Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-28
OPENING THE BIDS
Proposals for Constructing
the Filtration Plant.
ONLY THREE OFFERS
WORK TO BE COMPLETED IN DE-
CEMRER, 1904.
Hearing at the Capitol Regarding the
Proposed Use Of Aium-I.ocal
Physicians Opposed


Physicians Opposed
Bids for constructing the proposed hitra-
ton plant for the District Of Columbia were
opened at noon today by Lieut.. Col a M
Miller OF the engineer corps of the army at
the Office of the Washington aqueduct.
Pennsylvania avenue and Rock creek. Bids
for the cement to be used in the work were
submitted separately. in accordance with
specifications. it being the general belief Of
the officials in charge that the government
will get better results by purchasing the
cement and supplying it to the contractor
Contrary to expectations there were only
three bidders for the entire work NO one
Of the bidders was present, but the once
was filed with representatives OF local ana
out-of-town firms handling materials used
in the construction of filtration plants.
The successful bidder was not announced,
as ali the proposals will be submltted TO
Gen. Gillespie, chief of engineers, Z. S. A.,
for his consideration. 1t is Thought tnat
Gen. Gillespie will return the bids to Col.
Miller within week or ten days, naming
the successful bidder. Ten days or more
will be required to complete the contract
after the selection has been made, and II
the successful contractor is as enthusiastic
and ambitious as is hoped he will have all
the necessary facilities on the site of the
proposed plant and be ready to commence
hard work by March /.
Under the terms Of the specifications the
filtration plant is to be completed and
ready to turn over to the government De-
cenlber 81. 1904. If Colonel Misler's ideas
as to how the work shall be dSs-e are
strictly adhered to the fesids1es of the
District of Columbia will, after New Year
day, 1885, be supplied with water from a
filtration plant which at present exists
only on paper. Colonel Miller, 1t is under
stood, will have direct supervision over the
construction work. The new plant will con-
tain all the latest and most improved
methods of sand filtration, and will be a
model system in every sense Of the word,
The bids are as follows:
Daniel j. McNichol of Philadelphia, Pa
Excavation $3.50 600 cubic YARDS, 3S cents
per cubic yard; emba nkment under filters
(65, 400 cubic YARDS, 4S cents: other en-
bankment 46.T00 cubic yards). S cents;
filling over filters 2S,400), AZ cents; pud-
die COCO cubic yards) Sc q per yard seed
ing Oh acres), $40 per acre; sodding 9,70O
square YARDS, 80 cents per square yard;
concrete in floors C59,390 cubic yards) $3.50
per cubic yard; concrete in walls (2S,3OO
cubic yards, 1856; concrete in piers
vaulting (37, 400 cubic yards), $S.16; grano-
Hthic pavement (35,00O square yards), 30
cents; steel pipe, lump sum, $S1,015; cast
iron pipe, lump sum. $77,S11: sand-washer
pipe, lump sum, $16 1876; pressure pipe sys-
tenn. 81. 315; exterior drainage system and
manholes $50. 469; central underdrains In
filters CISCO lineal feet, s165 per foot: in
terror drainage system CO flters). $5G067
per filter; filter gravel az, 300 cubic yards),
So Is per cubic yard; filter sand Q4O,OOO Gu
bic yards). $40 per cubic yard; placing
materials in masonry, $50 per filter; drain
age of roofs $597 per filter.
New York Continental Jewell Filtration
Company-Excavation, 40 cents per cubic
yard: embankment under filters, 80 cents
per cubic yard; other embankment 40 cents
per cubic yard; filling over filters. SO cents
per cubic yard: puddle, 81 40 per cubic yard;
seeding, 500 per acre; sodding. 80 cents per
square yard: concrete in floors. IS per cubic
yard; concrete in walls, $5.23 per cubic
yard; concrete in piers, $3.50 per cubic yard;
concrete in vaulting, 81 per cubic yard;
granolithic pavement, 81 % per square yard;
steel pipe, lump sum, ISL 900; east-iron pipe,
| lump sum- se6, GOO: sand-washer pipe, lump
sum, $S6, 500. pressure pipe system, laying
pressure pipe system. material to be fur
nished by United States, lump sum, $1.5oo;
exterior drainage system and manholes,
lump sum, $4,000; central underdrains in
filters. per hneal foot, 81 80; interior drain
age system, per filter. $500: placing ma
terials in masonry, per filter, $500; drainage
of roofs, per filter, $500.
Harmer & Quinn Company of Philadel
phia. Pa.-Excavation, 81 cents per cubic
yard; embankment under filters, 50 cents;
other embellishments. so cents; filling over
filters, 30 cents; seeding, 500 an acre; sod
ding. % cents per square yard:
concrete in floors. sG.75; concrete in
walls, S.I5; concrete in piers, 50. 10:
COHCTcCS IN VduiIlHB, $6.O9, STdHOLInlc pave
ment, s1.55 per square yard; steel pipe, $685.
900; cast iron pipe, $4,000; sand washer
pipe, S21.OOO; pressure pipe system, 81 500;
exterior drainage system and manholes,
$2I .O00 central underdrainS in filters, 81 93
per lneal foot; interior drainage system.
$3.50 per filter; filter gravel. 1888 per cubic
yard; filter sand, S.58: placing material in
masonry. $50 per filter; drainage of roof.
$500 per filter.
Bids for furnishing cement were received
from B. Wallace & Co. of Baltimore Md.
135OOO barrels of Alsen at 81. 40 per barrel;
Virginia Portland Cement COMPANY New
York city, 135.O0O barrels Old Dominion at
81. O31z; Alpha Portland Company, New
York. 10000 barrels Alpha at ~ 3d. Atlas
Portland Cement Company. New York. 135,
0O0 barrels at So. 1872; Little. Wilson & Co.
of this city, 10000 barrels Dragon at $1.Ss.
Proposed Use of Alum.
hearing was held this afternoon in the
| room Of the Senate committee on the Dis
trict Of Columbia on proposed amend
ment to the District bill providing for the
use Of alum coagulate in the prepaI;,-
ton of water before 1t passes through the
filtration plant on LIST street south of Tn.
Soldiers Home. Mr.. Hazen. the expert on
filtration, who has prepared plans under
the direction of Col. Miller. in charge of
the Washington aqueduct was present and
approved the use of alum for this purpose
He took the ground that unless that is
done perfectly clear, crystal water could
not be obtained at all times. and claimed
that the very small amount of alum that
would be used In such a way could not
affect the health Of the people of the Dis
trict.
This view was opposed by a committee
from the Medical Society of the. District of
Columbia, among whom were Drs. Sewers,
Magruder, Kober, Hickling and Woodward
DR.. Sewers asked Mr.. Hazen whether the
only purpose of using alum was net to get
a crystal water and, upon receiving a reply
In the affirmative, said that he thought the
people Of the District would be much better
off, even If at times there was a very slight
turbidity of the water rather than to have
1t as pure az crystal with the danger that
would come from the alum used in it, He
said there was danger, especially as the
alum must be supplied by. mechanical
process, which would not perhaps at all
times provide an equal amount of alum
other members Of the committee from
the medical society spoke in the same VEN.
Col. Miller called the attention of the
committee to the fact that the investisa-
ton held by the District committee in
New York city and by the House COM
mitfpa a h0f Aoa