The Delta independent., 1905-10-27
CHARGES Of GRAFT.
On Gunnison Tnnnel Work Dis.
Proven by Chief Engineer.

"The report in an afternoon paper
several days ago that gigantic steal
is in progress in the boring of the Gum
nison tunnel at Montrose and that fla
grant extravaganza exists on the part
of the engineers in charge, is so mani
festly unjust, and the ignorance of the
writer is so apparent that it is unworthy
of serious notice"
This is the reply that was made by
l. w. Mcconnell, the eng inear in charge
of the Uncompahgre project, more COM
monty known as the Gunnison tunnel.
The article elaine that the engineers
were exaravagant and that Orman and
Crook were awarded the contract for
excavating and completing the south
canal, although farmer named Samuel
Treals bid e, 300 less than the contrac-
tors.
Every step that we have taken has
been under the examination and ap-
proval of the chief engin ,er at WASH
ington, the finest expert in the country,
so that any attack on the integrity of
the engineers is an attack upon him.
said Mr.. Mcconnell. That is not worth
ron SiIoro oil
I'm the bids for the south canal work
the government called for bids for the
canal completed, or from the mouth of
the tunnel to the mouth of the canal.
Treals bid on both the excavation of
the tunnel and the concrete work and
afterward filed a written statement say
ing that he expected to be paid extra
for the concrete work. This made his
bid amount to over s24, 600 more than
Orman and Crooks. 1t showed that he
was even ignorant of the meaning of
the specifications and it was partly On
That score that his bid was rejected.
1T is also claimed that the tunnel
will cost $751; $40 mile for its twelve
miles of length. Even if this was SO it
would not be an excessive price as the
tunnel will turn streame larger than
NANNY rivers into the agricultural dis
tricts and in doing this We have to over
come grade of 274 Zee: fro the
mouth of the tunnel to the mouth of
canal. Such stupendous work of course
costs enormously. We expect the ca
nal to cost about $3.50. 600. Divide this
by twelve and it makes the cost of the
canal per mile little over s54. 1000.
The writer also says two-thirds of
the Gunnison head l.SOO feet should
have been diverted into Cedar creek.
This creek is merely little ditch al
most dry and the water, if turned in
would wash out the whole valley"
Mr. Mcconnell is in Denver to pur-
chase machinery for opening another
head in the construction of the tunnel
itself. He has arranged for the ship
ment of between Sc. 900 and 81, 900 worth
of air compressors, pupms, tracks and
dars next week.
There is now about 5000 linear feet
of the tunnel completed. The west
tunnel. or Montrose side. is in l.5OO
feet. The east tunnel, or river side, is
in 1000 feet, while the tunnel being
driven eastward from the shaft on the
Montrose side is in l.4oO feet. When
the new machinery arrives an exten-
sion will be commenced from the shaft
westward
Mr.. Mcconnell says that he expects
the tunnel to be done in time for fall
irrigation in 1908. The government
expects to complete the project for
several thousand dollars less than the
lowest of the bids which it recently,
rejected. This was l.54l. 200.