The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-12-12
CEMENT WAS WEAK
CHEMISTS DECLARE
Three Testify at Inquiry Into
Collapse of the Cowhey
Garage

Three chemists gave conflicting tes-
timony, Thursday morning, In the in
quest into the death OF three men kill
ed In the collapse OF part Of the Cow
hey garage, Larned and ST. Antoine
SITS, Nov. 10. Coroner Rothacher be
lieves that the testimony will be con-
Guided Friday morning.
Ralph w. Perry, chemist In the EN-
ploy Of the Michigan Central railroad.
testified that he had tested samples
OF concrete from the Cowhey building.
He said they stood q test OF 4S8
pounds TO the square ipch. He said
fthat concrete four weeks old should
stand test Of 1900 pounds. He did
not know the age OF the concrete
which he tested. Earring, he believed.
would AFFECT the strength OF the sam
pie. He described various forms and
conditions OF tests.
Mr.. Perry also tested the cement
used In the Cowhey building. He
found II up TO the American standard
OF specifications. The mixture OF
sand and gravel he thought might be
too sandy.
Jesse b. Stoddard, commercial
chemist. OF the Detroit Testing Lab
oratory. testified that he had tested
sample taken from the collapsed
beam. II stood a test OF 474.S pounds
to the square inch. sample from
a floor joist stood a pressure of $50
pounds 10 the square inch. other
samples, tested q week later, showed
416 and 399 pounds. A block tested.
Dec. III showed 500. and another SAT-
He thought Mr.. Perrys estimate Of
4 4 - NH ~,
ought TO be witsstood was too low,
and said that 1000 pounds war nearer
the correct figure.
Questioned by Attorney Webster,
Mr.. Stoddard said that the loss OF
strength occasioned by the separation
OF the samples tested from the beams
would be, slight. He did not believe
that the shock OF separation would
affect TO any marked degree the
strength OF the samples.
Mr.. Stoddard that this analysis OF
the concrete showed an excess OF sand.
County Chemist John r. Clark was
again put on the stand for both Mr..
Perry and Mr.. Stoddard had said that
the presence of carbonic acid In the
concrete was immaterial. DR.. Clark
quoted an authority as saying that
one per cent OF carbonic acid in
cement was sufficient to condemn 1t.
He said that an excess tends to crack
the concrete. He understood that the
city's code demands sand, gravel and
cement as the mixture, and he said
he could not understand how 20 per
cent of carbonic acid gas could occur
In this mixture unless II came from
the cement. Questioned by Mr.. Web
ster, he said he would not expect to
ind much limestone, from which car
bonic acid gas might be generated, in
lake run" gravel such as was used
in the Cowhey building.
The three chemists agreed that the
samples tested did not come up to the
requirements demanded OF concrete
which bad stood tor over three weeks.
OfBcer Mark Baker testified that the
samples had been taken from one OF
the collapsed beams, which, according
to previous testimony, had been pour
ed more than three weeks before the
accident occurred. Testimony differ
ed as 10 the effect OF possible shock
on the samples analysed and tested.
Whether the weakness lay In the
cement. or whether an improper mix
ture was used, the experts could not
agree.