The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-09-25
R. S. MANLEY
STIRS Up CITY
Of ATLANTA
FORMER NAVAL OFFICER STA
TONED AT PENSACOLA YARD
DECLARES WOOD BLOCKS BE-
ING USED THERE WOULD NOT
PASS INSPECTION IN PENSA-
COLA.

and who is well known in this city,
has stirred up the city OF Atlanta by
charging that the wood blocks being
used there would not pass inspection
at Pensacola. The Atlanta Journal of
! Tuesday contained the following re-
gaTding the matter:
is the city of Atlanta being bunco-
ed in the quality of the wood blocks
/ furnished for the repaving Of Deca-
tur street and Madison avenue?
The street committee OF the gener-
al council has been called to meet in
special session Friday morning at
1880 o'clock to pass upon this Ques-
ton which has been precipitated by
r. s. Manley. secretary and manager
of the GulfpOrt Creosoting company
of GulfpOTt. Miss. who has written
letters to the mayor, chairman of the
street committee. city engineer and
other city officials in which he
charges that the city Is not getting
the kind Of wood blocks called for in
the city's specifications.
What maniey Charges.
Mr.. Manley declares that the blocks
are made from inferior timber, that
they are improperly and imperectIy
treated with creosOte and that a great
percentage of them are badly warp
ed. He asserts that no large city in
the United States with proper in
spectOrs would accept such blocks,
and concludes with the announcement
that his company will donate $1,000
to a charitable institution if the in
spectOr of Pensacola, Fla, Louisville,
KY, or Mobile, Ala, will certify that
the blocks furnished for the paving
are up to the city's specifications.
City Engineer R. VI. Clayton does
n
er does S. H. V5nable of the firm OF
Venable & McCandless. contractors.
who are paving Decatur street and
Madison avenue; r. II. White, preSi-
dent of the Southern Wood Preserving
and CTeOSOting company, which Is
manufacturing the blocks complained
Of.
What Is Now Claimed.
IN his letter of charges Mr. Man
ley states that at the time the city
let the bids for the paving his COM
0any had arrangements with three
of the bidding contractors whereby i'll
the event either was successful the
blocks for the paving would be pur-
chased from the GuIfport Creosoting
Company He points out that neither
of the contractors secured the paw
ing award and that therefore he had |
no further interest in the subject IN
til last Saturday. when he was pass
ing through Atlanta and took occasion !
to look over some of the blocks de-
hvered to the streets now undergo
ing a repaving.
Mr. Manley says that his examina-
1iOn demonstrated that but a very
small percentage Of the blocks were
80 per cent heart timber, as required
by the specifications; that a very large
npTrPnTaCa of fhnna Of lnn1nI1Z-
pine and short leaf pine; that the
blocks pere poorly manufactured and
treated; that judging from the per
centage Of them which will not sink
in water and by the fact that the in
side of many show no penetration OF
creOsOte deeper than a half inch. the |
writer believes the amount of oil in
jected was nearer II pounds per cubic |
foot than 20 pounds. as demanded in |
the specifications, and, finally, that a |
large number of the blocks are badly |
checked and warped
What Huddieston Says.
Mayor Pro Tenn Press HuddIeston. |
chairman of the street committee, |
stated that when the contracts were |
awarded the council elected the N P |
Pratt laboratory its official inspector /
and that expert men were supposed |
to be on duty at the manufacturing |
plant TO see that the city got the kind |
of blocks it asked for.
The mayor pro tenn thought that |
the street committee ought to look in
TO such grave charges. but he did not |
seem to be impressed by them. He
was rather of the opinion that the
city engineer and the Pratt Iaboratory
experts were competent to pass upon
the blocks and did not lay too much
stress by the charges,
City Engineer Clayton comments
upon Mr.. Manley's charges as fol-
lows: Il am satisfied the charges are
untrue. The Pratt laboratory has had
a competent inspector at the plant OF
the Southern Wood Preserving and
CreOsoting company ever since the
of the blocks was be-
gun and this expert has kept a rec
ord of each treatment. l have fire.
quently conferred with him and often
visited the plant which is located at
East Point. The timber used in the
blocks is the best l ever saw These
charges come from a disgruntled com
petitOr and should not be taken too
seriously
R. H. White, president Of the
Southern Wood Preserving and Greco
soting company. was indignant when
told by a Journal reporter of the
charges made by Mr.. Manley, and he
promptly branded them as an in
famous lie He declared that the
specifications had been met in every
detail, and that the com plant origin
ated with officials of a concern who
are sore because they failed TO land
the contract.
w. P Heath, detailed by the Pratt
laboratory TO represent the city in
the inspection OF the blocks. would ,
not comment on the charges. He :
that they are unfOunded.
and states that late Thursday even I
ng he Will make a detailed report 10 ,
City Engineer Clayton on all treat I
nent up TO date, which will be at the ?
disposal of the street committee Fri
lay morning" Il