16 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
Regarding the statements of Mr. Currie 
in reference to ventilation, also his refer- 
ence to the discussion at the meeting of 
the A. A. C. S. With all due regards to 
Mr. Currie and the architects involved in 
the cases cited, the conclusions are wrong. 
The authorities quoted in the discussion 
may be such and unquestioned for building 
construction. The fact that any such 
trouble arose as stated shows their utter 
lack of knowledge in mausoleum work. 
You can point out as a failure practically 
every mausoleum designed by a “building” 
architect unless he has called into consulta- 
tion a good “monumental” architect. 
Mr. Currie in his observations has not 
arrived at the true principles involved and 
has drawn conclusions that will not hold 
good unless he can keep the air in his 
building perfectly dry. This is, of course, 
a practical impossibility. Under ideal con- 
densing conditions let him observe that 
moisture will condense on certain portions 
of the interior of a building of ordinary 
construction, while other parts will be dry. 
Should he be able to locate such a case 
and then get at the true reason for such 
phenomena, we venture to say he will 
change his mind. 
It is not so much a question of abso- 
lutely preventing condensation as drying 
up what moisture does condense quickly 
and reducing condensation to a minimum. 
Dead air spaces most assuredly will not do 
it. The closing up of the building and 
never changing the air, or only at long in- 
tervals, has a tendency in our city (Pitts- 
burgh) to produce stalacites and stalag- 
mites the same as any cave. It will also 
cause hard granite to deteriorate. 
R. L. B. 
Motor Trucks in the Cemetery. 
Editor Asked and Answered : I would 
like to obtain all the information possible 
as to use (actual experience) of motor 
trucks in the cemetery. Can you refer me 
to any cemetery now using same? We are 
contemplating installing same in our cem- 
etery to take the place of carts and would 
like all the information on this subject 
possible. 
The last article on this subject in your 
Park and Cemetery was in the September 
number of 1911, by Edward G. Carter. 
Would like more information on the con- 
struction of trailers in this connection. 
Can you give the cemetery people some- 
thing on this subject?— M. J.; Cal. 
We do not use motor trucks and trail- 
ers. We could not use them on our hills 
or dumps. I have not heard of anyone else 
but Mr. Carter, at Oakwoods, Chicago, 
who does. I think they are a good thing 
for a cemetery like Oakwoods, but for a 
place like ours they could not be used, for 
the reason that our dumps are over em- 
bankments and could not get the trailers 
close enough to dump. We have trouble 
■enough with the men backing horses and 
carts over the fills, so I do not know what 
would happen with a motor truck. 
Geo. M. Painter, 
Supt., Westminster Cemetery. 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
Our experience has not been very great 
with motor trucks. We have a self-dump- 
ing motor truck, three-ton size, and it has 
been in use only for about six months, but 
we have not satisfied ourselves entirely as 
to any great advantages in this outfit, and, 
therefore, cannot speak confidently of its 
success. Perhaps Greenwood Cemetery, of 
Brooklyn, N. Y., may be able to give you 
further advise. I understand they have a 
number of trucks in operation. 
Fred R Diering, 
Supt., Woodlawn Cemetery. 
New York City. 
We have at present one auto truck (lp 2 
tons) and three auto trucks (3' tons, dump 
bodies) which have been in operation here 
for some time, proving the efficiency and 
economy of auto-truck service. By the use 
of these machines we were enabled to re- 
duce our trucking expenses during the 
year 1912 about $4,500, as these four ma- 
chines replaced fifteen teams and trucks. 
We now have five additional motor trucks 
which will be delivered during the next 
week and which will very much increase 
the efficiency of our service and dispense 
entirely with the use of horses in this de- 
partment. It is my opinion that the trailer 
service is not of any advantage or economy 
unless loads of five or six tons and over 
are to be hauled. The operating expense 
of a three-ton truck, including chauffeur, 
fuel, repairs, insurance, depreciation, etc., 
amounts to $9.98 per clay, and one truck 
of this kind will perform as much work 
as four teams, which in this city cannot be 
secured for less than $5.50 per day each, 
and motor trucks not in use certainly cost 
less to maintain than horses. 
