Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-01-30
STATEMENT BY CITY ENGINEER
DAVIS.

My attention has been called to Il STATE
ment made in the Sentinel and signed ID.
ONcil, criticiSing the cushion used under
he block pavement and stating thar
very block laid with what he termed
liver silt will have to be relaid. As this
work was lone under nv supervision |
feel it my duty to the tax payers of
Brownsville to say Il few words i'll reply
0 Mr.. O'Neil's statement.
In the first place who is d.. ONeil, and
what experience has he had to justify
him for passing as an expert on cushion
material for wood block paving? Mr..
O'Neil'S experience in this class of work
1ates over a period Of not exceeding one
md one half years and on two pieces of
rork, the first during six months prey
Gus to his coming to Brownsville and the
balance in Brownsville, during which
ime Mr.. OtNcil acted in the capacity as
, chauffeur for the steam roller. Prey
Gus TO this Mr.. ONcil was for several
ears in the employ of the Barber AS
,halt company, and every one knows that
asphalt pavements have no sand cushion,
consequently his experience previous to
lis employment with the CreosOted Wood
Block Paving company would give him
10 chance to judge as to the proper con
;truction of wood block pavement. on
he other hand, contrary to Mr.. O'Niels
statement, | have heard him render his
piniOn and can bring witnesses to that
ffectfthat the sand cushion used was al
light. | do not question Mr.. ONeiTs
statement that they use river silt mixer
With manure for filling lawns and gar
ems in New Orleans. Mr.. ONeiI's state
nent was published tw%enty-four hours
,fter he had left Brownsville. Why did
lc wait to express himself until he was
discharged and leaving the city. taking
,ains that his statement would not be
published until he was 800 miles away?
'ould his inspiration for this statement
'e Il desire to revenge himself OF the pay
no company for refusing to carry him
ongcr on their paw roll at 800 per day
it'll nothing TO do and because in refus-
ng to keep him employed either here or
It some other job they gave him trans
,0rtatiOn to his home?
About One-half the paving in the city
# Brownsville is laid on a sand cushion
If clean sharp sand. on the balance local
sand was used and | will call on anyone
whether experts or otherwise to show
me any difference in the pavement where
he tive classes of sane are used or where
me terminates and the other begins.
In the first place the cushion used was
,o4 ,;r.or ella b,t local hauE Sap1 tho
,ame material that has been usel in all
peal brick and concrete construction for
he past 80 years. no other material be-
ny obtainable up to $ years ago. Build
ings erected using this material are still
standing and some of them look good for
fftv years more. I will ask any one i'll
terested to 90 to the bank of the Rio
frande and take Il sample of the river
silt deposited there and compare the
same with a sample of the local bank
sand used and see the difference. /
lain that this material used for cushion
imposes in the paving of the streets OF
brownsville is entirely satisfactory and
[ believe 20 years engineering experience
rives me better judgment in this matter
han that of a disgruntled discharged EN-
,loye. The paving company was allowed
o use the local sand because the other
lass Of sand was not available III Suf-
icient quantities at that time. This was
lone with the approval of the street and
bridge committee. of which Mr.. CObolini
was chairman at that time. with the un-
Outstanding that the city should be
recompensed to the amount of the differ
Ance in the cost of the sand. The paving
company presented an itemiZed state
ment for work performed outside of their
contract amounting to several hundred
dollars more than this difference, and
agreed to cancel same to offset this diff
ference in the cost of the sand. This Of