The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-02
THE ArAsCocErA ROAD.
REPLY of County surveyor Brndburn
10 Engineer Mnxcy.

TO Engineer Mnxcy.
To the Editor OF The Post.
Houston, Texas, July 1.--Having no de-
sire for newspaper notorlety, the article
In last Sundays Post by John w. Maxcy
ON the Atascoceta road would have been
passed by me unnoticed had 1t not shown
such desire to reflect on the intelligence
of the members of the county commits
sloners court, and the ability and honesty
of the county surveyor
Justice demands that life OF thirty
nine years public service with ability and
honesty unquestioned (Which Is always
open for lnvestigation) should not tamely
submit to the bare assertion of one VINO
admits he has never had an experience
on public works as a civil engineer with
the exception OF two years as inspector OF
roads in Travis county.
II Mr.. Maxcy really wanted to ma the
amount OF compression and solidity OF the
material used on the Atascoceta road, why
not take IL to a shoemaker, a blacksmith
or a matchmaker, for after the four ex
periments taken by the gentleman VINO
Ignores all authorities, and their methods
of testing compression, and shrinkage, ana
by an original system of his own inven-
ton, introducing the foreign substance OF
clay. finds the amount of compression and
shrinkage to be only per cent.
prof Gayffeir In his Manual OF Bridges
and Highways, in 1874, and from whom
MIR. w. NJ Gillespie, A. NJ. G. E., professor
of civil engineering In Union college. uses
as authority (This was proven before the
commissioners court TO be the standard
4. To-, al ,Dif artr col
used at West Point uDIl recentlyD says:
Page 203 OF "Gillespie on Roads and Rail
roads," "A cubic meter of broken stones
placed In water tight box which they
just fiji can receive in the empty spaces
between the fragments a volume OF water
-4S 100 or nearly, or one-half OF the
whole"
This for rolled pebbles and sand gives
3S-l00.
Now to prove Guyffelr's experiments:
EXPERIMENT No. L.
took two glasses of equal capacity
and filled one with the gravel in question
and the other with water; this on two
tests took Az per cent OF water to. fill
up the empty spaces-thus verifying the
statement of Guyffeir.
EXPERIMENT No. 2.
On June 80, 1899 took the gravel in
luOlDuEulN Hdlui dlti NtHbAtlbi POI hiNhA'h
with the water from four days rain. and,
by the means employed in experiment No.
/, 1t took 30 per cent of water TO fill the
spaces.
EXPERIMENT No. 3.
next took section of the concreted
gravel obtained from the center of the
road which, through the
OF horses hoofs and pressure of
wheels. had become almost solid, and care
fully measured the same. and calculated
Then, with a Ratchet, broke 1t
UP, and pounded 1t back TO It's original
state, and found it increased in bulk 81
per cent.
Solid ..............4.3x3 Xxi .9---25 1927
Box ...................6 @. 2Ni Ok al u
This, transposed, would give a decrease
of 4G IA per cent,
Now. this Is no theoretical experiment
with clay or brick, but the material itself,
and as there is plenty left in the center
of the road which has almost reached sol
idity anyone Ceyen child can make these
experiments and satisfy himself only
claimed SO per cent for solldity.
Now, In conclusion. Mr.. MnXcy, In order
to prove his report correct. states: Not
being content with these experiments /
concluded to further Investigate. with the
following results: / found. as stated in my
report, the road to measure 1862 yards, and
that each lneal yard of cross section con-
tanned 50 cubic yards, making a total re-
qulred yardage Of case yards, | find
from February l6 to June /, 1890. the con-
tractors had 2Si cars shipped them with
an accurate net capacity of 1890 yards,
Now, assuming that all of this material
was placed ON the Atascoceta road 1t
would leave a shortage of 1900 cubic yards.
or 34.9 per cent While In my report
showed the shortage TO be S+.7 per cent"
Yes MIR. Maxcy. here is where You over
stepped the line and made yourself rIdiou-
lous in the eyes of every practical railroad
man.
The cars used were the Galveston. La
Porte and Houston railroad Gondolas, all
of which are practically the same capacity.
and with your own figures | viii show that
the contractors have fulfilled the require
ments of their contract
On June 80, 1899, ! measured five of
these cars and take the average of the
i've:
Galveston, La Porte and Houston. 1859,
net capacity 26 POS subic yards.
Galveston, La Porte and Houston. 1899,
net capacity 2S . cubic yards.
Galveston. La Porte and Houston, 1867,
net capacity $50 cubic yards
Galveston, La Porte and Houston, 1905,
net capacity &c. cubic yards
Galveston. La Porte and Houston, 1895,
net capacity &c So cubic yards.
Average net capacity. %. Sc.
Now, 2Si cars multiplied by 25 SO, gives
1914. "a.
Amount required for road, 65se.7.
Excess, IL 45100 per cent; cubic yards,
1854 54.
Now, Mr. Maxcy claims this material
VIII only compress and shrink per cent
consequently contractors have fulfilled all
the requirements OF contract and have an
excess of material OF 2 i5-l 100 per cent,
In confirmation of this please note the
following letter from MIR. ]. r. Myers,
manager Texas City Terminal company:
Mr., Wm. Bradburn County Surveyor,
Houston. Texas,
Myers. Manager. Houston. Texas, July L.
Dear sir: In reply to your inquiry as to
the amount OF gravel loaded into cars
furnished Messrs. Hipp q Key. beg 10
advise you that all cars OF the Galveston
La Porte and Houston railway were loaded
to twenty-five yards. We measured all
cars and collected freight on twenty Ave
yards per car, although some cars over.
run from half TO yard The measure.
ments made by our line were used In set-
Element for the gravel by Messrs. Hip 4
Fey.
The man making the measurements wa
agreed on in advance TO measure the car,
for both parties and no dispute has eve
risen as to the accuracy of his work Your
truly.
Texas City Terminal Company,
| j. X. Myers. Manager.
Yet In order that there can he mn ouas