The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1905-03-11

HilIti hl Inv Nv wv i"lilG az
proved by the Ch,cf of Engineers,
the officer in charge, on june 81
1907. addressed a letter to the con
tractors, asking if they were VIII
ing to proceed with the worl along
the lines recommended hy the
Board No reply was received
from the contractors until Scpicm-
Der /, 1909, when they refused to
proceed with the work rs recon-
mcndcd 10y the Board, at the orig
NAL contract prices.
-. On November 10, 1907, the
Chief of engineers stated that il
was the intention Of the Depart
mcnt to annuI the contract with
Stewart X Co. at the earliest
practicable date, and directed that
revised plans and specifications
for completing the lock and ,p
proachcs be prepared. Revised
plans for the lock gates were sub
mittcd on January 4, zoos, and for
the construction Of the approach
cs, including" excavation and the
fill behind the lock walls, on Feb
ruary ~, 1908.
20. On June Is, 1908, supple
mental contract, prepared in the
Ollicc Of the Chief of Engineers,
was signed 10y the District officer,
providing for the annuImcnt of
the contract with Stewart 4 Co,
the supplemental contract was
approved 10y the Secretary Of War
on June 81, 1903.
81. On June II, 1908, the plans
for the lock gates and the ap-
proachcs, and project providing
for completing the work by two
separate contracts, were approved.
The works were advertised in nc
cordance with law and regulations,
and bids for tho lock gates were
opclcd on August 3. and for the
approaches on August IS. 1908.
by authority Of the Chief Of En-
ginrers, all bids received for both
works were rejected as excess
i've. and the works re advertised
for a period Of sixty days, bids to
! he opened on October 30, 1903
On the latter date, two bids were
received for the lock gates, ant
none for he approaches. The
lower bid for the gates being IN
excess of the lowest bid previous.
Iy received, and being considered
unreasonable, both bids were re-.
jectcd, and the construction OF the
approaches authorized to be post
pOned until work on the lock gates
is under way.
%. On January i, 1904, bids for
the lock gates were opened for
the third time, and the lowest bid
received, that of the Penn Bridge
Company, of Beaver Falls, Pa.
(&Il2,O2S.3D accepted, this bId
being the lowest received ut the
three openings, and beng consid
cred reasonable, in view Of the
condition of the structural mater
iai and labor markets. Contract
was entered into ON February s,
approved February 10, 1904. for
the lock gates, the contract time
for completion being August %,
1908.
%. From q consideration of the
above, it appears that the delay in
the work on the lock. since No
vember 1G, 1900, has been due to:
| O. The necessity for increasing
the strength of the lock gates,
which brought about the contro
versy relative to the price to be
paid for extra work.
| (2). The necessity for pOstpon
inc erection Of the gates unit
settlement of the lock walls hat
ceased.
(3. Delay on the part of Tho
contractors in answering letters
inquiring if they would proceed
with the work in accordance witt
the recommendations of the Board
az. The delay during the pcrio'
from November, 1902 to june
1903, during which, it is under
stood. correspondence was beln
had with the contractors by tn
Department with a view to al
( ranging equitable terms for tn
annulment Of their contract an
S bond, the terms finally secure
n being very much less than at fins
asked by the contractors.