Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-09

to Washington took place before the recent
municipal elections.
Several cities of the United States have
a system for testing materials, but nowhere
is 1t so thorough as in Washington, except
in Brooklyn. In New York city proper 1t
Is customary to inspect materials used by
contractors, but the practice is not always
applied and 1t Is not nearly SO thorough
as in Washington and Brooklyn. Here the
methods and regulations similar to
those enforced in the cities of Germany
and France. and some other European coun-
tries. with certain notifications necessary
to meet our peculiar conditions and char
acteristics The municipal government Of
Vienna has an admirable system, and the
same Is true Of London, Birmingham. Man
chester, Glasgow and several cities of
Great Britain, by which these municipalities
are protected against fraud, neglect and
careless work in public construction.
All materials used by the government of
the District Of Columbia and by persons
having contracts with the District are SUBJ
jected to the severest possible tests. All
steel used in buildings, bridges and for
other purposes Is tested at the mills before
1t Ia shipped by cutting out specimen
here and there, placing it in a machine
and pulling it until 1t breaks. In this way
the tensile strength is ascertained. and II
1t does not equal or exceed that required
by the specifications. the material is re-
jected.
Sewer and water pipes-both terra Gotta
and iron-are subjected to similar tests by
hydraulic pressure from the inside, and
other pressure from the outside and by
weight All bricks are carefully inspected
blythe eye; all asphalt and cement Is tested
by uniform methods to ascertain its tough
ness and purity; all mineral dust used in
manufacturing pavement Is passed through
screens: all crushed stone and sand Is treat
ed in the same way to determine whether 1t
corresponds with the specifications of
contract. All lime is tested to ascertain
the rapidity of stacking and Its purity; and
oil OIL mott a
similar examination before they are used
Reservations in All Contracts.
All contracts contain a clause reserving
for the Commissioners of the District 1.-The
right to send an inspector to the contrac-
tors plant whenever they deem 1t advisable.
The contractor shall, in that case, bear all
travelling and other expenses incident there
to, which shall be deducted from any money
due or which may become due him. Upon
application Of the contractor an inspector
will be sent to his plant under the condi-
lions above mentioned, and In addition
thereto the contractor shall pay the salary
Of the inspector from the time OF his de-
parture until his return to Washington the
pay to be at the same rate as that paid him
by the District of Columbia"
AS much as possible Of the testing of ma
terials Is done in a laboratory in the Dis
trict buildings by DR.. j. o. Hargrove and
number of assistant chemists. 1t costs
about $4,000 a year to maintain this
laboratory, which is insignificant compared
to its usefulness.
Inspection Of Asphalt.
There is also an Inspector at the plant
Of every contractor who is engaged in lay
ing or repairing asphalt or concrete pave
ments or sidewalks. The inspector at the
asphalt plant is required to see that the
materials are in proper condition; that
thew are furnished in the proper proportion
and that the temperature of the mixture IS
lust right This is necessary because II
the asphalt Is too cold when 1t is laid upon
the street 1t cannot be compressed; II it Is
too hot It does not adhere and is ruined
There is also an inspector at the place
where it Is laid He checks the number OIL
loadc Of material that are used. Each
driver has a ticket showing how much his
load weighs, which he delivers to the IN
spector, and the latter turns 1t in at the
once OF the Engineer Commissioner at the
end of the day. The inspector also sees
tina, the asphaltum Is laid IN proper
manner and is Of the required thickness
Until recently Washington had a larger
area of asphalt pavement than any city
except Paris, but Major Morrow tells me
that Chicago has recently surpassed tne
national capital and stands next to Paris.
No city, however, has so much old asphalt
| pavement as Washington. Some OF the
streets here have not been repaved for thir-
ty and thirty-five years. and Tor that rea-
| son they require constant repair and eat
I'D the greater part of the appropriation
| annually made by Congress for that pur-
| feet condition Of some of the streets is not
due to the neglect Of the District Commits
sioners. but to the small appropriations
for repairs.