The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-17
JOB TAKEN FROM
THE CONTRACTOR
Board of Works to Meet With
City Engineer and Mayor
to Discuss Steps.
WOOD PIPE STILL LEAKS
CAMPBELL WRITES A LETTER
AND ANSWERS QUESTIONS.

he city board OF WORKS last evening
took over from the contractor the com
pletion of the wood stave pipe line for
the inteTcepting sewer. The two DAYS
for which notice had been given had
elapsed ana the leaks had not been
stopped, so the board moved as the
city council had ordered in the matter
The board will meet with the city engi-
neer and mayor at O'Clock this morn
ing 10 consider just what further steps
viii be taken.
The resolution, as moved by G. d.
ROOkiidge. providing for taking over
the pipe, included the reinforcement OF
the pipe under the railway tracks and
the placing I'M the pipe of air vents at
distances of fifty yards. seven in ali.
1t was limited in the discussion that the
specifications drawn by the city engi-
neer for the work were not altogether
perfect, but the waving Of the big stick
by the mayor had not been without ef-
feet. and little was said TO provoke any
further trouble.
new phase Of the trouble was
opened by a. Campbell. president Of
the Campbell Building company, who
ROW asserts that it was the running %
the pipes internationally that has pre-
vented The putting Of them in repair
lie sent the following letter to the
board and was present in person to
back 1t up. The letter reads:
The Letter.
To the Members Of the Board Of Pub
lie Works.
"Gentlemer-We are i'm receipt OF
your letter Of the 18th instant relating
10 our contract Tor the construction of
the wooden stave outlet pipe. In reply
we have TO say that we performed the
work strictly in accordance with the
specifications under the direction OF
ecompetent city inspectors. When the
pumps were started in January the
wooden pine was practically free of
leaks. A short time after the pumps
were started leaks began to show and
we spent q great deal Of time and mon
e. I'm our endeaVor 20 make the pipe
watertight without success. We then
consulted q practical and competent
hydraulic engineer. who informed Us
that the whole TT dble was caused by
Intermittent pump ug. and that Us long
as the pumps wee run Internationally
il would be impossible to have a wood
en- stave pipe without leaks. in fact,
we are informed that if intermittent
pumping is continued the pipe viii be
unfit for practical use i'm a short time
Regarding the break under the
tracks. We. at the order Of the chief
inspector. uncovered the pipe where the
pipe was flattened down. so that by &C
tual measurement it was three inches
wider than its height. caused by the In
Cessaut pounding Of the trains passing
over it.
"ff che pipe is reinforced under the
r. 'lNay tracks and the pumping is car
ried on continuously We can use
method that viii make it wate-tight in
two weeks time. Ii has been suggest
los
effect of relieving the various pressures
caused by intermittent pumping. Re
speCtfuiIy.
s'CAMPBELL BUILDING COMPANY.
a. Campbell. President.
Campbeil's Answers,
There was much matter for contro-
Versy in this. but none of the members
seemed To care to provoke il. W 7.
Halloran asked Mr.. Campbell if the
leaks had been stopped.
Mr.. Campbell adm tied that they
were not. but i'm support of his COnten-
ton said he had consulted engineers Of
the Telluride Power company. paTticu-
larry a Nj. Woodhouse. VINO had ad-
vised him that the leaks could not be
closed while the pumps were running
at intervals.
DO you claim that YOU have COM
pleted the contract" asked Mr.. Hal
loran.
Il do" replied Mr.. Campbell.
II. &. Mcmillan. chairman. said that
Councilman J. D. Murdoch held the
same opinion as the eng nsers Campbell
had consulted. He had. indeed, ex-
pressed surprise that the pipes had
stood SO long. He believed that il WAS
nece ssary to at once reinforce Lne pipes
under the tracks and TO place air vents
at every fifty yards of the pipe
c. d. Rooklidge then moved that the
board take the work from the contract
or and complete IT, reinforcing the pipe
under the tracks and putting in the
needed air vents. This passed. though
some of the members thought It ought
10 be modified to merely take over the
pine.
Mr.. Campbell told the board that ne
had three shifts Of men there keeping
his pumps going and wanted to know
II he should take them of. He was
told To keep the pumps going. and. as
this was extra work. he would be paid
Tor il.
Remember" said Mr. Campbell
that this pipe is on top Of quicksand."
I believe the fact that the ouicksand
is the~e Is al that has saved the pine