Rock Island Argus., 1899-01-14
LEVEE IS ACCEPTED.
City Council Makes a Person.
al Inspection of the
Work.
ALL WE'LL PLEASED WITH 1T.

Extension of the Improvement on to
Present Their Claims, and Receive Al
Iowances- Money Expended on the Reser-
voir Up to Date.
Rock Islands levee improvement,
extending from Seventeenth to Nine
teenth streets, was accepted at
special meeting of the city council
Yesterday afternoon, the mayor and
aldermen having first made personal
inspection of the work, with which all
were greatly pleased and its extension
on to Twentieth next season unani-
mouslv favored. The cost of the i'm
proyement aggregates S1S, ,352.72,
something like $1,000 in excess
of the estimate of Engineer Jacob
A. Harmon, discrepancy due TO
the failure of a the Terminal com
pany to keep a promise that it had
made to haul the filling for the levee
gratis, it having been eventually nee
essarv to assign this portion of the
Job for execution to the Peoria road
The impression gained currency that
the Peoria was to do the hauling free
of cost to the municipality, but since
the company had made a contribution
of 81, 900 toward the improvement 1T
was not expected that it would do the
work without remuneration.
Mr.. Blair, when quizzed at recent
council session in regard to the mat
ter, said the Terminal company had
intended to do the hauling, as prom
ised, gratis, but iinding the job had
been undertaken bv the Peoria, had
abandoned the plan, leaving the un-
Outstanding that his corporation was
therefore released from any obligation
in connection with assistance toward
the levee. The result was the city
was compelled to pay 40 instead of 10 ,
cents per yard for the filling.
Contractors Claims.
The Edwards & Walsh Construction |
company and Flick & johnson were
the contractors on the improvement,
the claim of the former for the riprap-
ping, paving, etc, being S12, 246.71, |
and of the latter for the filling,
Sc, 106.01. Partial payment of each |
account was ordered. The city has
on hand in levee funds 50, 800, So, COO |
of which was appropriated by the |
council. 81, 500 by the Davenport d
Rock Island Ferry company and
81, 900 by the Rock Island & Peoria |
Railway company. Strange as it may
seem. the two corporations that en-
deavored to use the levee for track |
purposes, have as yet not been heard |
from satisfactorily in relation to do |
mating toward II e Improvement, and |
the committee of aldermen, which has |
twice called on both corporations, was |
instructed to make further efforts to |
secure the money.
While the aldermen were inspect
ing the improvement, suggestion /
was made by Vice President III. S.
Cable, of the Peoria, that meets with /
the approval of the council. 1t was
to the effect that the extension of the |
pavement to the north track would
endanGer switchmen in the pursu-
ance Of their duties. and he agreed to
have 4-foot space along the outside
of the rail filled with cinders, well
and evenly graded.
Reservoir Expenses.
Up to date SCI, ,026. 20 has been ex-
pended on the reservoir, which will
be completed in the spring. The to-
tai amount appropriated for this i'm
prOvement is SIO4, ,OO6.O2.
The council will inspect the test
electric light tower in the west end of
the city Monday night.
Hard Coal Market.