The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-04-12
RECKLESS EXPENDITURE Of ROAD
MONEY. ENGINEER MAKES REPORT

f under seventeen supervisors appoint
, ed by the trustee. It does not ap-
/. pear that majority of the township
= board acted on these appointments,
. as provided by law. Said supervisors
. are receiving a compensation OF 80
Der day for their services. which is
{ unauthorized by law. The work Is
being carried on under force account
without plans or estimates OF the
cost of construction, and In such man
ner as directed by the road super
yisors, who locate and install culyerts
and bridges without the advice and
supervision of an engineer, without
any survey or drainage areas, and
without estimate being made by any
one competent to determine the sizes
necessary to accommodate the run.
off Of storm water from any stated
drainage area.
The only permanent construction
observed was a rubble stone masonry
arch bridge, designed by the county
engineer at what is known as Convict
Hill Extremely light steel bridges
with wood floors or corrugated steel
culyerts have been purchased by the
trustee for all other openings that he
decided upon being necessary. I was
informed that a majority Of the board
did not take official action on these
matters as is provided by law must
be done.
The steel bridges are unstable and
light, and as no stress sheets or plans
accompany the bridges, I am obliged
to climate capacity from dimensions
and observations taken on the ground.
The estimated capacity of said bridg-
es will approximate 10 or 50 pounds
live load per square foot, which is
wholly inadequate to carry the loads
that must pass over the highways as
traffic increases. The minimum live
load capacity established by this de-
partment to safely carry the traffic
of our highways is 200 pounds per
square foot, on a wheel base 5 by
12 feet.
The corrugated steel culverts are
of uniform thickness or guage, viz:
No 16, regardless Of diameter. load.
ing or cover; where as an engineer
would have provided for increasing
thickness proportionate to diameter
OF culyert and load TO be sustained.
Enormous Waste.
The drainage has not been plan.
ned and surveyed to economically
handle the storm water, and a consid
cradle amount Of money is being
spent in unnecessary work and not
warranted by good engineering meth.
DDS. We're a competent highway en-.
gineer employed To superintend the
work and make surveys and estimates
OF cost OF construction, the writer is
firm in the belief that the money ex.
pended would pay for so per cent
more and better results.
An investigation of the treasur-
ers books discloses the fact TINT
total Of s14,3O36S has been expended
to date, consisting OF the following
items:
abor and material ......s 442.96
Labor and miscellaneous.
bridges, etc. ............ G,33S.66
Labor and blacksmithing 9I25
Lumber and cement ....... 3,34733 |
Hardware and tools ........ S1SS9
Wyie & Co.. culverts and
tools Observation-Disclosures. 5.N2S1S .
Missouri Valley Fridge Co. 3S4.T2
Total ................... s14,303 6S .
The tools equipment. culvcrts and
bridges are scattered over the town
ship where the work gangs are using
them, or at the place where the trus-
tee located the outlets for storm va