In addition to our motor trucks, we 
maintain three automobiles for the use of 
our heads of departments, and owing to 
the large extent of our cemetery and the 
vast amount of work annually required 
here, these machines have been of great 
benefit in expediting the work and increas- 
ing the supervision of labor, which is so 
important, as we have today over 500 men 
employed in this cemetery. 
W. C. Grassau, 
Brooklyn, N.Y. Supt. Greenwood Cemetery. 
Inexpensive Drinking Fountains. 
Editor Park and Cemetery: Secretary 
Watrous, of the American Civil Associa- 
tion, suggests my writing to you for cata- 
logues of simple, inexpensive fountains. 
We have made a little park in the heart of 
town and have a hideous and worn-out 
fountain to replace. As our funds are 
low, we thought of putting a concrete one 
of good lines. Will you be so good as to 
give us any suggestions you can? 
Lock Haven, Pa. Lock Haven Civic Club. 
If yon want something in bronze or iron 
already made or made from stock designs 
you can probably get something very inex- 
pensive from the J. L. Mott Iron Works, 
Fifth avenue and Seventeenth street, New 
York City. If you desire to get a con- 
crete fountain, the cheapest way would 
probably be to have a local architect make 
you a design to meet your requirements or 
your individual type and have some of 
your local concrete workers build it under 
his directions. 
In case you cannot find anybody to do 
this for you satisfactorily we can refer you 
to the following ornamental concrete 
workers from whom you can get anything 
in the way of fountains or park ornamental 
work that you might want done in con- 
crete : Antoni Swenson, Silvis, 111. ; Peoria 
Truswall Mfg. Co., 812 Commercial street, 
Peoria, 111.; J. C. Krause, 155 W. Thirty- 
second street, New York, N. Y. ; Francis 
Howard, 5 W. Twenty-eighth street, New 
York, N. Y. ; Emerson & Norris, 163 N. 
Beacon street, Brighton, Boston. Mass. ; 
The Economy Concrete Co., New Haven, 
Conn. ; Chas. E. Rodgers, Fall River, Mass. 
Burial Vaults. 
Editor Asked and Answered : How 
many different kinds of burial vaults are 
there on the market? Can cement be 
made waterproof; if so, how, and what 
does it cost? Is there a vault that lies 
on top of the ground? Is there an under- 
takers’ paper, and what is the address of 
it? — C. W. H., Canada. 
The following are the leading under- 
takers’ journals: Embalmers’ Monthly, 
Chicago; Western Undertaker , Chicago; 
The Sunnyside , New York; The Casket, 
Rochester, N.. Y. The easiest way for you 
to get informed on this subject would be 
to get copies of the undertakers’ papers, 
and to investigate the vaults advertised in 
Park and Cemetery ; all you have to 
do is to write for their literature and 
you will get all the information you need 
about any kind of burial vault you might 
be interested in. The Garden City Sand 
Co., Chamber of Commerce building, Chi- 
cago, 111., who are specialists in water- 
proofing cement, write as follows : 
“We are Western agents for Toch Bros.’ 
materials and our waterproofing depart- 
ment is pleased to take up the question of 
waterproofing concrete or cement mortar 
by use of Toch Bros.’ Toxement at the 
rate of two pounds of Toxement to the 
bag of neat Portland cement. This ma- 
terial does not repel water in the mix, but 
creates a colloid condition, thereby densi- 
fying and permanently waterproofing con- 
crete or cement mortar. We are pleased 
to take up this matter with your inquirer. 
Kindly note that there are so many things 
called waterproofing in the way of fatty 
acids, soap and clay, calcium chloride, coal 
tar and soda ash, as well as hydrated lime 
mixtures, that we are pleased to call this 
to your attention, as well as for your judg- 
ment regarding inferior material.” 
