196 The Philippine Journal of Science 1913 



on the celebration."^ Operations now commenced in earnest, 

 and advertisements were published in the official gazette, asking 

 for bids for construction. The contract was let in sections. 

 The only bidder for the building of the filtration chambers at the 

 Deposito, of the inverted siphon, and for laying the pipe line 

 from the watershed to the Deposito and thence to the distrib- 

 uting point in Sampaloc was Pablo Falcon, the amounts being, 

 respectively, 10,718.50, 3,874, 7,708, and 6,447 pesos. There 

 had originally been another bidder for the filtration chambers, 

 Fermin Castella, whose bid, 9,030.40 pesos, was accepted by the 

 municipal board. When, however, it was discovered that Cas- 

 tella already held a contract for street cleaning, after consulta- 

 tion with the city attorney, it was decided to reopen the bids on 

 July 10, 1878. On the second occasion only Falcon answered 

 the official advertisement. The contract for the construction of 

 the machinery building and of the sheds for coal and-stores 

 was secured on June 4 by Mariano Rivera."" The representa- 

 tive of both contractors was Antonio de Ulloa."^ All contracts 

 were paid in monthly installments, as aliquot portions of the 

 work were completed."^ 



Palacios received a monthly sum for clerical help, salaries, 

 and incidental expenses, varying from 2,000 pesos in the early 

 months of 1878 to 20,000 pesos in March, 1882, the month before 

 the inauguration of the new system."^ His own salary was at 

 first fixed at 6,000 pesos (March 1, 1879) . Less than a year later 

 it was raised to 9,000 pesos (October 1, 1879). His assistant 

 engineers, Felipe Jove y Padrol and Sebastian Vara y Saez, who 

 were his own nominees, received at first 2,600, then 3,200, and 

 finally 4,000 pesos. There were also two foremen of works at 

 600 pesos each. The machinery was bought in Paris through 



"'Actas de Manila (1878), 15-16, 19-20. 



""Mas y Otzet, Carriedo y sus obras (1882), 56-68. Liquidacion de las 

 obras ejecutadas por contrata en la galeria filtrante y esplanaciones para 

 establecer el tubo ascensional de las maquinas elevatorias de abastecimiento 

 de aguas potables a Manila (April 14, 1885); Actas de Manila (1878), 

 87-90, 100-102; (1897), 28; obras parciales del proyecto para el abas- 

 tecimiento de aguas potables a Manila (Pliego de condiciones) (1878), 

 41-49. 



''"Actas de Manila (1878), 108-109. 



""'Ibid. (1878), 94-97. 



"' Cuentas de Carriedo (1878-83). Cf. Liquidacion de obras ejecutadas 

 en el abastecimiento de aguas potables a Manila. Memoria, pianos, va- 

 loracion (1885). These documents are a valuable asset for the history of 

 Spanish engineering in the Philippines, as they give not only the wage 

 list but also the cost of each work unit. 



