Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1911 — RAIN PLAYED HAVOC [ARTICLE]

RAIN PLAYED HAVOC

With Leopold Alley and Contractors Will Lose Several Dollars. Despite the fact that the contractors say they told the city officials that they were making a mistake in not putting a fine rock over the coarse crushed stone used as a filler in the Monnett and Leopold alleys, instead of putting fine sand over the coarse stone, the latter plan was adopted, and Thursday morning’s big rain demonstrated that the contractors were right in their contention that the sand would go down in the crevices of rock and spoil the brick work. While apparently the Mon nett alley was little affected, as it had been completed and the ere /ices between the brick filled in with- sand and cement, it is believed it, too, will later go down as the two inches of sand on top of the coarse rock gradually works down in the crevices. On the Leopold alley the contractors had Jaid about onethird of the brick when the big rain came, and all of this work had to be taken up and the sand re-leveled. 1 A two inch layer of screenings, well 'wet down and rolled should have been placed on top of the coarser stone, then just enough sand used to level up the brick. But tfic specifications were otherwise, and the contractors can not be blamed in any way for the failure of the city to have proper specifications for the 'work. s .. .