The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-29
TRUST AMONG
MANUFACTURERS
OF WOOD BLOCK?
Is the Opinion of Members of
Paving Commission = Con-
tracts For 1000 Feet of
Sewer in State Street

Much to the disappointmen of those
interested in having the paving OF
State street ordered at once the paw
ing and sewer commission made no
reference to this matter last night even
after the special committee had made
its report in regard to the sewers for
this street west of Park avenue. In
stead the commission did practically
nothing in the way Of new business
aside from awarding the contract for
1900 feet of sewer on State street be-
tween Broad street and Park avenue
and voted for bids called for in the
matter of building sewers on Taft and
North avenues, as ordered by the COM
mon council, and for HSe labor Of paw
ing that section of Washington avenue
bounded by Harrison, Congress and
Pequonnock streets.
Still 1t discussed thoroughly the SUBJ
ject of wood blocks and what was the
best block obtainable on the market
for the least money. This is in the
nature of preparing for the work of
laying many thousand yards of this
pavement on the streets this coming
summer.
The impression seemed to prevail
among the mem bers of the commission
that the different manufacturers OF
wood block pavement were in trust
and that having cornered the market
they proposed to make the price all
the traffic would bear. In order to
get around this condition and learn
what are really the most desirable
blocks on the market the commission
instructed Secretary RZrnard Heating
to send to the leading five manufac-
turers for IL samples from each. When
those arrive they will be tested by the
New Haven roads chemist at New
Haven, Superintendent G. Fl. Chapman
having gladly granted the request of
the committee to aid them in this mat
ter.
Four bids in all were received for
the construction of 1900 feet of sewer
in State street between Broad street
and Fairfield avenue, to be of tile,
14x21. They were as follows:
Pierce Manufacturing Co, 1888 per
linear foot; Burns and Co., $2.36 per
linear foot; Sreuki and Puckhafer,
$5.29 per linear foot; B. D. Pierce, Jr.,
Co., 1921 per linear foot. The con-
tract was awarded to the B. D. Pierce,
Jr., Co., as the lowest bidders. Thomas
DeForest, representing the company,
said he did not think the work could
be done in 40 days because of the fact
a greater part of the trench would
have to be sheathed in order to pre-
vent it caving in as the Street had been
dug over many times.
Peculiar Situation.
Reporting for the special committee
on the sewers on State street west OF
Park avenue, Frederick AtTdter said
the committee had been over the
ground several times, finding the stu
alton a very peculiar one. They were
not prepared to make any definite
recommendations for these Sewers a.
this time, but were in the
case Of the surface sewer running
down Iranistan avenue, they having
followed this sewer to it's mouth,
which they found was under water at
high tide. There was a dead end to
the sewer south of State street and
they recommended that it be extend
ed north of State street so as to take
the water from the sewer wells at this
corner, as this plan would materially
improve things there.
This plan was accepted and the
recommendations ordered carried out,
City Engineer NJ. F. McKenna being
instructed to prepare plans for extend
ing the sewer as recommende1.
The commission also voted to have
bids called for in regard to the con-
struction of 700 feet of sewer IN Taft
avenue and for a short distance on
North avenue west of Norman street,
in accordance with the vote of the
common council last Monday night.
! To Ask for Bids.
City Engineer McKenna has pre-
pared the plans for this work and it is
hoped to have the bids in hand by next
night, when Ln0 COMMISSION
can open them and award the con-
tracts.
When the matter of paving that
portion of Washington avenue between
Harrison, Congress and Pequonnock
streets, amounting to some 500 yards,
was brought up, Director of Public
Works NJ. A. Kenny stated that the
city had enough wood block at the
city yard for this work, so that all
that was required was the labor of lay
ing the block and making the founda-
tons, so the commission voted to have
bids advertised for on this basis The
Connecticut Co. readily agreed through
Superintendent Chapman to do its part
of the work here.
Chairman M. HI. Rogers was in
structed by the board to go over the
East Washington avenue brick pave
ment and decide what portion should
be repaired, City Engineer McKenna
submitting map showing what in his
opinion these portions were.
When the commission adjourned il
did so to meet again Friday evening.
in the expectation that the bids called
for on work will be ready to be opened
then.