The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-23
ONLY SEVEN BIDS
WERE SUBMITTED
FOR FORT IMPROVEMENTS.
CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED BY
AUTHORITIES In WASHINGTON.

bids Opened by Constructing Quar-
termaster Captain DavidsOn-FOur
Bids Covered All the Work, Two
Were for Plumbing Fixtures, and
One for Gymnasium Apparatus.
Varied Character of the Estimates.
VIII Be Forwarded to washing
ton TO-day-ImprOveme win
Cost Close to $GO,OOO.
Bids for the construction of the nine
new buildings to be erected by the
government at Fort Screven were
opened in the office of Capt. Joseph T.
Davidson, constructing quartermaster,
U. S. A., yesterday.
The bids submitted were both gem
eral and special. Seven in all were
made, four of which were general COW
ering the entire work. OF these four
two were made by Savannah contrac-
tors. Judging from the number of
specifications that were asked for it
was expected that a larger number of
bids would be submitted.
Owing to the varied character of the
specifications the figures differ greatly
and until a schedule has been made it
will be difficult to tell just whose bid
is the lowest. All of the bids will be
arranged in the proper form to-day by
Capt. Davidson and forwarded to
Washington at once. The contract
will be awarded there, and the sue
cessful contractor notified through
Capt. Davidson.
Just how long it will take to award
the contract will depend entirely upon
the rush of business now going on at
the office of the quartermaster general.
It has been estimated that it will take
at least ten or fifteen days before an
nouncement can be made here, and it
is possible that an even longer time
may be required.
Bids Varied in Character.
The bids submitted varied greatly
in their character, and accounts in
great measure for the different prices
at which the contractors offered to do
the work The four general bids, which
covered the erection of all the nine
buildings, were fairly close in their
estimates.
Two of the others were submitted
on the plumbing alone, these bids COW
ering all plumbing specified as neces-
sary in all the new buildings. AS TINS
feature alone is a large one and the
specifications require that only the best
materials and the highest class OF
work shall be used, the expenditure
covering this item will be large one.
The remaining bid covered simply the
furnishing of the. apparatus. for the
gymnasium. No statement was made
whether further bids would be called
for to cover this item, or whether the
contract would be awarded on one bid
alone.
Capt Davidson was unable to state
lust how soon the work would start
after the contract had been awarded.
Under the specifications the govern
ment can require the successful con-
tractor to begin, work within ten days
after the announcement is made to
him that the contract has been award
ed 1t is customary, however, to al
low him sufficient time to arrange
for his bond and gather his materials
and workmen Thirty days is generally
allowed when there is no urgent need
for the buildings.
Work Will Require Time.
1t has been estimated by engineers
that the work will require from one
year to eighteen months to complete.
By that time it is hoped that the
other improvements contemplated at
Fort Screven will have been pushed
through Congress. or that at least
such Roadway will have been made
as to justify the constructing quar-
termaster to keep open his office in
Savannah.
The cost of the present nine build
ings, a complete description of which
has been given in the Morning News,
will be close to 100000 and may even
exceed that figure. If the other i'm
provements are authorized the amount
which will be spent in improving the
fort will be a very large one.