Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-01-29
COUNCIL MEETING.

COUNCIL MEETING.
The city council met in special ses-
sion last night to consider an allow
lnce to Contractor j. j. McKinnon on
he new stone bridge work. Present:
MAYOR Pro TEN Herman Berndt, VIM.
Dobbins. John Casey. Frank Rivers
and Herman Hanno, Absent; Mayor
Mcconnell, Aldermen West. Balster
and Logan.
Mr.. Casey reported that Contractor
McGHlis would have the material on
the ground to begin the construction
Of the Fourteenth street foot bridge on
next Monday. He said the construc-
ton of The new stone bridge was get
ting along very slowly, and called on
City Engineer Wieglesworth to give n
statement Of the situation. The engi-
noer said the work had been slow
that >hcrc had been mrch difficulty
n laying a concrete foundation for
tbe south pier rs II had been lmpos
+ihie to keep The water out with the
ooherdam erected; that the structure
d
he contractor had hoon placing the
cement and concrete in the water, and
The engineer had not thought this
practicable; he had tested the con.
| crete layer and believed it would
stand, but the north edge was not
smooth and might not he impervlous
10 the water; probably later the edges
could be smoothe1; the concrete is
set but hardens slowly; it will prob
ably require from three TO four
months for it to harden in the water
The cement and other materials have
been thoroughly mixed all through.
The south end Is smooth. save where
the pump stands. Part of one layer
Of stone is laid. The water. which has
raised since the thaw. is running
through the first course of stone.
Mr. Berndt asked for further discus.
slon when Mr., Rivers said the situa
ton had giycn rise TO a good deal OF
anxiety, not only TO the council but
10 the people in general: he had seen
the cement flowing down the river;
since it had been two months since
the work started with only five
| months to complete the construction.
he would have liked TO see the other
pier and south abutment under con
struction by this time. before the
high water comes
Mr. Hanno said he had been at the
bridge frequently, watching the work:
he thought the concrete now in was
all right and thought it would stand
the test or pressure of the upper
work. He then called on Mr.. Nc
kinnon for a statement, and the lat
ter said he expected to start on the
north pier as soon as he could relieve
the present conerdam.
Mr.. Berndt said that under the ex.
isting circumstances he thought the
council should have written agree.
ment with Mr., McHinnon which would
specifically designate his responsible
ity
Attorney Reese objected TO this and
advised that the council do not mon.
key with the present contract. as it is
supported by a good bond
Mr.. Casey said the engineer had in
formed aim that Mr.. McKinnon had
put the concrete in the water at his
own risk, and he thought it was now
up to the engineer to accent or re.
ject the work, If he accepts it then
the city viii have to accept, as he had
been appointed to accept or reject
Mr. Casey said the city was in no DO
sition to have the bridge enterprise
iali down, and added that there is
more water in the river now than he
had anticipated so early.
The engineer said he had put in the
estimate on certain amount of stone
which ne had selected as fit for the
piers, rejecting much of the supply
which might be later used for some
other part of the structure.
Attorney Reese took issue with the
council, saving that 1t should not ham
per the contractor if they wanted the
bridge built. He said: "Your engineer
is responsible, young and ambitious
man who realizes that he can not af
ford to make a failure of his part of
the work; You have a capable contrac-
tor who has given a sufficient bond;
both are responsible. have noticed
on several occasions that there is
good deal Of knocking against the
bridge and the work; it is tne same
element that opposed the bridge in
the first place; no man can undertake
to do anything in Durango without he
ing knocked; they are the same knock
ers, working with the same hammer:
they have knocked on the cement and
knocked ON everything else. would