Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-21
Defer ACTION ON
WOOD BLOCK PLANS
Little Fault Found With Spec
if1cations for Paving of
Broad Street.
PUBLIC HEARING GIVEN
BY BOARD OF WORKS
Only Point on Which Engineers
= Differ Is as Regards
to Oil.

Except in a few minor details the
tentative specifications for the wood
block paving contract for Broad
street passed muster at a public
hearing before the Board of Works
yesterday afternoon. Action, how
ever was deferred until next week.
The only question in which the en-
gineers differed was in the oil with
which the blocks are to be treated.
opinions were rendered by three en-
gineers, and two of these agreed with
Chief Engineer Morris r. Sherrerd
that heavy oil should be used as a
preservative, while the other, who
represented a private concern, con-
tended that the city would save con-
siderable by the use of a light oil,
which he claimed to be just as good
and not SO expensive.
The specifications in their present
form provide that the preservative
shall be product of coal gas tar and
that the specific gravity shall not be
less than LOS nor more than LA at
o temperature of SO degrees cent?
grade.
Business Men Pleased.
A delegation of Broad street mer-
chants headed by Moses Plaut, was
on hand and found no objections
cept in minor details, to the present
plans. Two engineers, William Per
son Field, of this city, and A. j.
Dow, of New York, represented the
merchants in the discussion. Both
had made a thorough inspection of
the specifications with the merchants
during the morning.
Richard Lamb, consulting en-
gineer, represented the Wyckoff Pipe
and Creosoting Company. He spoke
principally on the preservative quail
ties of the various kinds of oils. He
sought to show that the heavy oil
which is provided in the specifications
was controlled by a monopoly which
he said would make it impossible for
a concern outside the field to COM
pete on equal grounds for the con-
tract. By the use of a light oil and
short leaf pine blocks he said the
city would save approximately SIG, 0OO
Every argument was objected to
by Mr.. Dow, who declared that the
use of the light oil as a preserva-
tive had been discarded years ago
after it had been proven unsatisfac-
vi IdlGCu many ltCIHfCdl
points in his talk and declared that
the heavy oil output was not CON
trolled by any monopoly, and that
1t was within reach of any concern
and could be obtained either in this
country or in Europe.
Sherrerd Likes Heavier Oil.
Mr.. Sherrerd, in settling the issue,
declared that both were right in GER
tain of their contentious, but declared
that the heavy oil was more service
able than the light and would. there
fore, produce a better pavement. Mr..
Field, after complimenting the local
engineers upon the specifications
spoke of the foundation, saying 1t
should be smooth, so that the blocks
could have a level as we'll as a solid
foundation. He said that, in his
opinion, a six inch concrete base with
a smooth cement top was preferable
to an eight-inch solid concrete base
which is provided in the paving reso-
luton.
Mr. Plaut declared that the mer-
chants were interested only in Sc
curing the best possible pavement
and declared that they stood ready
TO employ inspectors at their own ex
pense to see that the pavement is laid
according to specifications. These in
spectors, although paid for by the
merchants, would be, he said, under
the jurisdiction of Mr. Sherrerd.