Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-30
CITY LOSES SIX MILLIONS
Engineers who Examine work on
Three PhnadeIphiR Projects
Make Report.

PHILADELPHIA. oct. @.-The report of
the Board of Investigating Eugineers, APP
pointed last July by Mayor Weaver to ex-
anime the filtration system Of the city
and the northeast and southern boulevards
now under construction. which report was
submitted to the mayor yesterday, was
made public today. II is signed BY Major
Cassius E. Gillette of the Uniee States
engineer corps, who investigated the Savan-
nah harbor frauds. and John Donald Mac
Lennon of Washington. d G. The report
shows that up to date the city has lost
through excessive costs. collusive bids, ille-
gal advertising and in other ways the sum
Of s6SSO,OOO
The contractors who have received most
OF the more than $1S.O0O.O00 which have been
expended on improvements are ID. j. Nc
Nichol a Co., James Ryan, John A. Kelley
and Ware Bros. The members Of the Nc
Nichol firm are Israel W. Durham, leader
of the local republican orgauisstion; State
Senator ]. P. McNichol also city leader.
and the latter's brother Daniel. The Ware
firm is made up Of State Senator ]. H.
Ware and r. J. Ware. Their brother,
William Ware is recorder of deeds. an
elective office.
The officers held responsiDle By the re-
port for some of the conditions OF the
filtration system are william G. Haddock,
who was director of public works under
Mayor Ashbridge; Peter T. Costello d-
rector of public works under Mayor Wea-
ver until last May, when the mayor dis
missed him. and John w. Hill, former
chief Of the bureau of fltration. who is
awaiting trial OH the charges of fraud
and classification OF records IN connection
with the construction OF tlie filtration sys-
/ tenn.
! The report says:
i omitting from construction all small con-
| tracts-say under S3O,000-we fnd street
/ filtration work and the two boulevards
as constructed up to date. the city has
! paid or pledged SIS 761, 541.
! First class work under the 3tration un-
I der the Specifications should not have cost
over $4,000 which Includes an allow
/ ance of 20 per cent or s2,O75,2 20S for legiti-
mate contractors profits. The difference
! is S6,S30,0O0. In other words, HS,7600O0 in
/ round numbers has been paid for work
costing the contractors $lO,55600o.
OF the S033O,0O0 excessive cost there has
gone to the contractors who worked m undei d,
the name of d. j. McNichol. $5065, ,l22
| similarly to Ryan & Kelley, $50, and
/ to Ware Bros. SS9,18
OF the s1S,761,541 there remains unpaid
/ about S56S,00O to McNichol and $4,000 tC
Ryan q Kelley.
/ Much Of the work done by Ryan &
Kelley and d. J. McNichol Is not frs
class, The parts which show prominently
to the public are fairly well done; the parts
that can be examined with little troubl,
are. distinctly second class and not up Il
the specifications. We. of course do no
know what the condition Of such portion;
as cannot be seen wlthout tearing up tn,
work, but wherever we have dug into 4
we find it second class or worse.
Continuing the report sqess
A careful analysis of al iltration ad
I VertisinC Indicates that efp.-vfhfnC nOSSi
BILE was done to avoid aIff real publdt,
without letting that fact appear too prom
nenty i'm the records. Tbe bureaus pre-
liminary estimates. instead OF being freel,
furnished to bidders. we're y arisorousl,
guarded secrets, SO far asiffe Beueral bid
der was. concerned exneftf \ n 4tl7HR Wer,
/ materials, where they were very llttl
needed