The San Francisco call., 1896-07-22
NEED NOT USE
THE RATHER TEST
Richmond Streets May Be
Macadamized With
Red Rock.
THE OWNERS SATISFIED
Supervisors as a Committee of
the Whole Take De.
cided Action.
MANY QUARRIES CAN BE USED
A Motion to Use Red Rock for Side
walk Foundations Voted
Down.
MANY QUARRIEs CAN BE USED

The Board OF Supervisors, sitting as a
committee of the whole, spent several
hours yesterday listening to arguments
for and against the use of the rattler test
in the selection OF rock for street work.
A large delegation of property-owners
from the Richmond district was present to
urge the abolition of the test, because they
wish to use the red rock found in the
vicinity. This rock will not stand the
rattler test. Attorney Van Duzer,
representing the property owners,
urged that the test was not a
fair one, because the residents of
Richmond were compelled to buy blue
rock, which was expensive, because it was
brought from long distance, when good
red rock was to be found right on the
ground. Colonel Mendel, formerly Gov
eminent engineer, stated that he had used
blue rock in the foundations for the big
guns at the Presidio. He considered it
better than red rock, though he admitted
that some red rock might be good.
Superintendent of Streets Frodden of
Alameda was in favor of blue rock. He
had seen both kinds used in the streets of
Alameda. and in every instance the blue
rock was the most durable. Red rock top
dressing was generally washed away by
the winter rains.
Joseph Scheerer, an advocate of red
rock and the owner of quarry, produced
some samples that he claimed were as
good as any blue rock. He claims that
the people of the Richmond district would
actually be Impoverished if they were
compelled to use blue rock.
Colonel Newberry was opposed to the
rattler test, claiming that an inspection
was far better method of determining
the value of the various rocks.
Engineer Humphreys, who is employed
by the Government at the Presidio, ex-
pressed preference for blue rock and the
rattler test.
Attorney G.. B. Lukens, representing
the Cushing Wetmore Company, addressed
the committee on the subject of rock for
street work and advocated strongly the
rattler test in selecting rock. He con-
tended that the qualities necessary for
rock for street work were tenacity and
hardness, and that the rattler was the only
method of finding out these attributes.
He read a letter from G. T. Allardt a
civil engineer, stating that blue or gray
hap rock was by far the best material for
building streets and roadways.
President Sullivan of the Federated I'm
provement Clubs spoke against red rock
After listening to an extended closing
argument from Attorney Van Duzer, in
which the latter begged the committee to
consider the poor people who would be
benefited if they were permitted to use
red rock in the improvements of their
streets, the com mmittee went into executive
session.
After considering the matter at some
length it was decided that the residents of
the outlying districts were entitled to
some consideration and that a distinct
concession should be made them. Super
visor Spreckels moved that the district
west of Central avenue, from Geary street
to the southerly line of California street,
and in the Richmond District, also the
Sunset District, west of Stanyan street, be
exempt from the necessity of using the
rattler test for rock to be used for ma
cadam. The motion was carried unani-
mously. This will permit the use of the
red rock of the outlying districts for paw
ing of the streets in that section. The
regulations for sidewalk and bituminous
paving remain the same as before.
A motion by Supervisor King to elm
mate the rattler test on rock to be used for
sidewalk foundations all over the City was
lost.