Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-09-12
WATER BOARD DOES
MUCH JUGGLING IN
SECURING A PUMP
FOR RUNYON STATION
Continued from page /.

would rather not undertake the
work, Mr.. Vermuele agreed to draw
the specifications for $3.50.
After a time, MIR. Vermuele COM
pleted his specifications for a pump
such as he believed would do the
best work for Perth Amboy. These
specifications were advertised n
the manufacturers were asked to
send in their bids.
Say Specifications Closed,
An examination of these specifi-
cations showed that, to many firms,
they were closed. Some of the firms
which had bid the first time, May
"a, wrote to the commissioners stat
ing that the specifications had been
SO drawn that they were barred out.
One of these was the American Ma
rine Engine and Machine Company,
which had presented the lowest fig
ure May "a. The specifications, as
drawn by Mr.. Vermuele, provided
that any firm bidding for this pump
must have built at least three other
pumps similar to this me-. The Ma
rine Engine company, being. a new
concern, had not yet built three OF
this class of pump and thus the city
was prevented from receiving com
petition from that firm.
Another large firm, when asked as
to the specifications, declared that
they were closed and intimated that
they greatly favored a certain manu-
%facturer.
Opinion On Specifications.
! The EVENING NEWS, in order to
J get more light on the subject, has
: secured a written opinion from an ex-
: pert machinist and engineer and II
here given in full:
"The piston speed, as specified in
the specifications, for not over 25O
feet per minute for the 135,000,OOO
/, duty pump, or Glass B, is unneces.
sarily low as a low piston speed does
not conduce to economy of h en-
> CINE and I can see no reason Tor max
ing it so low except to shut out al
S competition as is shown in the bid
of May "a where all bidders on a higi
duty compound engine specify owe
/ $50 feet per minute. MOI will a loy
D. speed tend to economy in repairs
IS that being governed by the revolu
IN lions and speed of the other WORKING
parts. y
! 1.-THE triple expansion engine wit
cranks at 100 degrees is the mos
, economical engine and is so consid
D. cred in good engineering practice an
is not specified here. Why?
-. .z..r.oot ;o,,r Ia MT 0nmnInf
suction or discharge, merely furnish
!. ing them to engine house walls.
1.-The duty in the specifications
y based on a water level sixteen fee
below the engine room floor. Ho'
a about pumping from ground storae
&c wells?
"a $50 foot piston speed is nj
excessive for an 100000 ga
TX Ion pumping engine. Again, a trip
a. expansion crank and fly-wheel e.
CINE is best suited to local wan
We when fuel and additional boiler ca
IT, acity are considered.
1.-THE specifications are a copy OF Il
East Orange specifications on
y. closed more by inserting a clau
rie called Qualifications of Bidder
IL. and reducing the piston speed
the high duty engine specified
Glass C, which appears to have be-
is done to shut out other bidders
will be seen by examining the tabul
aft ton of bids of May Gath.
u "Another clause which should
observed is the penalty for failu
~ of duty up to specifications. A pc
atty is imposed of 5000 for each
900, 900 foot-pounds to compellii
nv the acceptance of the engine even
ME ease of failure.
"On the whole the specificatio
~appear to be for a Snow pumping e
COS cine as shown by tabulation OF M
her "a.
'sWould consider advertising a
tbe letting contract under these specift
re,. lions criminal because of the crow
.y. ing out of other bidders who ha
shown themselves to be lower
kin price and of good reputation n Il
70. ancially responsible. In fact 1t wot
ON. be robbing the city of the amount
the difference in bids.
"The city can receive no harm
- open specifications If careful inqp
is made as to the standing OF a \
der, a good and sufficient bond /
a careful examination of the db
specifications by a competent IA
above all, disinterested engineet.
Money for Commissioners.
Tn connection with the bidd
6S one of the commissioners is Quo
as saying, in the presence oY M
than one person, that he nap b
approached by a certain mfn
nd | asked how much money SHOULD
m added on to the contract For
commissioners. This II pdrtic,
commissioner is quoted asI hay
! replied, not one damned cent,
- there is any money in this talk
off the price of the pump.H
AIlis-C Chalmers Lowest.
The bids on the specifications
droxvn nv the exDert. Wara fin