The herald., 1897-03-24
Afternoon Session


ing of testimony was resumed.
| Chemist Wade was sworn and testifie'
! that he was chemist of nine years ex
| perience in this city besides five or si
| years in the east. He had made an anal
ysis of sample of the asphalt used II
| the Main street pavement, and foun'
! the constituent parts. He did not pre-
| tend to be an expert on practical stree
! paving; he was a chemist and knew
| how to make analyses perhaps rs wei
| as the next man, but he could not testi
| fy positively as to the lasting qualities
of asphalt. He had examined the speci
mems of asphalt submitted, and whil
| there was some difference between then
! he could not say whether or not the,
were serious.
There was quite a discussion betwee,
counsel as to the qualifications of Mr.
! Wade as an expert, but this was finall,
| settled and the witness went on and ex
| planned in detail the results of his read
| ing and researches in the matter of de
termining the quality of asphalt. H,
said that there was much divergence o.
opinion among asphalt experts, and tha
there did not seem to be any consensu:
of opinion as to the best means of ar
irving at results. Experts had really
agreed that the only way to test asphalt
was to put it on the streets and try it,
On cross-examination Mr.. Wade SAID
that while he thought the tests made by
Prof Price were fair as far s they went
he did not think that they went fal
enough to make them conclusive. He
thought better way would be to make
brickettes and then test the tensile
strength, etc.
Mr.. Wade was also examined as tc
the effect of acid on asphalt, and con-
tradicted the testimony of Expert Elder
saying that he had never seen any "ea t
ing" effects. The only thing that he
knew OF these tests being made for was
to determine the porosity of the material
and for that purpose they were valua BILE
The analysis made by Mr.. Wade was
sent for, and he identified it as having
been made by himself, and while he
could not say that 1t had reference to the
sample brick that. fact was conceded by
the contractors.
Arthur Brayden was the next witness.
He had been engaged in asphalt work in
New York state and in Denver, Col. He
was employed by Gray Brothers & Ward,
cement sub-contractors on Main street.
and had facilities for observing the
work during its progress He was not
connected with the asphalt contractors.
He had examined the work on Main
street while the pavement was being
laid and since it had been completed, and
he considered it good piece of work.
He had always used the penetration test,
and did not consider the crushing test
as satisfactory.
The witness said that he was not an
asphalt expert. but wished he was. He
had been engaged practically in lay
ing streets, and had never made any
chemical or other tests. He was ex-
amined at great length, and detailed his
experience in laying pavements. The
witness created a little breeze when he
instanced case in Denver, where by a
slip of the screw in the mixer" the per-
centage Of bitumen was reduced per
cent. He had left the work down, and
the pavement was yet in good condition
It was laid in 1856.
p. c. Smith was sworn. He had been
engaged in the asphalt business for
twenty years in various eastern states
and California. He had examined the
work on Main street, and considered it
a good job. He had mixed asphalt by
machinery and by hand, and knew no
reason why the latter method could not
be successfully used. On the statement
that he had only made a general ex-
animation of the street, there was no
crosS-examination.
Gervaise Purcell. civil engineer, was
sworn. He confessed to twenty-eight
years experience in general engineering
y
made physical tests. He had examined
the Main street work and thought it an
excellent job. He had also examined
pieces of the material, and found that it
had sufficient adhesiveness and cohes-
iveness If the pavement was deficient
in bitumen. the pavement should show
wear any way within a month. If there
was an excess of bitumen the pavement
would be too soft, and this was the
f~fg1I h A1n Nr-ft h 90 r.
Los Angeles. The idea was to have just
enough bitumen to bind the sand. He
thought the specifications were some
what conflicting, and allowed the con-
tractor some latitude. He thought the
pavement was the best in the city.
Mr.. Smith was recalled, and stated
that if the material was absolutely
useless it would show the effect of wear
in twenty-four hours, and would be
practically destroyed within four or five
months. He had seen where wagons had
passed over the street, and instead of
plowing up the pavement had polished
the surface. This. in his opinion, was
evidence of a good street.
In answer to questions by Mr. Arthur
Mr.. Smith stated that he had been in
terested at the time the work was in
progress in sub-contract on the street
and that his company had a sub-con-
tract for part of the work, when he was
excused.
Hampton Hutton, ex-chief deputy
street superintendent, was the next wit
ness. He had inspected portion of the
work that was done by the Smith com
pany, and had inspected the mixing of
the asphalt. 1t was mixed in open ket-
ties, and was properly done. He con-
sidered the work first-class, and the best
job ever done on the Pacific slope. On
cross examination Mr.. Hutton modified
his statement to the effect that it was
the best job that he had ever seen. He
was examined as to his relations with
the Oil Burning and Supply company.
and was released without any other
facts being brought out.
Robert Scherer a contractor, testified
to the heavy traffic over the street. For
some days he had been hauling from
$50 to 210 heavily loaded wagons over the
street, and he mad never seen the Slight
est evidence of wear. Some of the loads
went as high as 10, 200 pounds.
Henry Hawgood, civil engineer, said
that he had had twenty-three years ex.
perience in general engineering work.
including asphalt work. He preferred
practical tests to purely chemical tests,
for the reason that the latter did not
give the best results. He had exam
ined the Main street pavement, and con-
sidered it a good piece of work He pre-
ferred practical test of the street in use
to any other test. and he considered that
if it had not been properly done the
street would already have shown signs
OF wear He thought that the street
would wear we'll.
Attorney Jones then read the ANALYSIS
made by Professor Rising, showing the
percentage Of asphalt. which was filed