The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-30
ADMINISTRATORS ORDER
PAVING Investigation
Direct City Engineer to Open Asphalt
at Intervals to Ascertain
Conditions.

Direct City Engineer to Open Asphalt
at Intervals. to Ascertain
Conditions.
DAILY REPORTS OF PROGRESS
Specifications OF Contract Fully Car.
ried Out, and No Effort Made to
Slight or Slsimp Work, superin-
tendent Reports.
Not thoroughly satisfied with the re-
d ports OF Assistant CITY Engineer p. p.
Taltaferro and Inspectors Melcopy.
sIfaselBrovc and Hall on tho East Mar
shall Street asphaltic concrete paving
| Job the Administrative Board yestcr-
day directed the City Engineer to mako
q personal investigation and report,
and to verify, II possible, the meas
surements returned by Inspector Mel
copy.
AIR. Boiling was directed. further, 81
,ho thought II necessary, to open tho
paving ut stated intervals through the
entire lcngth I'm tho presence of the
contractor or his representative. and to
report the result Of all such eXamlna
tons to the. board. He waa instruct
ed also to examine any defects that
,havo shown up In this paving. and to
report It's present condition after three
rnohthB' use
BOARD HEARS REPORT
FROM TALIAFERRO
The orders wore entered by the
board following the reading OF q com
tsmunicatton from Mr.. Boiling trnns-
hitting a report from Mr.. Talaferro
detailing examinations Of tho paving
In question made b. the Assistant City
Engineer. Inspector Otto a. Melcopy.
i I'm statement to John 1Iirschberg
Ireoently, assorted that the asbaalt sur
face OF the paving was In many places
thinner than che two-inch requirement.,
I ana that It was defective In other par
hticulars.
All. Hirschbcrg brought these state
ments to the attention Of the board.
and, upon nils motion on October "a.
= the board entered an order directing
. the City Engineer to report III the
Central Construction and supply Com
| pany, contractors for asphaItic con-
I crete paving. were required to carry
out the specifications prescribed for
3Sthe work on East Marshall Street, and
- IL not, to give tho reasons"
Submitting Mr.. Taliafcrro's detailed
statement to the board yesterday. Mr..
i Boiling reports that the Central Con-
i stfuction and supply Company waa
! exempt from none OF the specifications
laid down for tho kind OF paving under
consideration. He expresses the belief
-moreover. that the company has not
isliBhted or ekimped the work. and that,
! taking all matters into consideration,
4 1T has carried out It's contract fully In
accord with the spe cfications and re-
! ,qui-ements.
9FfRsrY-sIX sOUNDINGS
HAVE DEEM TAKEN
j After noting the several points
| -, nt.k In nttf Nat, ant N n
port OF Mr.. Taiiaferro. City Engineer
Boiling, In hia communication TO the
board, continues:
at Will be noted that. due TO the ir-
regularities OF :ae surface OF the con-
4 crete baae, and IN some distances where
f. tho snid base was slightly high. that
from number OF soundings taken by
= Inspector Meicopy (hfty-six I'm num-
b6r). that the average thickness OF the
wearing surface. composed OF asphaitic
dohcrste. was one and seren-efghths
:, inches In thickness.
i 'On that portion Of the street out
eide tho railroad work, aud for that
portion lying between the rails and
two feet outside. this wearing surface
,exeeeded two inches In thickness, and
j aa stated by Mr.. Taliaferro. an aver
age, over tho surface Of the entire
strset would result In u slightly greater
thickness than that required by the
specification
NO PURPOSE TO SLIGHT
OR SIX IsIp THE WORK
After conference with Mr.. ITALIA
Nero and Mr.. Melcopy. Inspector, ! feel
THAT There was no purpose or inclina-
ton on the part of the said company
In ANY way 10 slight or sklmp the
work, but that their effort was to carry
out their contract fully In accordance
With tho specifications and require
ments. and, taking all matters into con-
alteration. II appears 20 me, from these
reports, that they hare done so. ana
that variation OF from one-ciGhth to
tone.quarter OF nh inch is not unusual
In auch construction. I am, therefore.
convinced that st was the purpose OF
the contractors to fully carry out their
. contract and ali OF the instructions or
orders given them"
1 Assistant City Engineer p p. Italia
ferro, In his report to Mr.. Boiling, tells
of making numerous soundinEs Of the
pavement In question. His hndings, II o
notes. corroborate his statement on tho
matter made under date OF October ..
He Rays.
"As stated before. with tho excep-
lions noted In this and in my October
/ 2 report. as far as my observation mt
the time Of construction and since. tits
company did good work. and az fa, "a
could see, showed no disposition to
81 slight their work. and were prompt and
Il willing to make any corrections or to
= do whatever was required OF them;
= and In this opinion. nil three OF the in
spectors. namely. L. l.. IIa2elgrovc. Otto
j.. aielcopy and @. y. Hall. on their
several pieces OF work, agree"
iwANT DAILY REPORTS
on PROGRESS OF WORK
After entering the order referring to
the City Engineer all papers. reports,
4 Samples. etc. and directing him to max c
n personal Investigation and report, the
board entered an additional precau
ttonary order directing the city Engi-
neer. hereafter. to require every in
!spector In his department connected
With street work, to report daily in
lITritihg the progress, character and
8lcondition OF the work under his super
&viaion, the reports to be made on print
20 forms to be prepared and furnished
1 the inspectors by tho City Engineer
i The board directed that the reports
shall be f1led numerically and chrono-
logically. so that they may form the
basis Of detailed and itemized re-
- nort from tho Cfty Engineer Whenever