The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-27
DoNALDsoNVILLE, LA, SATURDAY OCTOBER 27, 1906
THE LAFouRcHE LOCK.
Levee Boards Reject Only Bid as Too
High-Work to be Readyertised.

basin and Atchafalaya Basin levee
boards was held on Tuesday, the 23rd
instant, at the Office of the Board of
State Engineers, New Orleans, for the
purpose Of receiving the report of the
engineers on the proposal to construct
the lock at the head Of Bayou La
fourche which had been opened at the
| preceding joint session of the levee
boards on October l. The following
report of last Tuesdays proceedings
is copied from the New Orleans Plea
yune:
captain Vic. Maurin, president of
the Lafourche levee board, occupied
the chair, and W. J. McCune, seere-
tary of the Lafourche board. and A.
| V. Dubroca, secretary of the Atchafa-
laya levee board, kept the minutes.
"The following report from the ex-
ecutive committee was read:
1--WE beg to report upon the proposal
for the construction of the lock at the
head Of Bayou Lafourche opened by
you on Oct. and referred to the
Board of State Engineers for COM
pilation and report.
"There was one bid from the Founda-
tion Company for the first ten items
and one bid from the Penn Bridge
Company for the eleventh item. The
bid of the Foundation Company for
the first ten items amounts to 1868, ,O42.-
so; the bid Of the Penn Bridge Com
pany for the eleventh item amounts to
$50 800, making a total for the eleven
items, or for the construction of the
lock as advertised, OF 1902, 942.50
s.In calculating this total amount due
consideration was given TO the ad-
ditional requirements demanded by
the secretary of war in the construction
of the lock and to the changes in the
quantities of excavation which have
occurred since the time Of the original
calculations. These requirements and
these changes somewhat increased the
original quantities estimated.
TT must be borne in mind that the
above amount represents the figures
submitted for the construction of the
lock proper only. In addition TO this,
several large items OF expense will be
required.
TT will be necessary for you, after
the completion of the lock, to test the
gates, to remove the existing dam, to
cut ch annel from the lock gates TO
the river, to line the bottom and sides
of this channel and to drive clusters
OF piles to guide navigation properly
and safely in and out of the lock
chamber. The expenditure for the
above will not be less than 800, 900,
and will vary in excess of this amount
in accordance with the character of
the work which you may desire to
construct.
Under the terms of your advertise
ment, and to properly supervise the
construction Of the lock, it will be
necessary for you to maintain an
engineering and inspecting force at
and also an office for
the engineer in charge. We estimate
this team will cost you about SO, 900
per year, and, Of course, the total
amount will depend upon the time re-
quired to construct the lock.
After the construction OF the lock
it will be necessary to operate same,
TO maintain force for this purpose,
probably to purch ase electrical power
for the purpose OF operating the lock
gates, to dredge annually the channel
from the lock to the river, to do re-
pairs necessary to the lock, which We
estimate will cost not less than S15, 600
per year.
1T must also be borne in mind that
the work of channel dredging which
you are now doing will have to be
carried on, and probably that this
work will have to be carried on every
year owing to sediment which will be
brought into the bayou by loekags
and the drains which will be opened
into it under the laws passed at the
last session oi the general assembly.
Again, you are under an annual
expenditure for the care and main
tenanee of the pumping plant which
you have at Donaldsonville, and it is
possible that you will haveto undergo
some additional expenditure in the
cutting Of additional fresh water
canals into Bayou Lafourche.
To resume, it can be safely esti-
mated that the construction Of the /
lock, its tests, the removal of the dam,
the cutting of the channel to the river, |
ETC., will cost not less than S7O3, 900,
to which must be added an annual /
expenditure OF SIG, 900 for expenses OF
uperintendenes during the period Of |
construction; to these expenses OF lock
construction must be added the other /
items of expenditure enumerated
above. Very respectfully, |
BOARD OF STATE ENGINEERS,
Per ARsENE PERRILIAT,
Assistant State Engineer.
Following the reading, a. FL. Gay.
with T. J. Sellers seconding him, Of
fsred resolution TO the effect that the
bid be rejected, as being excessive
and double the cost estimated By the