Show I PUBLIC WORKS BOARD STAYS WITH THE lEN GIXEER OX TIE CEMENT MATTER I Must Stand the Pat Teat Concrete Con-crete Jlcn Put to Work on Excavation Exca-vation Gravity Sewer Matter inn In-n Muddle All the men who can be employed on the excavation of the gravity sewer are working in the trenches until such time as the city engineer will satisfy himself as to the propriety of allowing the cement ce-ment which has been condemned to be put in the work if at all A meeting of the board of public works was held yesterday afternoon at which It was decided that the board would stand by tho engineer in the matter of making tests I appears to the ooara that there is a probability that the cement ce-ment contains qualities which are not i desirable The contract in the opinion deslrIie of the board is to the effect that the I cement used must b as good as Whites cement Whites so the engineer con engneer tends will not crack under the pat test The engineer said yesterday that he was making several tests and that he believed that he could state in a few days whether he could allow the material mate-rial to be used The question hangs on this point I there Is not enough free lime or magnesia in the cement to damage dam-age i it will be allowed to be used I there is sufficient proportion to endanger the work he will not allow i The difficulty the Is that culty according to engineer It may require a long time to determine whether the cement will crack the work The chemical action of water necessary to harden the work requires a long time and until this is done the lime does not have a chance to get in Its deadly work But after the change has occurred the lime then expands the walls disintegrate and the result is a failure The board thought the position of the engineer was the correct one and will hold that the cement no matter if it does come up to the requirements as re ganls tensile strength should not be used usedI Is stated by the board that the contract provides ithat the cement shall be as good as Whites That is to say It shall stand all the tests which Whites vlll stand Then in addition to this it shall stand the tensile strength of 350 pounds This Is also the vIeW by the city attorney on the matter Several additional names were recommended recom-mended to the engineer as fit persons fr the positions of inspectors of the concrete con-crete work on the sewer A feW bills were recommended to the council for payment and the board adjourned subject to the call of the chairman |