, 1904-04-14
THE WATER WORKS CONTRACT
Mayor MoAnally Makes Some Statements
Concerning the Same to Correct Err.
rors-Work to be Completed by the
LIST Day Of August. 1904 Contract En-
tirely Satisfactory to Council.

ifI
over the letting of the contract
for the construction of the water
works to 5. L. Wicks. 1t is
claimed that the character of the
pipe to be used and the kind OF
pump selected are not up to the
standard. In an interview with
Mayor McAnally the following
facts concerning the above mat
tiers has been gathered.
There is some dissatisfaction
manifested by some of our prom
inent citizens concerning the
water works contract, and | feel
that it is just and due the people
of this town that a statement,
giving the matter from the stand
point of the council, should be
made. The published contract
and specifications issued by the
town called for cast iron pipe.
The contract, as let to Mr.. Wicks,
calls for lap weld pipe, which is
conceded to be as strong and as
lasting as the cast iron pipe, and
it vas selected for the reason that
it is only half the weight of the
cast iron pipe. The reduction in
freight will make up in a great
asst for the difference in the
first cost, the lap weld pipe being
more costly to begin with. The
lap weld pipe is the kind that is
now being used in nearly all wa
ter works systems that are now
being built. 1t will last from 20
to 30 years, which is figured
as the life of the ordinary cast
pipe,
again, on account of it's great
weight, no contractor would agree
to build our water works in ex-
change for the $4,000 bonds. The
lowest bid we have ever had was
S21 1000, and from that on up to
$4,000, and that did not include
crossing the river and building
works on that side. Mr.. Wicks
had with him a contract for the
construction of a water works sys-
TEN for the town of Aguilar.
Colo, in which the same quality
of pipe-lap weld-was used as is
proposed to be used here. He al
SO exhibited a large number of
bills in which he had purchased
the same kind and quality of pipe
to be used in a great many other
water works systems which he
had built for other towns, some
twenty-seven towns in all. He is
also engaged iii constructing a
system of water works for an adj
dition to the city Of Denver, in
which identically the same kind
of lap weld pipe is being used.
$50 far as the pump is concern
ed there was no special name of
pump given IN the published
I plans and specifications furnished
by the town. The pump which
the council selected is the Fair
banks Moss pump, a much better
pump in every way than the one
called for in the towns plans.
"There is another thing that
should be considered. In the pub
lished plans and specifications
there was "a shortage of 1000 feet
in measurement in the S-inch pipe.
This made a great deal of differ
ence in the cost of the contract
This 1000 feet of pipe was not
figured on in the $4,000 bid, or
any of The bids submitted to the
council. Mr.. Wicks made his bid
on the published plans and, of
course. did not figure on any more
pipe than it called for. When we
discovered the error, the city en-
gineer was ordered to make meas
urements, to be sure that they
we're correct. Notwithstanding
this increase of 1000 feet in some
of the most expensive pipe used,
Nh. Wicks consented, that if there
were some slight changes made in
other portions of the pipe laid
which did not detract from its eff,
ficiency, he would still go ahead
with the contract.
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