declined to give the assistance
desired.
Chairman Corcoran said the Federal
| Government, while it would take ac-
ton to keep the channel of the stream
open for navigation, would listen to no
proposition to do dredging so as to turn
it in any specified course. So long as
boats could pass up and down the
stream the river was considered clear,
and local authorities would have to
look out for landings He said that
work Of the kind suggested by Mr..
Schaw would, in his opinion, come un-
der the class of improvements enumer-
ated in the bill creating the Auditing
Board to the Commissioner of Pub
lie Works, and if in the spring condi-
tions existed as at present, he believed
the Auditing Board would give the as
sistance desired.
| Mr.. Markley said that while the Fed
eral Government would keep the chan
ne4 OF the river open, it would not in
terfere with its course and would go to
no expense to have it cut along close to
John Smiths wharf. He felt that the
matter ought to be handled by the
State, and was certain that every mem
Der of the board would, provided that
IN the spring the water was still shoal
on the Sacramento side of the river,
authorize the Commissioner to con-
struct the wing-dams necessary to di-
vert the channel to the east side of
the river.
Messrs. Doty and Hall also expressed
themselves as willing to have the neces
sary work performed provided the life
of the Auditing Board was continued
by the next Legislature.
On motion of Mr.. Patterson a full
account of Mr.. Schaw's statement, to-
gether with the expressions of the sew
eral members Of the board regarding
the matter were ordered spread upon
the minutes.
Engineer Nurse stated that 1000 tons
of rock,> instead of 1,200, would be re-
quired to weight down the brush fas-
cines at the Newtown shoal jetty sys-
tenn. The settling of the brush was
greater than was expected, and, con-
sequently, a greater quantity Of rock
was needed.
Captain Hall was, on motion of Mr..
Patterson, appointed a committee of
one to confer with Captain Roberts of
| the San Joaquin Transportation Com
pany and make arrangements for a
steamer to convey the Auditing Board
and invited guests up the river to the
EIkhorn easement, and down the river
to the Newtown jetties, the trip to be
made some time between the 18th and
10Th Of this month. After allowing
claims of contractors, the board ad-
Journed until the 10Th inst, at which
time it is expected the excursion to the
easement and to the jetty system will
be made