Evening journal., 1913-08-22
TRYING TO
FIND CAUSE
OF BAD ROAD
Contractor Tells Levy Court
Turnpike Was Built AC-
COrding to Plan
ALL AGREE BINDER
IS NOT HOLDING


The new road north Of Claymont. The
road is two and four-tenths miles and
was built at a cost of s29,757 by the
Horrigan Contracting Company. Dur
ng the past spring and summer the
road began ravelling and is now far
from being in a condition TO be nnally
accepted by the county. When the
work was finished the road was ac-
cepted as having been built accord
Ing to plans and specifications. The
road builders claim they followed the
plans and used the materials con-
tracted for, and that the highway
engineer and supervisor certified that
the road was built according to con-
tract and was accepted by the Levy
Court.
Horrigan Contracting Company
through it's president, Mr.. William J..
Horrigan, through a letter to the
Levy Court on last Tuesday drew at
tention to the road and the Levy
Court decided to have a meeting today
to discuss the subject
Previous to the meeting today
members Of the Court, the road build
ers and others discussed the road
informally.
The contractors had numerous photo
graphs showing the road. before dur
ing construction and after its compile
tion. One photograph showed heavy
logs on the road to prevent automobiles
from cutting up the binder. The two
points figuring in the case are whether
the binder was heated to the proper
temperature and did the contractors put
on a sufficient quantity
1t was ll3O o'clock when President
Groves called the meeting to order and
it required twenty minutes to read the
minutes of the former meeting
The road was surveyed on August
30, 1910 and the road accepted on Oc-
toher 20, 1912
Mr.. Scott said he did not think the
Horrigan Company president was on
trial before a court and jury. He
said that if the company built the
road according to the specifications
the Levy Court would have to stand
for the road.
William J. Horrigann, president Of
the Horrigan Contracting Company
was requested to make statement re
garding the road.
All he said was that the road wa;
built according to plans and under the
direction of the county supervisor
who saw the work every day. He de.
clared that the road was constructed
properly, the highway commissioner
approved the road and the Levy Cour
accepted it.
The county still owes the company
per cent. of the contract price. Julial
G. Walker. attorney for the court. ex
-f1tr sh.4 f,4r4 trFa 1af
proceeding bv any means, but simply
hearing to ascertain why the road ha'
gone bad. He suggested hearing High
way Commissioner Wilson. Mr.. Wilson
said lie knew nothing Of the oonstruc
tion Of the road. Spots here and therl
are ravelled out, and the road is yer.
bad in other spots. Mr.. Wilson said TIN
binder appears to be either poor or no
enough of II was used IN the construc
tion. Mr. Wilson said the road is no
satisfactory in its present condition.
Former Highway Commissioner Pric
told how the road was to be built. Firs
came a stone base rolled with thre
inches of stone with a bitumous binder
and he had visited the road from time T.
time As far as he saw the work wa
done according to the plans. After tn
road was completed Mr. Price approves
the road.
If it were properly built Mr.. Pric
said the road should be good for
year or two He said some condition
Of the construction of the road wer
peculiar The stone had to be kep
drv and free from dust. The Lev
Court ordered the road closed Will
the work was in process but MI
Price said this was impossible as tn
telephone company was changin
the location of its conduits on th
road at the time. He knew the Pre-
per depth Of stone was placed on th
road. lanes Conley was supervisor
and he was satisfactory and the Com
missioner knew he was attending
his duty About one-third OF IN
road is ravelled.
Mr.. Walker inquired about the col
crete foundation and Mr.. Price Il
piled it is a question whether u
subsoil came through the stone an
caused the binder to crack.
It was said that the concrete -four
dation would have prevented the SUI
soil from coming through the ston
II a concrete foundation had been SUI
eested for the road. So far as M
Il Walker knew the road had been bul
all right. but new conditions who
have arisen since the work was tinisl
ed may have caused the presel
81 trouble
u In answer to Mr.. Fouracre, Mr.. Pr
n said the whole trouble seemed to HI
q to be the road foundation.
81 James Comfy. who was supervisor
@ the road. said he was familiar with 9
& plans and the contractor followed t
ID plans and specifications except az
n the binder material Comfy said five d.
Isl ferent kinds of binder material we
n used bv direction of Mr. Price. I
purpose Of using the different kin
was to obtain the best Two varietl
OF the tar held up good. An eXpe
i from Baltimore heated the tar and lat
4 the thermometer was placed in the
q pots to test the degree Of heat. Con
IA said he made tests of the road mater
3 every day without the men knowing
w was coming on the ground He COZ
B# now show where the different kinds
road oils were used. He told Of
different materials used and gave it
his opinion that much of the prese
trouble was caused by automobiles II
ming over the road before the bint
was used
Former Levy Court Commissioner
lott told Of the building of the ro
He said he wanted to be fair to I
county and the contractors. He 81
teams did considerable damage to I
road during the building. Automobile
took lamps and removed the blocks
night. Mr. Elliott said the road v
built according to the financial limit
the county at the time He said
favored a concrete base for the rC
because of the conditions existing
Discussion of the subject will be 6