Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-06
HITCH H|E..[ !. BRIDGE
tfzul, -
Col. Allen Recommends All
Bids Be Rejected.
EXCEED THE ESTIMATE
RECOMMENDATION WILL LIKELY
BE APPROVED.
As to Further Steps, Matter Will Be
Reserved for a Separate
Report.


the old Long bridge. The situation is brief
ly stated in an official communication from
the Potomac river, to Gen. Gillespie. chief
the officer in charge of the improvement of
the otomac river. to General Gillespie, chief
OF engineers, in submitting an abstract Of
proposals for the construction of the high
way bridge received in response to adj
vertisement dated February 6. 1903, and
opened March q, 1903.
Col. Aliens report on the subject IL in
part as follows:
The bids in order of lowness are as fol-
lows: Three separate bids by the Scherzer
Roller Lift Bridge Co. Of Chicago. amount
Ing respectively to $9SO.OOO. $685. 600 and
100000: bid by Arthur Mullen Of New
York, amounting to s1.Oe1 ,21O; bid by the
pennsylvania Steel Co. Of Philadelphia.
amounting to 81 .1O9. 900: bid by the Penn
syiVanla Bridge Co. of Beaver Falls, Pa,
amounting to $1,315.3OO.
The bids by the Pennsylvania Steel
Company. by McMullen and by the Penn
savanna Bridge Company had in view the
KIND OF bridge required by the speciflca-
ions attached to and forming part Of the
advertisement inviting proposals. the in
tention of which specifications is that the
truss spans Of the bridge draw span ex-
cepted) shall be trapezoidal in side eleva-
ton.
Also that the clear headroom above low
water throughout the entire length of each
span shall be Uniform. the elevation Of the
bottom chord at the draw span and at each
adjoining span to be 21h feet above low
water. reducing to II feet at the shore
spans. This clearance Is desirable in order
TO permit free flow of water of the high
est freshets with their drift and ice and
also In order that fats or barges may be
enabled to pass under the spans. The bot
tom chords Of the Pennsylvania railroad
bridge now In progress of construction are
to be 211A feet above low water.
The kind of bridge proposed by the bids
and plans of the Scherzer Roller Lift
Bridge Company is at variance with the
twelve Of the act of Congress, approved
February IL. 1901. provides for construct
ing at point not less than 500 feet above
the site of the present Long bridge a new
and substantial bridge for highway travel
of iron or steel. resting upon masonry
piers and provided with suitable approaches
and with az sufficient draw, all in ac-
cordance with plans and specifications to
be approved by the Secretary Of War
For this work. the said section appro-
priated the sum OF $56S,OO0 A board of
officers of the corps of engineers was con-
stituted by special order March %, 1901, to
lions and estimat ties for a bridge to be built
across the Potomac river at Washington,
In accordance with the provisions Of said
section II of the said act.
tober Is, 1901, to the effect that bridge
and approaches to meet the provisions of
the act would cost 100000 OF this sum
about S145,OO0 was estimated as the cost
of the Washington approaches Of the suit
able bridging OF the arm Of the tidal reser-
yoir just above the outlet gates and of ap-
proaches at Potomac Park and on the Vir-
ginia side of the river, including temporary
roadway, etc.
Congress. by act of July /. 1902. pro-
vided as follows:
Highway bridge across Potomac river:
Section twelve of the act to provide for
eliminating certain grade crossings on the
line of the Baltimore and Potomac Railway
Company In the city of Washington Dis
trict OF Columbia, and requiring said COM
pany to depress and elevate it's tracks, and
to enable 1t to relocate parts of its railroad
therein, and for other purposes approved
February IL, 1901, is hereby amended by
striking out therefrom the words two
years and inserting in lieu thereof the
words four years, and the limit Of cost for
the bridge across the Potomac river therein
provided for Of $685. 900 Is hereby increased
to $4,000 And the Secretary of War is
authorized to enter into a contract or con-
tracts for the construction Of said bridge
within the said limit Of cost
THE prices for material and labor en-
tering into the estimate of the board were
those of the time at which the estimate
was made. Taking the s145,OOO from the
total of the estimate leaves about $3.50 900
as the cost (estimate) of the bridge proper
draw rests and sheer and CONTINGENCIES
included) and for the constructing which
proposals were invited The sum avail
able is about $231, 21O less than the lowest
regular bid, that Of Arthur McMullen of
New York. In fact the lowest regular
bid is $3.50 21O in excess Of the entire sum,
$4,000, appropriated by the act of Con-
gress of July 1, 1902. for bridge and APP
proaches.
1.-THE excess of the bids over the esti-
mo To 49, &c duo r. to-
labor and material since the estimate
which was regarded at the time as liberal
was made.
NO course appears open excepting TO
recommend rejection of all the bids receiv-
ed. and I therefor make such recommended
ton. AS to further steps that NAV be
taken, that matter will have to be reserved
for a separate report to be made at an
early day"
The recommendation of Col. Allen for the
rejection of all the bids is subject to the
action in turn of Gen. Gillespie, chief of
engineers. and Secretary Root. In view,
however. of the conditions as stated by Col
Allen, there Is scarcely any doubt of their
approval Of his recommendations. It ia ex
pected that Gen. Gillespie wild present tbe
matter to Secretary Root for his action to-
morrow or next day.
The ScherZer Bridge Company claims 70
be entitled to the award of the contract for
the bridge on the ground that its bid was
the lowest and was within the limit of cost
fixed by Congress. The bids of that com
pany were held by the engineer officers to
be irregular, inasmuch as thay were not in
conformity with the plans and specifica-
tons approved by the Secretary of War, on
which bids We're invited. The company has
been informed. however that its claim will
receive consideration before final action is
taken. -
1t was stated ap. the War Department
today that there has been a general in
crease in the prices of labor and material
during the past two years. especially since
the estimate FOR sthe highway bridge was
submitted. and that this fact was clearly
demonstrated in the case of the bids for
the District filtration plant It is estimate
about % per Gent. haThe Increase over t,,o
estimate for the highway bridge is but 20
per cent. snt yr
Shot nChinaman.