The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-13

thsrty-ineh pipe 20 the corner OF Sixth
avenue and Pine street:
Moran Bros. Company .......So.a49 %
Smyth. Wakefield 4 David $500. g7.ol4 50
Pacific Bridge Company ...... -. $500 %
When the reading OF the last bid had
been finished. the board held q moments
consultation and then announced that ow.
ing 10 the fact that some of the bids were
not completed by the extension Of the
figures. the board would be unable TO take
definite action and therefore the matter
would be postponed until o'clock this az
ternoon.
The assembiage then broke up. hut 1t was
some little time before the little groups of
men that formed about the halls of the
building to discuss the situation had dis
persed and affairs in the office of the board
had resumed their normal trend.
MIR. Thomson Is Pleased.
City Engineer Thomson looked pleased
after the board adjourned In discussing
the bids with a Post-Intelligencer reporter,
the city engineer took care TO say but
very little concerning them, but IL was
plainly evident that he was satisfied with
the number Of bids and gra,ihed at the
fact that the figures were very close. shows
ing that all the bidders had figured as close
TO the line which marks the difference be-
tween profit and loss as 1t Was possible Tor
them To do.
1T will be impossible for the board 10 do
any figuring preliminary 10 the award or
the contract until we have checked over
the bids determined their accuracy and
extended the figures on the bids where
they are missing" said Mr.. Thomson.
Every available man In the Office has been
set TO work checking over the figures and
ascertaning the accuracy. This Is big
job of itself In addition. the bids of the
Pacific Bridge Company and of Stirratt Il
Goetz do not contain the extensions OF
figures for the various specifications anu
until this Is done. ii viii be Impossible Tor
the board 10 make any computations re-
gerding the award.
In connection with the bids opened yes
terday il is to be noted that the bid of
Gahan & Byrne. which was put in last
fall when the first bids were received, was
higher than the bid of Smyth, Wakefield
& David. according To the return made by
the board of public works. Gahan *
Byrne were the only bidders. as VIII be
remembered Their bid was declared in
valid by the courts and a new ADVERTISE
ruent was ordered In this connection ii
will be remembered also that there was
q dispute between the board and the con-
tractors as TO just what was the bid or
Gahan & Byrne. The board of public
works made the amount 1890, 6a2 70, while
the contractors claimed that the bid ag-
gregated 8. 2Ss $50 %. This was due to
dispute over certain specifications for
which separate figures We're submitted.
Since that time, however. new work has
been added to the plans and specifications,
involving the building of second or du-
pllcate pipe line from Cedar river 10 Swan
lake. The estimated cost Of this is si2ooo0
and the present bids cover it.
At the city hall there is a very strong
feeling that contract will he entered into
by the board with one or more Of the
various bidders, according as the compu-
tations on the subdivisions are worked
out.
Why No More Bids Were Received.
One OF the spectators remarked: There
would have been more bidders without
question but for the high price OF iron
and the fact that every iron mill in the
country is rushed with orders and behind
in its work Carnegie today would not
accept an order if he had to guarantee
to FIJI ii six months hence. This is true
OF other large mills The difficulty OF
getting iron Will be very great with the
successful contractor, unless he Is forth
fed with a supply already on hand
There Is every reason to believe that the
warrants. which viii be issued in payment
Of the work, viii sell readily at very near
~ par. There are a number OF financial
agents in the city watching the progress
Of events and figuring on handling the
whole amount OF warrants IN be issued,
based on the revenues OF the water de-
partment. Among those from the East is
T. s. Chapman, of Chicago, representing
the banking firm Of y. w. Harris & Co.
Of Chicago and New York. This firm has
handled several millions OF Seattle fnu-
nieipai and street railway securities and
state and county bonds.
II &. Henry, the banker, was an inter
ested spectator yesterday. 1t Is rumored
that he Is figuring on handling part or all
Of the warrants, Or on supplying the ma
teral for part OF the contract.
Last night city Engineer Thomson said
that the figures on the bid Of the Pacific
Bridge Company would not he completed
until late this afternoon. a force Of clerks
was at work nearly half the night ON the
figures. JutI they finish MIR. Thomson
would make no statement concerning the
Stirratt & Goetz.
l.. $. Gillette, president ~ the Gillette
HerZog Manufacturing Company, OF Min
ueapolis one If the largest construction
concerns In the West. expected to put fn
a bid for the entire contract He figured
with II c Henry. the banker fer some
time on the contract Al the last moment
ha entered into a combination with Srayfh
Wakefield & David by which MS figures
on the steel and iron work were made q
part Of the bid Of that firm In case the
contract is awarded 10 Smyth Wakefield
IL David. Mr. Csiiiette's company Will do
the from and steel work which AMOUNTS "a
practically half the contract. II not more.
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