Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-09-04
No conelusInn Reached IN Regard 10
Sand Base Under New
Brick Pavement.
ENG HEER PeARsE'S EXPLANATION
Admits That Four-inches Ease Re-
qulred by Specifications Was Not
Put Down, But says II. Regarded
Change as Best For citv's interests
inspector ketton Examined.

a SDtflt itiOit IMAM Az hOoA
last night in questioning Beverley X
Ketton, one Of the paving Inspectors
employed by the city. and heard
somewhat lengthy explanation from
City Engineer T. +. Pearse. the eoun'
Gil committee on highways and sewert
formulated no report 10 the city coun.
Gil OF its investigation into the mat
ter of the amount OF sand base put
down under the vitriiied brick paving
which was recently laid on various
streets and avenues of the city. 1t
is possible that special meeting OF
the committee will be held before the
regular meeting of the common coun'
ell next Tuesday night TO make up
the report.
Nature Of Report.
Among other things. the committee
will report that Il tapped the vttri-
fed brick pavement In about forty
different places and that in only one
place did Il find the four inches OF
sand base required by the specifica-
tons: that Inspector Ketton testi-
fed before the committee that City
Engineer Pearse had instructed him
to require a sand base OF only from
two to two and cns-half inches In
depth. and will recommend that the
difference between the amount OF
sand actually used and the amount
tnat should have been used and the
cost of the excavating that would
have been necessary had the four
inches OF sand base been used. be es-
timated and the amount deducted from
the final payment due the contractor.
The committee has instructed the
city engineer to ascertain what this
amount of money will be.
Mr.. Christy's Minority Report.
While the committee was question
ing the city engineer last night,
Councilman r. +. Christie. OF the
Second ward. who is a member OF
the committee. and who first brought
the matter of the sand base TO the
attention of the council. tctd re-
porter that he will make minority
report 10 the council
He would not say what would be
the nature OF this report. but he de-
ciared that he had secured all the
data and intimated that he might
bring charges of neglect OF duty
agaipt the inspectors.
Inspector hettcn was questioned at
length by the committee. He said that
he had been instructed by the city
engineer TO require the contractor to
put down an average of only two or
two and cne-half inches CT sand base
under the paving. but that in some
places the sand was 90 inches deep
and that ut one place. Jefferson ave.
nue. and Twenty-ninth street, he de-
eiared. the sand base Is nine feet
deep" Some of his answers were
highly amusing to the committee.
Mr.. Pearse's Explanation.
City Engineer Pearse began his ex-
PLANTATION before the committee by ad-
hitting that Inspector Ketton's state
ment regarding his instructions was
correct and that he had not inspect
ed the paving on the streets where
there are no ear tracks. He also ad-
mitted his mistake in not bringing
the matter TO the attention Of the
council and having that body decide
whether or not the contractor should
put down less than the required four
inches CT base And in this -connec-
ton he declared that he was acting
for what he conceived to be the best
interests OF the city and that II had
never occurred to him that there
would be any comeback on the con-
tractor" in the matter
Cost Would Have Been Less.
When asked by Alderman West II
the bid OF the contractor would not
have been less had the specifications
called for a two-inch OF two anu one
haiti inch sand base. the city engineer
said that he thought II would have
been.
With the questioning OF Mr. Pearse
ST an end. Mir. West made a motion
that the committee report that II wa.
unable 20 ascertain the difference in
tae cost OF LAYING the sand base used
snd the laying OF the amount that
should have been used. This motion
was lost On tie vote Mr.. West and
Chairman Via voting for n. and Coun-
cslmen Christie ana Cox against Il.
u was then decided 20 let the matter
lay over fer the present.
TIE committee transacted consider
able regular business before taking
up the paving matter.
The recommendation for a storm
water sewer from Twenty
street and jefferson avenue 20 New
port News creek vas passed and the