The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-14
EXPERTS OF THE STATE,
Professors SouIe and Marx at
Work on the Foun-
dalton.
THOROUGH TEST TO BE MADE.
An investigation by Practical Men.
Holmes and the Grand
Jury.

Another investigation of the work done
in the ferry foundations was commenced
Yesterday. Frank Soule, professor of civil
engineering and astronomy at the BerKe-
ley University, and Charles d. Marx, pro-
fessor of civil engineering at Stanford Col
lege, were engaged by the Harbor Com
missioners last week as experts on the
work, and they have lost no time In
entering upon their labors. The two gen.
tlemen met President Colnon and Engi-
neer Holmes of the board yesterday morn
ing in the commissioners rooms and were
in conference with them for nearly two
hours.
Mr.. Holmes submitted plans of the
foundation and supplied the engineers
with all the data in his possession regard
ing the nature of the material through
which the piles were driven. He ex-
planned that there was no bottom to the
mud at the foot of Market street and. in
fact, nowhere on the water front except at
the hay wharf at Third and Berry streets.
The piles driven beneath the foundation,
Mr.. Holmes said, hung on by "skin fric-
ton" but, he added, in no place along the
city front had there ever been settlement
of piles where the logs had been driven in
bottomless mud.
The university engineers will study the
plans and data to-day, and will begin the
practical work of their investigation to-
morrow. What their plans are they are
keeping to themselves.
"These gentlemen are considered the
highest authority in the State,' said Mr..
Colnon, land the result of their work will
be most satisfactory to the people, That
their examination of the concrete will be
thorough one | am satisfied As to the
piles which have been driven underneath
the piers, there is no way of ascertaining
whether the required number are there
or whether the piles are of the proper di-
mansions. Each pier rests on cluster of
piles, and in some OF the clusters the
specifications call for sixty piles. 1t is
hardly possible to reach this piling now,
as it is far below the mud line But the
investigation will be prosecuted on the
assumption that the piles have been prop
erly driven.
THAT work was done in full view of the
public, and under the eyes of the board
and its deputies, and if there was anything
wrong with it it would have been de-
tected. The Commissioners will base
their future action upon the investigation
of the professors. We have had nothing
to do with any other investigation, and
only knew of such from what we have read
in the newspapers"
Engineer holmes SdlQ IndI the experts
could easily determine whether the proper
number of piles had been driven.
1.-THE specifications called for so many
piles said the engineer, land the amount
of concrete to be put on them was based
on the weight they would stand. If there
are less or more piles driven than required
the piers would show it in settling. / ex-
planned to Messrs. Soule and Marx that
there was no bottom to the mud under the
foundation, and said the case was the same
all along the front.
II told them further that the piles under
all the wharves would show that there
never had been a settlement where there
was no bottom. The only place where
there ever was settlement was at the hay
wharf, where there is a bottom, but in that
case the piles had not been driven to hard
pan. The Chief Wharhnger has instruc-
tions to allow strain of ten tons to the
pile on every wharf, and it was on this test
that Architect Brown based his estimate OF
the depot building and foundation.
The hearing for which Engineer Holmes
has asked before the Grand Jury will be
commenced early this week.