Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-17

SPECIAL MEETING is HELD
Street Recently Completed Has Many
Clipped and Broken Brick, and &C.
ment Filler Is Said to Be Altogether
Unsatisfactory-Top Course Will
Probably Have to Be Again Laid.


The city council held n special ses-
sion Friday night, heard report
from Assistant City Engineer c. A.
Baughman on the South First avenue
paving, and adopted Il resolution In
structing the city engineer to notify
the contractors, Ely a. Dunn, of the
action taken. III the contractors do not
make the paving acceptable to the city
the city will do the work itself and
charge the cost to the contractors.
Az the last regular meeting OF the
council the city engineer was instruc-
ted to prepare u report on the work
done on South First avenue, required
in order that the council might know
whether or not to accept the work.
This report was ready Friday and
Mayor Jones called a special meet
ing. The paving will not be accepted
until all defects are made good. AS
sistant City Engineer Baughman has
taken pains to ascertain something re-
garding cement filler, and during the
week, has visited other cities to inspect
paving where cement filler has been
used. Marshalltown has never had any
cement filler brick pavement, until the
First avenue job was completed. Ce-
ment was specified because 1t is con-
sidered the best filler. far superior to
either tar or sand, used in the brick
work heretofore. Assistant City En-
gineer Baughman says that the filler
is very poor piece Of work, and not
so good as either tar or sand. He finds
the foundation to be In good shape, and
his only other criticism, aside from
the filler, is in the character Of the
brick used. Some of it is already chip
ped and broken.
The report of the city engineer. as
filed with the city and presented to
the council Friday night, is as fol-
lows:
To the Honorable Mayor and City
Council, Marshalltown, Iowa. Gem
tlemen The undersigned would re-
port that Ely s. Dunn have finished
the laying of brick paving on South
First avenue from the south line of
Church street to the north line Of
Railroad street. Concerning the ac-
that: &b
81. The grading and rolling was,
done in a very satisfactory manner;
but all kinds of traffic was allowed
at all times over the finished grades.
Especially did the contractors own
teams, delivering crushed store ara
other material, cut up the surface In
bad shape. No traffic should have
been allowed after the roller had fin
ished it's work-ln order unat the con-
crete foundation might have true and
even bed and be Of uniform thick
ness.
.'o. The concrete foundation is fair
ly good. The mixing is perfect and
the tamping very good; but the sur
fact was not left as even as 1t should
nave been. To this may be laid the
unevenness Of finished surface of brick
TO be spoken of later.
''3. Specifications call for two
inch cushion of clean, sharp river
sand. Contractor used bank sand for
ABOUT two blocks of this work.
Brick are not up to standard that
most cities establish for No. paw
ing brick. There are entirely too
many Clipped brick. One block of this
work, shows up seventy badly Clipped
brick. The brick are not in all cases /
in courses at right angles to the curb;
one place showing them to be as much
as seventeen inches away from this
standard in the width of the street. |
And lastly the surface is very wavy,
probably from untrue concrete
or from uneven sand cush- |
ion, or impropers rolling or a combina- |
ton of two or all of these faults.
IS. The filler for the work is speci-
fed as cement filler. All previous
brick paving in our city has had tar
or sand filler. Cement filler was spec
flied with the intention of lettering
the paving but the contractor has ut
fications regarding this feature and |
filler now in is not nearly so good
as plain sand filler would have been.
WILLIAM BREMNER,
"City Engineer.
"By G. A. Baughman, Assistant"
When the report had been read, Mr..
presented a resolution in
structing the city engineer to notify
the contractors, Ely & Dunn. of the
in which the First avenue
fails to meet the re-
luirements of the specifications, and
that he demand of the contractors
that they forthwith proceed to remove
the imperfections in the particulars
set forth in the engineers report.
In order that the work might be
ooked after in the interests of the city
he council appointed Captain Nelson
Ames as inspector who will act during
he completion of the work, under the
direction of the city engineer. The
contract of the city provides that II the
work is not put in according to the
specifications the city can do the work
md charge the cost to the contrac-
ors.
An invitation from the League OF
owa Municipalities, to attend the an
lual convention in Cedar Rapids, next
month, was read to the council by {
Clerk Derby 1t was voted that as
many Of the council as could attend
he meeting at the expense OF the
ity.
In the District Court.
District court was adjourned at noon
oday until Monday morning after a
ury had been secured in the case or |
!. w. Hughes VS.. Minnie Tresler. an