The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-20
THE ATASCOCETA ROAD
An Investigation Begun by the Commits.
missloners Court.
COUNTY SURVEYOR BRADBuRN UPHELD
with Exception of Mr. Maxcy's RE-
port Testimony Was All In His
Favor-HeoriDg Not Concluded.


The county commissioners, at a~special
meeting held yesterday afternoon. com
menced an investigation OF the Atascoceta
road matter, charges that the thoroughfare
in question is defective and NOT what the
specifications called for having been made
by County Treasurer Farmer. Several ex-
perts were examined and all of the evil
dence heard. with the exception of the re-
port made by Engineer j. w. Maxey. who
was employed by the county to look into
the condition of the road. was in favor
Of the contractors and the county sur
veyor
AT the conclusion OF the hearing Com
missioner Schmidt moved to accept the re-
port OF the county surveyor, which showed
the road TO be all that 1t should be. This
motion was seconded by Commissioner
Becker. who voted aye with Commissioner
Schmidt when the question was put before
the court, Commissioners Roth and Magee
voting no.
tie being thus caused, Judge Vasmer
voted no ana gave his reasons for such ac-
ton. The matter was one of extreme i'm
por{ance, he pointed out and notwit hstand-
ing the fact that all % the evidence heard
was IN favor OF the adoption of the report
OF me county surveyor, he did not feel
Iustlhed in deciding the matter at this
,lHle' preierring, rather TO continue the
investigation ana make IT as full and COM
pIete as possible. He also desired time
10 examine the various reports made, non
OF winch were given out for publication.
va motion the court adjourned TO .
o CLOCK this morning, when the lnvestiga-
ton Will be resumed
Previous to the adjournment Messrs
hlpp ana Key stated that should the road
ne oe round detective in any way, they
would be more than glad to make The nee
essary corrections. In this connection il
may ne stated that the belief which seems
10 prevail IN some quarters to the effect
that the contractors are not under bond for
the work is question is entirely erroneous
The road was built under an extension of
a former contract, the bond for the per-
Torrance of which nolds good in the pres
cut instance.
When tho court convened at o'clock
Judge Vasmer and all of the commission
cts were present, as we're County Treas
urer John Farmer, the complainant;
Messrs w. s. Hip and A. Key, the con-
tractors who built the road, County Sur
Veyor Bradburn, }. w. Maxcy, the engi-
neer appointed by the court to Investigate
the condition of the road, and a number OF
witnesses
Deputy County Clerk ]. W. Kavanaugh.
who recorded the evidence as it was
brought out first read the report Of Mr..
MaNcy, which as has already been stated.
was an adverse one. claiming that there
was shrlnkage in the road of over 30 ia
per cent.
MIR Bradburn neXt submitted his own
report in the premises, to the effect
that the road was all that the speciaca-
lions called for, with the exception ~
"a per cent. which was no. unnatural
IN view OF the fact that the road mas been
In use some three months.
Mr., j II. Berry an engineer employed
nv the contractors to investigate me road
reported thlt the work was fully up 10 the
specifications and that moreover the
average was "A fraction of an inch over
"a feet. as provided for In the specinca-
lions
MIR, Farmer asked thai the original pro-
test be read rs IL covered the comulele
four miles OF he road
Judge Nasmen replied that Mr. MaXcy
was employed to investigate only the last
TWO mites built. as The contract tor The
hrst Two miles was let by the Old board.
~ this point County Surveyor Bradburp
lntor'ogated Mr. MaNcy as 10 the latter's
experience ON road work, Mr.. MaNcy stat
cd that he had been superintendent of
roads in Travis county.
Judge Vasmer asked MIR. MaNcy what
the shrnkage should be in the Atascoce.a
road up TO date. The reply was 10 per
cent, but Mr.. Maxoy stated that had ID.
contractors lived up to the specifications.
inch would he sufficient shrlnkaEe. Tho
material, In his opinion, was all right His
report. he said, was absolutely correct
and he was willing TO submit it TO any
BOARD OF engineers. On motion ha was
dismissed
Mr.. Bradburn then introduced Piof H.
D. Allen, who, being sworn stated that he
had had forty years experience tis a teach
er OF civil engineering He recoguizedJ
Prof. Glllespie's work on roads and rail-
roads as exhibited by Mg. Brldburn as a
lcte.
The opinion OF the authority named on
shrinkaee was read and explained hy Mr.
Bradburn, after which Prot Allen testified
MS TO the eject OF rollers on a gravel
road,
Major 6. c, Woodbridge was next called. |
lie stated thai he was q civil engineer OF
h.f't - w 2NlAa NfAtNlAA- lIQL. AIlllc B. I
pies work was standard, he said, although (
published some years ago. aud was rec
oenized As such In the schools of the couu-
Try. including Wes; Point, Owing to tue
heavy travel on the Atascoceta road no
did not think hat an exact estimate OF tia
shrinkAge could be made at present The
witnoss gave considerable expert Testimony
along this line
Commissioner Roth interrogated Mr..
Btadburn as 20 the differences In the {
measurements reported by himself ana by '
Mr.. MaNcy. Mr. Bradburn and Mr. Wood !
bridge compared the measurements and 1t (
was shown that there was really very lit
tie difference. The reports Of Messrs.
Bradhurn and Berry coincided exactly as
10 measurements.
Mr.. Berry was sworn and corroborated
the testimony OF bis predecessors as TO {
the character of Prof GilHsspe's work
The witness had made his invest CATION OF
the road alone and without any suggestion
from Mr. Bradhurn. The shrinkage of the
road after 1t had been II use two months
was about 40 per cent aud the general
shrinkage about q LIZ per cent. The Wit
ness, ON being interrogated by Mr. Farmer 3
as TO the width OF the road, said that In {
places Il was 20 lilo feet TOP surface
81 l.! per cent was. ne I
stated, a good general average for shrink {
lge even after the use OF a roller
The next witness sworn was Mr. Rrad-
burn, who offered In testimony a eopy OF a
directory showing the various positions G
le has held during the time he has been e
.tvgl anotnppr tOgpthor With