Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1898 [PAGE 194]

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194

UNIVEESITY OF ILLINOIS.

[Sept. 2 1 ,

within the customary fee of five per cent, of cost. As soon as it was possible to have plans and specifications made for the different parts of the work bids for the construction of the same were called for. Different parts of the wo'rk were contracted for and the work is now in process of construction with the expectation of having it entirely completed by the first of December, 1897. Your committee is very much pleased with the general plan of the plant and believes that when it is completed it will be the best and finest plant of the kind in the United States. It has been the constant effort of the committee to keep within the amount of appropriation, $80,000.00, as made by the legislature, and we believe that we shall be able to do so very nearly, if not entirely. The committee has felt some embarrassment, however, in making different contracts for the different, parts of the work, in that only one-half of the appropriation is available at the present time and that the second half will not be available'until July 1, 1898. On the assurance of the President of the Board and of the Finance Committee that arrangements can be made for the latter half of the appropriation, your committee has made contracts exceeding the amount of money now on hand and will continue to do so unless otherwise ordered. We trust that there will be no further embarrassment on that account. Tunnels—Bids for the construction of the south side tunnels were received on June 29th and opened The following were the bids:

S H. Garrison, U r b a n a J o h n B. Bennett, U r b a n a Horace Lrwin, Springfield Flick & J o h n s o n Construction Co., Davenport, Iowa Caleb & Couture, Bridgeport. Ohio $8,875 00 7,937 30 8,839 00 9, tiOO 00 13,990 00

The contract was awarded to John B. Bennett, of Urbana, after reducing his bid a small amount by substituting for the brand of cement specified a different brand, which, in the opinion of Professor Talbot, after experiment, was equally as good. Mr. Bennett undertook the work at once and has finished it very satisfactorily. The work was generally completed in the time stipulated in the contract. A part was left undone in order that the piping might more easily be placed in the tunnels. This has been done and the work is now fully completed. I Piping in the South Tunnels—As as possible after the tunnel contract was under way bids were called for for the steam piping to be placed in the tunnels-, Five bids were received for that work as follows:

Robinson & B u r r , Champaign, 111 H u b b a r d & Sons, Urbana, 111 Carson & Co., Chicago. Ill L. EJ. Prentice & Co., Chicago, 111 S a m u e l I. Pope. Chicago, 111 $1,450 1,914 1,590 2,390 2,179 00 00 00 00 00

,

The work was given to Robinson & Burr at their proposal, $1,450.00, and the work was pushed forward to completion as rapidly as possible. There was a delay for a short time on account of the difficulty under which the iron piping was obtained, but the work is now done and ready for service. Pipe Covering in Tunnels—Two bids were received for pipe coverings in tunnels, one from H. W. Johns Manufacturing Co., of,Chicago,, for>asbestos covering, varying from $1,200.00 to $1,600.00, according to quality, and one from Walch and Wyeth Co., Chicago, for magnesia coverings, varying from $1,250.00 to $1,730.00, according to quality. After looking into the merits of different materials it was thought best to award the contract to Walch & Wyeth, putting a first grade covering on the supply steam pipes and a second grade covering on the return pipes. This we succeeded in doing for $1,500.00 and entered into contract for that amount. The dampness that is unavoidable in tunnels of this character makes the magnesia covering very superior on that account to asbestos.