The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1914-07-10
DIRT IN MATERIAL
CHECKED THE WORK
ON THE BOULEVARD
Concrete Experts Discover
Inferior Sand and Gravel
and Contractor Trippeer
Has Suspended Work.

and Contractor Ir1ppeef
Has Suspended Work.
Reports circulated the past several
days limiting at a scandal in connec-
tion with the construction of that part
of the big Morton boulevard system
which is to be made of concrete were
refuted today by a careful investiga-
ton OF the work being done ON the
first concrete road system in Wayne
county.
It has been reported that the ma
terial being used by the two men who
have the contracts for constructing
the boulevard, F. E. Slick and A. J.
Trippeer, was of inferior quality and
had only been discontinued after Dis
trict Agent Franks of the Universal
Portland Cement company, commonly
called the cement trust," had made
such vigorous complaints that Levi
Peacock, county surveyor, was COM
PEELED to condemn the sand and grav-
el both contractors were using.
Follows Specifications.
AS matter of fact the thousand
feet Of concrete roadway Slick has
placed down OF the New Paris pike.
Just north of Morton park. complies in
every particular with the specifica-
tions, and Otto Schwagler. of Phila-
delphiia. supervisor representing the
American Association of Concrete
Manufacturers, says he has no COM
plant to make of Sticks work. He
says that after the hard rains recently
a considerable quantity of the sand
and gravel Slick was to use became
dirty, making it unfit for use. and it
was promptly condemned. to be re-
washed. None of this material. how
ever, was actually used in mixing
with the cement, Mr. Schwagler as
serted today.
On the other hand the only con-
crete work Trippeer has done on his
part of the project, a strip 81 feet in
length on the Middleboro pike. at the
junction of the Smyrna pike. the ex-
treme north end Of the boulevard. is
not satisfactory and his sand and
gravel was condemned by Schwagler
md Robert Abercrombie, assistant
covery was made by them. Trippeer
had experienced trouble with his
washer and the material it was turning
out was dirty. For a week he has at
tempted no concrete work pending
the repairing Of his washer. but will
probably be able to resume this work
the first of next week.
Insists On Good Work.
Mr.. Abercrombe said today that II
! the roadway constructed by Trippeer
does not come up to every require
! ment he will be required to recon-
| struct it.
It is admitted that Mr.. Franks did
| make an inspection of the concrete
work although his company, the Uni
versal, had not sold either contractor
the cement being used. this being
| supplied by the Sandusky Portland
! Cement company. There are some who
| say it was fortunate he did SO because
of the lack of experience in concrete
/ roadmaking of the contractors and
county officials.
| 1t is explained that concrete road
building in the United States is in its
infancy and that all concrete compan-
les are personally interested in hav-
ing every concrete road q success
whether or not they sell the concrete.
Not only the American Association
of Concrete Manufacturers but the So
called cement trust" the Universal
company, keeps a daily record of ev-
cry concrete road project in the cOun-
try SO that it will be known whether
the work on each project is being
properly done. Roads constructed with
cement net supplied by the trust are
supervised by road agents sent by the
Manufacturers association. The trust
furnishes its own agents for projects
where its cement is used
Notifies Cement Trust.
1t is understood that recently the
Universal man on the North Tenth
street project inspected the Morton
boulevard work and then notified his
company that inferior material had
been used. Franks, the district rep
resentative, then appeared on the
sceene and at once asserted that the
material Trippeer had been using was
dirty, and that some of the material
Slick had prepared was damaged be
cause it had gotten dirty during the
hard rains.
Abercrombie maintains that he de
tected the dirty sand and gravel Trip
peer had been using before the arrival
of Franks. James B. Howes, inspector
on the projected, appointed by the
county commissioners, apparently was
not aware that Trippeer was construct
ing a roadway of unfit material, and
he said today that this was his first
experience as a supervisor of such
work. although he had had experience
constructing cement sidewalks. He
says the two contractors took the
condemnation of their material in good
part and promptly arranged to have
all their gravel and sand comply with
the specifications.
Il Material Good.
!, AS stated, none of the roadway laid
by Slick has been of inferior material
. and the men who are supervising the
, work are perfectly satisfied with 1t. HI
: expects to have his part of the boule
p ward paved before cold weather. i
3 comprises the New Paris pike from
, Twelfth street east to the Gaar road
sout hon the Gaar road to its junction
s with Nineteenth street. thence nortf
e on Nineteenth street to North street
| and west on that street to Twelfth
: street. Trippeer has bricked Nortf
|. ] street from Tenth street to Twelfth
D street. He will concrete Nortl
a bridge (the eyesore of the improve
4 ment) and will concrete the Middle
boro pike from the New Paris pike t
Itho Smvrna road He has alr0QdN