The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-07-21
BRICK
FALLS DOWN IN
MAYOR S TEST
Champion Brand, Of Which Large
Quantities Have Been Purchased
BY Commissioner Haarer Makes
Poorest Showing.
Massillon Brick, Which Shows Least
Abrasion, Finds Small Favor With
Public Works Department Head.

The results OF the tests OF paving
brick. made by Boiler Inspector John
C. McCabe. at the instance of Mayor
Thompson, Thursday. were made pub
lie by the mayor, Friday morning.
While three of the five brands tested.
Wassall, Speedway and Nelsonville,
show up better than In the tests made
by City Engineer Mccormick for the
department of public works. two 9th.
er brands, Champion and Medal. make
poorer showing than they did be-
fore, Both the Champion and Medal
have found much favor with Public
Works Commissioner Haarer. how
ever, and a large amount Of each has
been used this summer, while COM
paratively little OF the brick shown
70 be the best has been purchased
The tests made by the department
OF public works showed that OF the
nine brands of brick used by the city.
Massillion scored highest. with an abb
rasion of fraction Of over 10 per-
cent" said the mayor Commission
er Haarer has bought only $4,000 Mas
sillon brick this summer, while he
has bought 736.756 Champion and l.
$4,000 Medal, two brands that have
made very poor showings In all the
tests. II seems to me that the brick
that made the best showing is en-
titled to more consideration than
that"
In the tests made by the mayor,
Champion showed 26.04 per cent abb
rasion as against 1880 under the city
engineers test, the greatest abrasion
shown by any of the five brands put
through the rattler. Medal showed
24.03 per cent as against 22.53 per
cent; Wassall, 23.30 as against 26. .1s;
Speedway, s4.16 as against 25.92, and
Nelsonville, 20.47 as against 22.95. In
the test OF the Medal the engine stop
ped twice, which would tend TO In
crease the abrasion. In the wassall
and Speedway tests broken bricks
were found after the rafting.
With the possible exception OF Nell
sonville, none of the brick tested by
the mayor. would be accepted for paw
ing purposes in Columbus, O., for in
stance, where the standard rattler Is
used and where the limit of abrasion
Is fixed at 20 per cent. The only brick
that have shown an abrasion of less
than 20 per cent In any OF the tests
were Massillon and Bessemer. Nelson
vile. with Its showing of 2e.47, would
easily pass muster.
Regardless of the percentages, {"
said Mayor Thompson. "the tests show
that there Is a wide variation In the
quality Of brick that the city Is get
ting for paving purposes. II doesn't
need any test In some instances to
tell that the brick is no good. All that
II Is necessary to do Is to size up a
pile on the street and pick out the
cracked and broken brick with your
naked eye."
The mayor will make additional
tests later on. He will probably send
a communication to the common coun-
Gil next Tuesday night, on the brick
question. He is inclined to regard the
proposed investigation by the u. OF
M. authorized by the council as un-
necessary. The rattler he contends,
Is the only proper test for brick and
he believes II has been given pretty
good service thus far.