The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-26
Power of Board Of Works To Order
Either a Moonlight an All
Night Schedule.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED ARC LIGHTS
COMPANIES MUST SUBMIT BIDS ON
THAT NUMBER.
Work of Construction Shall he Under
the Supervision Of the Board of
Public Works.

The specifications and form OF contract
for lighting Indianapolis for a period OF
ten years after Jan. /. 1906, which have
been revised and approved by City Attor-
ney Fred A. Joss, give the city broad
powers in the way of securing proper serv-
ice. The revised specifications were made
by MIR. JOSS yesterday. In the main they
are approved by the Commercial Club
through its committee on the affairs Of the
city of Indianapolis and through its board
of directors.
The contract which the successful bidder
will have to sign provides in substance for
an all-night or a moonlight schedule. as the
Board of Public Works may ut to
order. Fifteen hundred electric lamps.
three-fourths OF them TO be arc lights and
one-fourth TO be incandescent lights. are
provided for, and the right is reserved by
the board to increase the number Of lamps
to 1000 If the bid to be adopted is reason
able. The contract form is so drawn that
the city will have the power OF obtaining
from whatever company gecs the contract
the best possible service. Mayor Book
walter and Mr.. Joss have gone over the
specifications with the utmost care. and
they are considerably changed from the
form in which they were originally drawn,
with the purpose of demanding from the
successful bidder the highest grade OF
service
MEETING AT COMMERCIAL CLUB.
At a meeting held at the Commercial
Club yesterday at noon,- by Mayor Book
walter, City Attorney Joss, City Engineer
James b. Nelson and the board of direc-
tors of the club. the specifications were
read and the directors were asked by the
city officials IL they had any comment 70
offer. The specifications were satisfactory
to the directors with the exception of two
points, TO which they made some objec-
ton. The directors feel that the successful
bidder should not be required to take the
contract for lighting the city as a whole.
but should be allowed the privilege TO bid
on the business district where the wires
of the % c1y where the wires e sre reer plaeed
overhead, or on both, as he might see Mt.
Another objection raised by the directors
was that the contract form should provide
for a revision OF the rates once every two
and half years. These points of differ
ence were exhaustively gone over at the
conference and both parties TO the discus
sion retired to give the question fresh con-
sideration. Another meeting will be held
at the Commercial Club at noon Tuesday,
on these points by the city officials and
the Commercial Club directors
AGAINST COLLISION.
The specifications and contract form make
up bulky document The first part, relat-
ing to instructions to bidders, specifies.
among other things. that an affidavit shalI
be submitted by each bidder that there has
been no collusion. 1t is also provided that
a certified check for $4,000 shall be depos-
tied with each bid as an evidence of good
faith and an ability to fuiflI the terms OF
the contract II the bid be accepted. Bid
ders are also notified that the Board Of
Public Works reserves the right to reject
any OF all bids.
The duration Of the new contract shall be
i, 1915. bidders are to be allowed the right
to make bids on four different kinds OF
lamps-three arc lamps and one incandes-
cent The option OF bidding on different
kinds of lamps is made because of the Diff
ferent conditions that have to be met in
lighting different streets: For instance. one
street is heavily wooded and dense shade
is created: another has few trees. and
lighting may be a comparatively easy task.
| 1t is specified that not fewer than 1,500 arc
| lights shall be maintained. IL bids are
submitted all-night schedule IL is pro-
vided that every lamp must be kept lighted
| from one-half an hour after sunset 10 one
/ half an hour before sunrise. But the Board
/ of Public Works has the right TO require a
moonlight schedule If II sees ft. In case
a moonlight schedule is ordered the lamps
must be lighted one hour before moonset.
and must not be extinguished until one hour
/ after moOnrise. On moonless nights the
lamps to be lighted one-half hour after
sunset, and extingushed one hour before
sunrise
MOONLIGHT OR ALL-NIGHT.
The Board Of Works may order a shift
from a moonlight schedule 80 an ail-nighr
schedule. or the reverse. but the order will
/ have TO be given Jan. ! OF every year the
1 contract is in existence. and the board viii
have TO give notice OF the proposed shift on
Oct 1 OF the preceding year in order that
! the contractor may have three months no.
tice. In addition to the 1.5o0 lamps pro-.
vided for. which may be increased 10 2.oDo
/ II the price submitted by the bidder is low
enough. the contract will provide that the
/ case OF fogs. clouds, ETC., or forfeit cents
/ an hour. The chief Of police viii be author
! ditions seem to him to justify their use.
/ The usual requirement Will be made that
/ new lamps shall be Immediately put In
when old ones are found To be detective or
| are worn out.
All construction work incident to chang
| ing the plant under the new contract shall
l be done under the supervision OF the Board
| of Public Works. and plans and specifca-
! tions for all construction work contem-
! plated by the successful bidder must be sub
/ mitted to the board for its approval before
4 the work is taken up IL is expressly
stated that there shall be no more tearing
up of streets. interference with private
property, wires now existing, than Is
! absolutely necessary, and the Board Of
Works II made the judge as to what shall
4 be- necessary in the premises This section
/ of the contract Is very specific. IL Is In
/ tended TO prevent all careless or useless
street wrecking or other damage TO prop
1 erty, public or private.
MAY INCREASE NUMBER
! The provision is specifically made that
for improper or defective lighting the con-
tractor shall forfeit TO the city 50 cents
CONTINUED on PAGE {. col. -