The Washington times., 1903-01-04
SIX BIDDERS COMPETE
FOR PUMPING STATION
Lowest Competitor Asks Two Hundred and Sew
entY-nine Thousand Dollars for the Work.

Proposals for the construction Of the
sewage pumping station at The foot
of New Jersey Avenue southeast were
opened at the District Building yester-
day at noon. There were seven com
peting bidders. four of them being local
firms. The proposals were based upon
plans OF the building drawn by c. A
Didden, the architect. and were sub
mitted under two general heads-the
subsTucture and the building proper,
the Commissioners reserying the right
to award the work as a whole or to
two separate contractors
The bidders with the prices named
for the superstructure were: PennsyI-
vania Bridge Company, Of Beaver Falls,
Pa. 1884. 1877, Hermann Probst, New
York. sass. 500; Richardson & Burgess.
Washington. 1888, $50; George A Fuller
Company, Washington, 1926. 984i Am
bTose B. Stannard- New York E279. 600,
and Brennan Construction Company.
Washington. $308. 900.
The proposals for the sub-woTk were
submitted under fourteen heads, includ-
ing excavation. masonry, conduits.
screen, and sediment chambers. gate
wells, and pump wells. The firms men
TONED submitted proposals for this work
and the superstructure. while Andrew
GIeeson put in a bid for the subcon-
struction alone.
An Important Step.
The award Of the contract for this
building Will mark an important step
in the sewage disposal system of the
city. The pumping station will be the
heart OF the system 1t viii stand at
almost the lowest point IN the District.
at the confluence OF the large trunk and
intercepting sewers which convey the
drainage from the city proper, from
Georgetown, from TenIeytown, from
BTightwood. and from all points. except
the far western and eastern portions Of
the District The sewage is brought
down by gravity. and when the pump
ing station is finished viii be raised
about twenty-one feet and discharged
into the Eastern Branch temporarily
until the proposed syphon under the
river is built, when the drainage viii
be carried down to Magazine Point
There the river is wide. and the volume
OF water such that the sewage will be
diffused so as to avoid being a nuisance
The trunk and intercepting sewers
have been under construction for several
years and some of them are completed.
The Tiber Greek and New Jersey Avenue
sewer Is practically finished and work
has been started upon another large
sewer to pass up to c Street, TO the
Mall, diagonaHy across 1t to Fifteenth
Street, and thence westward to Twenty
second Street This sewer VIII inter
oept the drainage of ali that part of the
city and carry il down 10 the pumping
station.
Large Underground Vat.
The general plan Of the station is a
large underground vat for the reception
OF the sewage from the sewers. II
passes through the screens into the
pump wells and Is there taken through |
the pumps upward 10 the syphon. The !
mechanism is simple, the pumps being |
OF large and powerful pattern Appro- |
priations have been made already for the |
building and its machinery A portion |
OF the machinery is under contract with /
the AIIis-ChaImers Comrany, Of Milwau- !
kee, Wis. This contract was for $500 /
600. This includes The triple expansion /
pumps and the principal part of the gate
machinery Congress has appropriated /
1878 600 in addition for the building, and /
has authorized the Commissioners 10 en-
ter into contracts amounting to $3.50, 600 /
on account OF the building and It's /
equipment. The total cost Of the sta
tion. including the site, viii be about /
sSS5, 900.
The sewage-disposal system was de-
vised by a board of sanitary engineers |
appointed by President Harrison. The
appointment Of the commission was IN /
response TO many petitions TO the Dis |
tTict Commissioners and to the commit |
tees In Congress. The frequent flooding /
OF cellars in the lower portions of the /
city through the backing OF the high /
water from the river into the trunk sew /
ers became Unbearable and Congress /
was induced 10 take action. The sew |
age commission was composed of Ru- |
doIph Herring, Samuel n. Gray, and /
Frederick P. Stearns. During the great
er part Of the time It was engaged upon
the problem David E. McComb. the pres
ent superintendent Of Sewers, was an
assistant. The commission stated the
problem before it in the following terms
in It's report:
The problem we fnd placed before US
is to recommend a comprehensive sys-
TEN OF sewerage and drainage which viii
ehectuaIly remove the sewage from the
Inhabited parts Of the District. and dis
pose Of 1t in an unobjectionable manner,
both TO those in and out of the District.
and which viii prevent the rain water Of 4
heavy storms from causing inconvenI-
epee and damage By flooding: and fur 1
Their, a provision in connection with the Il
foregoing requirements for preventing Il
freshets in the Potomac River from the II
oYcrfiowing Of the low areas in the cen
tTaI part Of the city"
Erection of bikes.
Among other things the commission