The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-10-14
CONTRACTS LET.
For Building Mountain Water System
for Corvallis Begins
Soon.

for Corvallis Begins
Soon.
Contracts have been awarded for
supplying material and doing con-
struction work for the Corvallis
gravity water system. All the
wood stave pipe to be used in the
work is to be supplied by the Wash
ington Pipe and Foundry Company
of Tacoma, and the steel pipe and
fittings by Crane & Co., OF Pitts
burg, Pennsylvania. The construc-1
ton work on the main pipe line is
to be done by H. Mitchell of Seattle
Washington The laying of the
distribution system in the town has
not been formally awarded, but two
very low bids are available with !
certified check to back up each aud
at the proper time the award will
be made.
1t will cost $11,o14 to lay tie
pipe in the main line, besides the
cost Of distributing the pipe along
the route, for which contracts
have not been awarded. It /
will cost $2S, 133 for the wood pipe |
in the main line from Rock Creek
to the city! The cost of a COM
plete steel distribution in the city is
$26,65o, OF of a wood pipe system
S17.o8o. The entire cost of wood
en- system complete, including en-
CINE rs fees. reservoir, intake,
transportation and all other items
except right of way, is ST., 1,ooo: of
a wooden pipe line and steel dis
tribution in town, $50, ,o43. The
excess of cost of steel distribution
system in town over a wooden sys-
TEN is So, $50. All the figures in
the construction work as well as in
the transportation, intake and an
other item or two, are subject to
slight change. as the quantities,
for instance, of loose earth, loose
rock, or solid rock in the excava-
tions are necessarily estimated by
by the engineer. His figures,
however, are conservative, and
there is as much reason to expect
a reduction as an increase. The
allowances for transportation, in
take, reservoir and other items, are
also estimates, but as in nearly ev-
cry instance the bids are below En-
gineer Mil1er's estimates. there is
every reason to expect his figures
on these points to be within the pro-
per limits.
For the present, the question Of
whether or not the distribution
system will be of steel is yet unde-
termined. Most members of the
board are favorable to a steel sys-
tenn, though nearly all, with the
evidence before them, are doubtful
on the point of whether the steel
will last any longer than will good
wood stave pipe. The fact, that
Seattle, Bel1ingham, and other cit
les are using vast quantities of wood
pipe for street mains, is strong
indication that for the price, the
wood may be even better than the
steel, and this causes some hesita'
ton by board members. In the
matter, however, it has been deter
mined, first, to build the pipe line
from Rock Creek to town, and then
figure out what is the amount of
funds on hand available for the dis
: tribution system. If, ith the
main pipe line built and paid fo1
: there is enough money left to justi-
fly steel distribution system. it is
} probable that the metal will be
adopted. If there is not enough
money for completed steel 'sys.
TEN, it is possible that the big
mains will be laid of steel and a
part of the smaller ones of wood
In any event the board is proceed
ing with extreme caution, and
when the work is finally finished
the town will be certain to have the
very best system that was possible
with the money available.
A feature of the awards of con
tracts was the spirited character O
the bidding and the very low prices
submitted. A contest was on be
tween the steel and wood pipe peo
l pie, and the upshot is that tht
prices for both are the lowest eve1
met with by Engineer Miller in his
;; long experience. In every instance
l but one or two, the actual bids
t both on work and material, were
: considerably below the estimates O.
$ Engineer Miller, fact testifyine
emphatically to Mr.. Miller's ability
: and experience in his profession
$ Indeed, the way the whole thing
has turned out so far ought to b.
: extremely satisfactory to the peo
pie of Corvallis. who have waited
= long and patiently for such water
: system as now seems assured.
l H. Mitchell, the successful bid
J. der for the construction work, 1ef
D t>h11reday1 for Seattle to oct every