The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-23
Engineer Kelsey Turned Down
BY the City Council.
VICTORY FOR PAT MORAN
GETS $4,000 MORE ON BIS CON
TRACT.
Decide That Wooden Stave Pipe Shall
Not Be Used ii the Construction
of Water Improvements-Plain
Talk by Some Of Couneilmen.

The city council decided by a
vote of nine to five last night
that wooden stave pipe is not so good
as cast iron pipe in the building OF
water systems and It thereby adds
about $4,000 10 the cost of the construc-
tion of the water Improvements on the
north and north east benches.
Councilman Gemmell. intimately in
very broad language that a present OF
$4,000 was being made to Mr.. Moran.
the contractor, the approval of whose
bid was unde r consideration. Thus
the action OF the board of pub
Tic works, which decided that
cast iron pipe is better than
wooden stave pipe for this work, was
endorsed. The city council has to this
extent favored the board of public
works rather than City Engineer KEEL
sey, in the contest which, has been rag
ing between them.
The board had recommended that the
bid Of Moran Tor this work amounting
10 over S6S,000 should be taken instead
Of that of another which offered to 90
the work fer about $4,000. Moran
agreed to use cast iron pipe and the
other bid in accord with the specifica-
lions of the city. engineer contemplated
wooden stave pipe.
But this action Of the council goes
farther There are in contemplation
water Improvements to the amount Of
100000 if done with wooden pipe, but
which. If cost iron pipe is used, viii
cost 81. 000. 0G0 according to the esti-
maLe Of City Engineer Kelsey. This is
the bringing in of the Big Cottonwood
water.
The city engineer has declared, in
efnuu 70 tho
ell. that the public would have to pay
a half million more for these improve
ments if cast iron pipe is used. Since
the council has decided that the cast
iron pipe is better than the wooden,
these new improvements will thus cost
twice as much as they would if his
recommendation were followed.
Contract to Moran.
After the communication from the
board recommending that the contract
be let to Moran was read, Councilman
Edgar Howe moved that it be received
and placed on file and the contract be
approved. He was seconded by Tud-
denham and Fernstrom-
On the suggestion of Cottrell the re-
port of the committee on finance to
suggest ways and means for raising the
money for this and other improve
ments was read. The committee recon-
mended that bonds for the amount Of
Sl61, SEQ at 35z per cent or 4 per cent
interest be sold, and that If the public
would not vote them, that the money
be raised by an additional tax levy Of
six mills.
Gemmeli, who in addition TO being a
cry councilman is the state engineer.
moved that wooden stave pipe be sub
stituted for the cast iron pipe. He
made a lengthy argument on the sub
ject, quoting from many eminent en-
gineers and superintendent of water
works throughout the country to show
that the wooden stave pipes were not
only superior 10 cast iron, but their
3st was much less. He had a dozen
s2r more kilograms and letters from
them.
Fernstrom who was one of the cham
pions of the board Of public works, de-
claTed that wherever wood came IN
contact with the air it would rot.
I defy any man in this council, p"
said Gemmell in closing the argument,
Ito produce testimony to show that
wooden stave pipe is not better than
cast iron.
Against Wooden Pipe.
The vote on GemmeITs amendment to
use the wooden pipe stood aye, p"
Beatty. Gemmeli. Robertson, Thomas
and Buckle; noes" Canning, Cottrell,
Fernstrom, I1artenstein, Hewlett, c. r.
Howe. Edgar Howe, Reid. Tuddenham
and WhittemOre.
Then there was further discussion.
CottreU explained that he was against
letting the work altogether on account
of the great expense. Hewlett was like
wise against it. Howe wanted TO have
half the work done now and half next
year.
IF we vote a 6-milI tax we had bet
ter all take 10 the underground, said
Hewlett.
Robertson maintained that 1t was
useless to build q reservoir and acquire
watersheds without sufficient water
mains for the water.
on the final vote. Canning, COttTe8.
Hewlett and c. r. Howe voted against
letting the contract altogether. They
had all voted in favor of cast iron pipe.
The other members voted to let the
contract notwithstanding the iron pipe
TO which Trey objected, on the ground
that the work was a necessity.