The daily sentinel., 1906-07-19
SUPT. VEDDER TALKS
Some Interesting Facts Concerning
the Proposed Moutain Water
System-Cost of the Pipe
Line and Other
Portions.

10 Ialk aOne SlueQ anu NuD mas HOl
stopped at Misrepresentation that
a great graft was to be perpetrated
upon the citizens of Grand Junction
if the mountain water proposition
carried, in the purchase of pipe fol
the line, stating that an eXorbitant
price to be paid for the pipe, way
out of comparison with the prices
paid in other cities of the west for
the same kind of pipe. He has al
/ so been talking promiscously about
other phases of the proposition but
his statements have been in the main
made up of wild and false asser-
tions. denunciations of the council
as a set of grafters. and noticeably
free from any complete statement OF
facts.
This morning the Sentinel man
! had quite a lengthy interview with
Water Superintendent Vedder. who,
by the way. has had his position in
the matter somewhat misrepresented
/ by those who are carrying out this
noiicy of misrepresentation and Mr..
Vedder does not like to be pulled
into the limelight as knocker
against the mountain water propo-
sition.
Mr.. Vedder had much to say that
is interesting regarding the proposed
cost of the pipe to be purchased for
the system.
Coles has all along made one of
his strong points the assertion that
the same pipe that has been priced
to the council could be purchased for
considerably less than the price nam-
ed in the estimate.
The matter was fully explained and
the weakness of the position taken by
Coles in the matter fully revealed, in
an article in the Daily Sentinel on
July 2, but Superintendent Vedder's
statement regarding the matter
would not be out of place at this
time. Mr.. Vedder said this morn
ing:
when Alderman O'Boyle and my
self were over to Greeley making an
investigation of the mountain water
system that that town is building |
asked to see the original contract and
made notes as to the cost of the pipe
line. etc, for my own benefit and for
the benefit of our council If they saw
fit to use it. The same make of pipe
that was used at Greeley has been
offered the council at $2.10 per foot.
Now the pipe at Greeley cost them
Sill cents per foot. 8 cents per foot
for trenching, cents for back fill
ing and 5 cents for rock total of
SIPS per foot Now | thought at
first that the price made the local
council was way too high but after
had a talk with the gentleman rep
resenting the pipe company differ
ent light was put on the matter. At
Greeley the pipe is not laid at a
heavy fall, that is II runs TO a large
extent on level ground, only a few
thousand feet of heavy pipe was us
81 kA sf Isat 10
covered with lighter pipe. 1t was
shown me by the representatives of
the pipe company. and they talked
straight with figures from other cit
les to back them up. that the cost
of pipe is determined to a great eX-
tent, if not almost entirely, by the
amount of pressure 1t has to bear.
Eor- th mountain wa toi--rJfstona- of
Grand Junction the pipe must be
built for very heavy pressure.
pressure that will be nearly one hun
dred pounds to the square inch heav-
ier than at Greeley. The pipe here
will not run on level like at Gree
ley. To sustain such a pressure the
slaves of the pipes must be made
heavier and the steel bands must be
closer together. OF course heavier
STAYED and closer banded pipe is
bound to cost more than pipe OF
lighter build than that at Greeley,
and in this manner the higher price
made to the Grand Junction council
was explained to me and the explain
alton is very reasonable"
Mr.. Vedder's explanation should
easily satisfy the people who are hon
estly afraid that the council is be-
ing stuck on the pipe proposition.
The same kind of pipe that Is un-
der consideration for use in the Grand
Junction system sold in Seattle,
Washington on 100000 contract
for $2.65 per foot, there, as will be
necessary in the local system, an
extraordinary high pressure pipe was
necessary calling for heavy slaves
and closely placed steel bands. Any
one that knows anything about water
pipes Will understand thatthe strong
er pipe is bound to come at a con-
siderably higher price.
Mr.. Vedder stated that the esti-
mates of Engineer Mitchell showed
that 104,200 feet of pipe, covering
the distance 20 miles of the propos-
ed system will be necessary. This
at s2.1O per foot would make an ag-
gregate cost of $21S,S30.
From Mr.. Vedder. there was Sc
cured some highly interesting figures
furnished the council at an open
meeting by Engineer Mitchell in his
report on the estimated cost of the
construction of the proposed system.
The cost of the various sections of
the proposed system were estimated
as follows by the engineer:
Pipe 49,. -. 49,. .$21S.S2O.
Construction of intake 1000
RESERVOIRS oO,OOO
Connecting Reservoirs. 1000
Telephone Line ....... coo
Trestles ....-..... z,OOO
Cost of Water ....... $4,000
Total Estimate .$302, 420
The city council askes that the peo-
pie of Grand Junction approve of the
Issuance of 900 in bonds to COW
er the cost of this system.
The city attorney and some of his
friends are openly making the dec
laTation the 100000 bond issue
would only build the system and not
furnish the water. that Grand juno
tion would have a water system with
out water or any idea as to what the
water would cost or how much could
be secured.
Speaking of the fact that many
people have no idea what one hun