Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-08

Continued from Sixth Page.

menf was used when they started but
the cement was mixed after they had
worked little ways. This he judged
from the appearance of the cement
and the way it worked. That both
bank sand and river sand was used.
That the foundation was all right as
far as he knew.
Gentlemen:-The undersigned, hav-
ng been employed by your honorable
body to make a thorough and careful
Inspection and examination of the
Twenty-fourth street, Ninth avenue
and Twenty-fifth street storm drain.
recently constructed i'm the city of
Rock Island, beg to submit the follow
ing report of same:
Present Condition of Storm Drain.
Beginning at the outlet of the storm
drain, at the. Mississippi river. and ex-
tending for a distance of 50 feet, the
top of the inside ring of the storm
drain shows an opening of the joint
near the centre or top of said ring,
said crack or opening running length
wise with the storm drain.
b ginning at the manhole near Fifth
and-a-halfth avenue and running some
60 feet north, is another similar OPEN
ing or crack, near the top center of the
inner ring of the storm drain.
The third and last opening or crack
in the top centre of the inner ring of
the storm drain, begins at a point sc
feet east of the manhole on Ninth ave-
nue., and runs toward the upper end of
storm drain to a point about 100 feet
below the inlet of said storm drain.
At a point on the above described Sec
ton, about 1G0 feet from the manhole
on Ninth avenue, is found a break or
rupture in the walls, and is of most
dangerous character, nearly amounting
to a failure or falling in of the top wall
of the storm drain.
At this place the top of the arch has
dropped, or settled down, some inch
eS from n true circle on the inside of
storm drain and on the outside of
storm drain the south wall has opened
some g or inches near the springing
line. Many of the brick are loose. and
the storm drain liable to collapse ut
any moment.
The remaining portion of the storm
drain (being that part not included in
the above places alluded toy shows no
sign of opening, settling or cracking
at any point.
The grade and alignment of the
storm drain, and the location of the
generally complied with, as shown on
the profile of the storm drain.
Several of the pipe connections how
ever, leading from the catch basins to
storm drain and passing through the
walls of same, have not been properly
cemented and sealed up at their june
ton with the inner ring of the storm
drain, around the pipe.
The grade of brick used in the con-
struction of the inner ring of the
storm drain, from outlet to inlet, runs
from good, hard, burned brick. down
to a medium soft brick, the latter class
constituting about 80 per cent of the
brick used i'm the construction of the in
ner ring of the storm drain. No ac-
curate estimate can be made of the
quality of brick used in the construc-
ton of the outside ring of the storm
drain. owing to its being covered, and
not accessible at this time.
The cement mortar used in the con-
structiOn of the brick work of the in
ner ring, from the outlet of the storm
drain, up to the manhole on Ninth ave-
nue., in my judgment, is made up of
the average American Portland cement,
mixed to some extent, with some cheap
er hydraulic cement. From the outlet
of storm drain up to Fifth avenue, the
cement mortar seems richer in Ameri-
can Portland cement than from Fifth
avenue up to the manhole on Ninth av-
enue, where more of the cheaper NV
drauiic cement was evidently used in
the cement mortar.
From the manhole on Ninth avenue
to the upper end of storm drain the ce-
ment mortar shows less strength and
hardness, and is poorer mixture.
In my trip of inspection through the
storm drain from the outlet to Fifth
avenue. l found in many places where
the joints between the brick, that
form the sides and top of the inner
ring of the storm drain, were not suffi-
ciently well filled inside with cement
to insure a good bond the entire width
of the brick
From Fifth avenue to upper end Tor
inlet of storm drain) l found only a
few of the above mentioned places,
most of the joints being well filed,
more cement having been used on this
section of the work.
In regard to the other minor details
called for in the specifications, such as
lowering the water mains, re-connect-
ing the service pipes to same, lowering
and laying sewer pipe, with their nee
cssary connections, met with in the
construction of the storm drain. ! can
have but little to say, as the work of
digging out the same for inspection
would take time, and be expensive, in
comparison to their cost.
The quality of the brick used in the
catch basins runs about the same rs
that used in the construction of the
storm drain.