The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-15
Board of Works Accepts Bid
Of Stirling Company-Tot-
al Cost, Including Installa-
ton Will be $13,O19.
2ND CONTRACT ON
BIG IMPROVEMENTS
Other Meetings Are Schedu-
led for Next Week.-Mrs.
of Various Companies Be-
ing Closely Scrutinized.

On the recommendation of Engineer
Howard Gluys of the Municipal Light
Plant, the board of works this morn
ing decided to allow the contract for
the boilers for the light plant addition
to the Stirling Boiler company. A
clause was inserted in the motion that
the bid of the Stirling company be
accepted, providing that the boilers
and equipment are as specified. Mr..
Baker, representative of the Stirling
company was present at the meeting
and signified his willingness to COM
ply with any reasonable demands that
may be made by the light plant Off
cials. The total cost Of all the improve
ments will be about $4,000.
The total cost of the boilers install
was the lowest and the most satisfac-
tory of the three bids presented in
every way. The specifications allow
the largest amount of space and the
boilers will have more square feet of
heating space than the other bids al
low. The actual figures of the bid pre-
sented by the Keelor Boiler company
were lower than the Stirling bid but
was found to be fifty horsepower short
Of the specifications.
Figures Deceptive.
City officials and Engineer Howard
Gluys said that the figures presented
in the bids were very deceptive at
first examination. The lowest bid pre-
.sented would require an additional six
feet of room on the building and al
though the bid was $500 lower than
others it was found that it would be
the most expensive when the cost Of
the extra building is considered.
The arches which will be built in
connection with the stokers and boil
ers are specified in both the stoker
and boiler bids which were let The
representative Of the Stirling Boiler
company stated this morning that he
would deduct the cost of the arches
from the bid if the board decided to
let the stoker company build the ar
ches. The board decided to confer with
the Jones Underfeed Stoker company,
to which the stoker contract was al
lowed and ascertain which would be
most reasonable to the city.
Tuesday was the day set to meet
the representatives from the various
companies which placed bids to erect
the new stack The board met for this
purpose Thursday but wrangling of
the competing representatives pre-
toI oEr
ter. Several Of the companies have
brought samples of the material they
will use if the contract is given them.
The specifications call for a chimney
175 feet high and having a minimum
diameter of 10 feet.
Engine and Generator.
The board will meet with the rep
resentatives of the engine and genera.
tor companies Wednesday. A squabble
is expected over the letting of the
contracts but the members of the
board state that they will not be in.
fluenced by any threats or attempts
by any Of the men to whip the board
into their way of thinking" After the
attempt Of R. c. Steuve of the Allis
Chalmers company and c. r. Gilliland
of the Westinghouse company to force
the board to accept their bids. it will
be necessary to go over each bid care.
fully.
''It will not pay us to buy poor equip.
ment because it is cheaper" stated
. Nimrod Johnson, superintendent of the
light plant. I'VE can rot afford to take
any risk in purchasing machinery with
which we cannot give the people OF
Richmond the good service which they
have been receiving in the past" he
said.