The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-05-23
WHITE ROASIS FOUCAaT.
Contsrctor OF Nobie Avenue srioA Tells
of His work aud Uensures the
City Engineer

-eply TO a somewhat garbled report of
he city engineer on the construction /,
- the masonry for the Noble avenue
bridge, which appeared in your issue |
Of the Goth inst.
While 1 regret as much as any citi- |
zen OF this city that any damage from
any cause should occur to the work
on that bridge, / must, in justice to
myself, say that had the same amount
Of judgment been used in making the
EN- bankment ill OF some eighteen
feet high, of loose dirt back Of the
abutment and wing walls of that
bridge that there would be no cause
for any alarm for the safety OF the
structure, and let me say now, that in
my opinion, and the opinions of other
men as good citizens as this city con-
tains, there is no practical damage
done to the work up TO this time, not
withstanding the blundering and reck-
less manner the great mass OF dirt was
piled against the masonry, and TO
make all things worse, ] am informed
that stream OF water from a hydrant
through three-inch hose was kept
running on the fill as a means Of max
ing it settle rapidly, which would
make the pressure be much greater
AhAh - ~ hh0 UNGh pun III anu Wtll
amped back of the work for say six
feet, keeping the fill next to the walls
all the time the highest, but no; filing
it with water was the cheapest and
the people have the result.
Now Cor the anchorage system that
was planned by the superintendent
for the protection OF the wing walls.
Where the fiji would be made, holes
were left at several places intending
to use about a three-eighth inch wire
cable, secured by proper plates on the
outside of the walls all fastened to a
center post between the wings. AS 1t
is now done IT shows great lack OF
knowledge as to the use il was intend
ed to serve n look at the outer ends
which is all one can see. IL will be
seen that few strands of small wire
is wrapped around stick of stove
wood on the outside OF the wing walls
TO form the base of anchorage system
and the wire has already cut some of
the stove wood in two, leaving prac.
tically no anchorage.
Now in regard TO the mortar used
in the construction, and workmanship
Of the mechanics who performed the
work on those abutments, / will say
that every yard of sand used in the
| CImarron river was equally good with
| that used in the construction of all
J buildings, and that the mechanics who
performed the work are not second in
point of skill to any in the territory
the city engineer to the contrary, not
| withstardIng.
| would not bother you with sc
| lengthy an article were IL not for the
! fact that / wish to get the matter
fairly before the people in its true
light
will have to say little more for
our conscientious engineer, There ID
always a starting point for everything
and / wish to tell the people where
this matter started 1t may not bC
generally known that the present en-
gineer some time in December las'
made q set of plans and specifications
! for the work on Perkins avenue anc
that ii was sought by the mayor and
| council TO let the work on those plans
but they failed to do so aud as a mat
| ter Of fact entirely discarded his plan.
and adopted plans changed by county
surveyor White in lieu thereof, anc
let the work on the plans of White
| Those plans and specifications made
! by Mr.. White can be seen by anyone
| calling at the office of the city clerk
/ and in those plans will be found 9
| description of the work to be erected
and which is as,follows as near as
can call TO mind The work to be o.
heavy ruble stone, called ironstone,
which has been used throughout the
work. And now / will say that al
the different materials used in tha'
work were and are OF good quality
and that the work as whole is su
perior TO that described in the plans
and specifications.
And | must say that / feel some
what hopeful as Mr. Engineer ha
discovered that he has conscience
AS an instance of his conscientiou
scruples l recall little matter tina
came under my personal observation
a couple of years ago had on hant
at that time a contract that had con
siderable plastering in it which h,
seemed very anxious that | should le'
10 certain parties. Those partie
failed when j let the work 70 be tn,
successful bidders and the result wa
that they did not get the work. Th'
party 10 whom l did let the worl
commenced at once TO haul his sane
and got three or four loads on tn
! WnCu llle tOuntlcnllQub tuKl
neer came out with his magnifyinI
glass and condemned the sand as un
fit for use, II was Immediately re
moved from the premises and the sanC
hauler instructed TO 90 back and hun
for the very best sand to he had at tn
river, which he did and this homes
engineer came again with his glas
and condemned it. The plasterer CAV
up in despair, threw the contrac
to me and told me must get some one
else TO do the work, as he could no
procure the sand that would be &C
cepted. All those loads of sand weri
hauled to the Baptist church in thi
city and used for plastering, where
understand they have a very good job
although made of rejected sand.
But that is not all the eonscientiou
dealing in that work. / sent the sam
teams back TO the river for two NOR
loads, ana in the meantime gave tn
contract for my plastering to the par
ties whom this conscientious gentle
man wished to have 1t, and In due tim
the two loads of sand arrived and wer
put through the same glass process a
the others, but behold IL was found 1
be all right, Notwithstanding the fac
that il was taken from the same pi
by the same man, but not for the SAN
plasterer. ! only refer to this to sho'
how conseientiously honest our eng
neer is,
Last winter, when the award 10
this work was made TO me, knowin
that Mr.. Foucart's plans had been dis
carded, and knowing his vindietiv
nature, | refused TO contract for tn
] 4 I l.