The Washington times., 1902-10-03
INSPECTOR DON'S REPORT
Results of Tests of Hydrau-
lie Cements Shown.
MANY BARRELS REJECTED
Failure of One Sample to Pass Speciil-
cations Sufficient Cause for Reiect-
ment of Lot-Money Saved.

Mr.. A. ". Dow, inspector OF asphalts
and cements, yesterday submitted 10 the
District Commissioners his report OF
operations during the fiscal year ended
June 30. 1902. Tabulated statements are
presented, showing the number OF tests
made of hydraulic cements. asphalts ano
miscellaneous material, including sand
gravel. bricks. rubber packing and Goals
These aggregated 9.761. The tables also
show that 2,e41 barrels of cement, out
of 54.s51. were rejected as the result OF
the tests.
MIR. Dow states that % per cent of the
rejected cement was discarded because
it set too quick, 4 per cent on account OF
slow setting, 3S per cent for being toe
coarse. and u per cent for being too low
in tensile strength. 1t is stated that 81
per cent of the cement rejected was
sound. and would be suitable for certain
kinds of work, but was untitled for the
particular purpose for which it was fur
nished.
Testing Cements.
in testing cements used in public
work a 10 per cent sample is taken. and
each sample analyzed separately. The
failure of cne sample to pass the speei-
fications is considered sufficient cause for
the rejection of the entire lot.
Two. classes OF this material are
,;,,n ion,
that which the District authorities pur-
chase and that furnished by contractors
under specifications in their agreements
for executing public work. The first
class is sampled and inspected at the
District warehouses and the second in
the storage houses of the contractors.
Each load of cement as it leaves the
place of storage is inspected, and the
driver is given a ticket stating the fact
that his delivery is accepted. A record
of the number of barrels of each lot
and the location to which thev are sent
is kept hv the warehouse inspector.
The report discusses the relative mer
its of the various kinds of asphalt in
the origin and sources of them.
THE contract for paving with sheet
asphalt" says Mr.. Dow, during the
past fiscal year was awarded to the
Warner Quinian Asphalt Company. of
Syracuse, n. Y. This company proposed
TO do the paving with Trinidad land as
phalt mined from the deposit on the
Dundonald property, in the village Of
La Brea, Trinidad. The contract was
awarded after a careful in vestigation of
the character of the asphalt, and the
refinery OF the company. at Warner, y.
J. One of their paving plants in New
York city and their pavements laid in
Utica and Syracuse, n. y, were also
inspected.
Good Quality.
After this investigation it was de-
cided that this asphalt. as refined by
the Warner Quinlan Asphalt Company,
was of quality to meet the require
ments of street paving in the District.
When fuxed with a desirable residuum
the resulting cement would not be in
feriof to a cement made of the best
quality Trinidad asphalt and petroleum
residuum.
After the awarding Of the contract.
the Brennan Construction Company of
this city made arrangements with the
Warner Quinlan Asphalt Company by
which they became the agent for this
company and executed the work of the
contract
Mr.. Dow discusses at some length the
quality of pavement laid with this mate
rial. reaching the conclusion that it is
TO some degree inferior TO that con-
structed of Trinidad Lake asphalt.
The report gives the results of an ex-
pertinent with. Cuban asphalt mined at
Bejucal. about twenty miles from Hs-
vana. This asphalt was huxed by oils
by a refining company of
los Angeles, Cal. The conclusion reach |
ed was that the pavement is too hard
for practical purposes. Mr.. Dow be-
lieves, however, that cement can lie
by proper admixture of
the Cuban asphalt and fux that win be |
equal to the best of paving cements
Result in Great Saving.
Il would recommend for the consider |
alton of the Commissioners" continues |
Mr.. Dow, ''the advisability of increasing |
he scope of this department so as to |
include the testing of all materials |
bought under contract by the District |
Such examinations would |
-esult in q great saving, would prevent |
he furnishing Of poor quality and in
many cases unsuitable materials. The
materials that can be suggested Off
land as being desirable to examine are
,oal, coke. brick of ali kinds, lubricating
ills, linseed oil, burning oils and paints.
TESTS of such materials could be
made by this department without any
lddition TO the present force and with
,ut a slight increase in expense for
suitable apparatus
Mr.. Dow calls the attention of the
commissioners TO the inadequate facil-
ties afforded him for the proper work
# his department and asks that 81. .0O0
e appropriated for the purchase of ap-
'aratus and $4,000 for the contingent
expenses OF his Office for the next fis-
al year.
lr.2s To Balfinore and Return S1 ,r