Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-03
THE FILTRATION PLANT
SAVING OF MONEY BY DIVIDING
THE WORK.
All the Contracts Given Out-Work Ex-
pected to Be Begun by the
23d Instant.

Within twenty days, ors by the 23d Of the
present month, 1t is expected the work OF
excavating for the filtration plant to be
constructed at the head Of 1st street. just
south Of the grounds of-the Soldiers Home
will be begun.
Contracts for the entire work f6f which
proposals were called for and opened by
Colonel Miller few days ago will be let IN
few days. 1t is expected that the lowest
bidders for the work, who have been Sc
lected by Colonel Miller. will all close up
the transaction in an entirely satisfactory
form, and that no hitch will occur to delay
the rapid prosecution Of the work.
A Saving by Dividing the Work.
If the contract for all the work for which
proposals were asked had been awarded q
single firm bidding for all of 1t the cost
would have been $4,000 greater than that
which will be involved by dividing the
work among three bidders. Seven contract
ors bid for all the work, the bid of the
lowest of these contractors being 81 ,765, ISO
In some respects it would have lessened
the work of the engineer corps II single
there being a saving by giving to each Of
three men contracts for the parts OF the
work for which their bids were cheapest.
that was done.
The Three Contracts.
Cowardin, Bradley, Clay and Company of
Richmond have the contract for the exca-
walton, building of embankments, filling
over filters, concrete in doors, walls, piers,
vaulting, granolith1c pavement, placing ma
terials in masonry, drainage of roofs. etc.
This constitutes the largest part of the
work and aggregates in cost $3.50, 694.
The Brennan Construction Company of
this city have the contract for the steel pipe
system, cast-iron pipe, exterior drainage
system. underdrains In filters and interior
drainage system, etc., all of which aggre-
gates $225,b35.
L. E. Smoot Of this city has the contract
for furnishing the sand and gravel for the
filter beds, which they will do for $4S7 $50
Work Of Excavation.
The work Of excavation will begin in
twenty days and the contractor has agreed
to remove 6.OOO cubic yards day from the
site Of the filter plant. II this work were
to be done under the old method, with
horses and carts, over 5000 carts would be
required for the work. and such rapid work
as is now contemplated: would not be pos
sible. But the contractor will use steam
power and will have temporary tracks over
which the earth Is to be carried to some
suitable place for final disposition.
1t Is probable that track will be run
along Michigan avenue eastward and over
some route that will allow the use of the
excavated material for the building OF the
embankments that arsf to be made for the
tracks of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company that win entersthe new station to
be built on Massachusetts, avenue. A large
amount of earth will ano be required for
raising the grade about the union station.
and for this purpose 1t is.thougAt the earth
eXcavated for the filter beds can be used.
Ihere are also vacant lots OF ground in
the vicinity OF the filter beds that can be
improved by being filed and ssome of the
material can be disposed of that way. The
earth to be removed aggreeates $4,000
cubic yards. The bid tor TIM excavation
alone was 1894 600. Some of the material
excavated will be requirsd forexhe building
of embankments and can be used for the
strengthening Of the. big emfAnkment al
ervoir.