ms, scaffolding, etc., were
designed by the writer, who was also in immediate charge of the
erection.

Tenders received for the construction of the tower covered an extremely
wide range, and indicated at once the utter lack of knowledge on the
part of the bidders of the cost of a structure of this kind. Inasmuch as
none of them had had previous experience in this class of construction,
the engineer deemed it the part of wisdom and economy to retain the
construction under his immediate supervision, and, therefore, the work
was done by days' labor.

Table 1 gives the cost of the structure. The total herein given will not
coincide with the total cost as shown by the city's books, for the
reason that various items not properly chargeable to the structure
itself have been omitted, the principal ones of which are the cost of
the site, the laying of about 600 ft. of sewer pipe to connect with the
overflow, and considerable expense incident to the construction of a
wagon road to the tower.

The rates of wages paid, all being on a basis of an 8-hour day, were as
follows:

Common labor $2.25 and $2.50
Carpenter 4.00
Carpenter's helper 2.75
Boiler-maker 3.50
Holders on 2.50
Boiler-maker foreman 5.00
Plasterers 6.00
Plasterers' helpers 3.00

The cost of material was as follows:

Cement, per barrel $2.53
Sand, per yard 1.47
Rock, per yard 0.80
Lumber, per 1,000 ft. b. m. 14.00 and 16.00

All these prices are for material delivered on the work.

An examination of the cost data, as given, will show that for the most
part the unit costs are very high. This is due chiefly to the continued
interruption of the work, during its later stages, owing to bad weather,
particularly in the case of the erection of the steel tank. The material
cost in this case was also exceedingly high.

In the case of the concreting, inability to purchase a hoist and motor
and the high cost of renting the same, together with the delays
mentioned, added greatly to the unit cost.

When it is considered that the cost of plastering covers that of four
coats over the entire inside of the tank and three more over about
one-third of it, it does not appear so high, especially in view of the
high rate