Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-05-25
BIDS WILL CLOSE TO-DAY
ON WATER SYSTEM TO BE CON.
sTRUcTED FOR THE VILLAGE.
What the Specifications Require and
Items That Are Not Covered-Mr.
Crowell's Attitude Stated by Counsel
Distributing Systems Compared.

Items That Arc NOT CoVefeu-hf
crowell's Attitude Stated by Counsel
Distributing Systems Compared.
The time for making bids ON the wa
ter system which the water board in
tends to install for the village of Brat
tleboro expires this afternoon at 4
o clock. Until then sealed proposals
for furnishing material and doing the
work required in the specifications will
be received at the Office of James +,
Hooker. After that time the matter OF
awarding the contract will be IN the
hands of the construction committee
of the water board. just how many
bids will be received is, of course, a
matter of conjecture but appearances
indicate that the number will be large.
Representatives of eight or 10 contract
ing firms and numerous valve, pipe and
hydrant concerns were in Brattleboro
Monday and Tuesday for the purpose
of going over the proposed site of the
new system in company with Engineer
A. II. Towne of Springfield, Mass, who
is acting in behalf of the water board.
These representatives were taken to
the site. of the proposed reservoir on
Halliday brook and then driven about
the village to give them an idea of the
area covered by the distributing sys-
| tenn. They were also shown the detailed
specifications. Among those who Will
probably make bids on the work are
Crosby & Parker, who are installing the
present Sunset Lake system, and ID. L.
Perry of this town.
The water board has no idea how
long a time will be necessary to award
the contract, but it is probable that at
least a week or ten days will elapse
before the decision can be made pub
| lie. As soon as the contract is award
ed the board expects that work ON the
new system viii begin without delay.
James f. Hooker, who is acting in be-
| half of the board in the matter of ne
gvtmting bond issue, says that the
bonds ire practically fioated, the only
question now being the rate Of interest,
1t has been expected all along that
opposition to the water boards action
would develop when the work OF con-
s:ructing new system actually began
and that legal obstacles would be placed
IN is way by the owners Of the Chest
nut Hill and Sunset Lake companies.
In an interview with Clarke G. Fits,
counsel for George 4. Crowell, in re-
gard to this matter the former said
Yesterday: "Mr. Crowell has nothing to
do with what the gentlemen of the wa
ter board are doing. These gentlemen
are responsible individually for what
ever they do. 1t is none of our concern
what contracts they make. OF course
the village is not bound by them and
cannot be. Whenever any action is
taken by the village or its officers that
Injuries the legal rights of Mr. Crowell
he will do the same as anybody would
do--protect himself in any way he can
and there is no question that the
courts will give him ample protection. y
| Mr.. Fits no doubt bases this state
ment on the contention he made at the
special meeting in January that the
vote at that time was illegal for a num-
Der of reasons, as well as on the ground
that the board has no equitable right
to destroy the value of Mr.. Crowell s
property in this way
One thing which may have tendency
! to delay the construction of a reservoir
on Halliday brook is that the specifi'
cations require the throwing-up of a
portion of the highway known as the
Halliday road. This highway is a
county road laid out by court s com
mission in 1866 and under Section 1919
of the Vermont statutes such road
cannot be altered or discontinued ex-
cept by order of county court through
commission.
Although the specifications submitted
to the contractors by the water board
have been made public, little idea can
be gained from them as to what the
village, will be obliged to pay for a
completed system. The contract is very
carefully drawn but does not, of course,
cover the water damages, which were
estimated by the village engineers last
summer at about $44,0O0 in case the
present plan of the water board should
be carried out. Another expense which
does not figure in the specifications is
that relative to protecting the reservoir
and its watershed from pollution, and
vet another is the cost of purifying the
water in case the board of health should
| REQUIRE this to be done. Nor is there
any provision that the contractor pay
| for rights of way in laying the pipe
from the reservoir site to the village.
Contractors are required to make
their bids in two forms, one on the
basis Of cash payment and the Other
on the basis of part payment in cash
and part in bonds of the company. Ac
cording to the form of bids submitted
by the water board contractors will
receive payment for rock work at SC
much cubic yard in addition to the
regular contract price, and if it shoulo
develop, as some people predict, that
large quantities Of rock are found this
item alone would mount up to severa
thousand dollars.
One of the contractors here to bic
estimated that the proposed village sys
tenn with a complete distributing sys
tenn would cost, including water ant
land damage, nearly twice as much al
what is required in the proposed con
tract. This estimate may be exagger
ated although it is fair to figure many
thousand dollars in excess of the con
tract price when estimating the tota
cost Of an adequate system. The wa
ter board thinks, however, that the diff
ference between the contract price ant
the amount which it is authorized t.
spend will be more than enough II
cover the additional work.
In addition TO 16 inch main from
the intake reservoir to the junction o.
High and Green streets the contrac
calls for furnishing and laying pip
throughout the village in the following
plan: A 6 inch pipe from the mail
down Crosby street through the Swed
ish settlement to the Brook road an
thence to the junction of Elliot an