THE INTERNATIONAL

ASSOCIATION

OF BRIDGE AND
STRUCTURAL IRON
WORKERS

J. J. MCNAMARA, Editor and Manager American Central Life Building, Indianapolis, Indiana Long Distance Telephone, Main 4014

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Communications for the BRIDGEMEN'S MAGAZINE must be received BEFORE the 1st of the month to insure publication. News notes, articles on technical trade topics, and such matter as will be of general interest to the craft are invited. All communications must be accompanied by the name of the sender.

The Bridgemen's Magazine has a subscriber in every member of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers, thus guaranteeing a circulation to every job of importance in the United States and Canada. It has no real competitor as an advertising medium, as it goes directly to Superintendents, Foremen and others with power to approve or purchase.

The Publisher reserves the right to revoke advertising contracts at any time.

The International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers is not interested in any souvenir publication of any kind.

Editorial

During the past month the structural iron industry has been very quiet. While a large

amount of work is in contemThe Outlook. plation, for some reason or other large contracts are not being closed. The excuse advanced from some sources is that nothing definite can be done until the question of the tariff is adjusted at Washington. This intimation is being hinted at very strongly in all the general reports that are being circulated throughout the country, and it is evidently an attempt to influence congress in the way of legislation as the voters were foolishly influenced by the promise of a return to prosperity last November.

The 11,000 tons for the Chicago City Hall will be fabricated by the American Bridge Company. The Prince Iron Workers will

FEBRUARY, 1909

fabricate the 514 tons of material required for the Yorkshire apartment house, Riverside drive and 116th street.

Reports given out are to the effect that 1,000,000 tons of bridge and building steel were erected during the year 1908. As a whole this compares favorably with the total for 1907.

Milliken Brothers have the contract for 300 tons of steel for the Duke residence at Fifth avenue and Eighty-ninth street; also order for 160 tons for the theater to be erected at Coney Island by the Robinson Amusement Company; also 650 tons for Bennon building, San Francisco. The Hay Foundry and Iron Works have the contract for the structural steel work on the Ives Memorial Library at New Haven.

The demand for steel since the beginning of the year has not been as great as was expected. Business, as far as orders are concerned, was quieter in December than during November, and independent concerns were reported to be making concessions in order to keep going.

The American Bridge Company will furnish the 300 tons of steel required for pier No. 32. Milliken Brothers have been awarded contract by the Interborough Company for 1,900 tons of steel for the approaches to the Williamsburg bridge. The same concern also has the order for 1,300 tons of material for the Prager Dry Goods store, San Francisco. The McClintic & Marshall Company has the contract for 800 tons of steel to be used in two schools in Philadelphia. The Berlin Construction Company has the contract for furnishing and erecting 230 tons of material for the Union Metallic Cartridge Company building at Bridgeport. The Geo. A. Fuller Company has taken a general contract for the Suffolk county courthouse at Boston, which will require 700 tons of steel.

From the above it will be seen that very few contracts are being closed and those that are being closed are exceedingly small. Of course, the month of January is, as a general proposition, very dull, but while reports since the first of the year are to the effect that there has been a gradual increase in orders for

fabricated steel, it is not as apparent as we should like to see it. As a rule the reports received from almost every locality are to the effect that a prosperous season is expected, and we take it that these reports have some foundation. A large number of building plans that will require structural steel are being figured and some of these plans will carry large tonnages. Added to this, as soon as the weather opens up railroad activities will increase, particularly in the northwest and throughout the whole of Canada. Some exceedingly large contracts are under way across the border, as can be noted from time to time by referring to the description of these particular jobs in the columns of the Magazine.

About the middle of January the report was given out that great vitality was evident in the steel market; that no less than 100,000 tons of steel orders were pending throughout the country, but were waiting for something, nobody seemed certain what. haps it is the tariff, perhaps it is the weather.

Per

While we have been having our ups and downs during the past year, it is apparent that we have had some distinguished company, for the report given out by our friend (?) the United States Steel Corporation is to the effect that the net earnings for 1908 were $74,842,330. A decrease as compared with 1907 of $58,402,599. If the panic and the enforcement of the open shop has been so disastrous to a concern like the United States Steel Corporation, we should feel highly gratified to think that we have fared no worse.

What Is a Friend?

"What is a friend?" It is the fellow who will inconvenience himself for you. It is the man who will sit beside your bedside when your frame has been touched by disease. It is the man who will come to you when the clouds are black, while the muttering thunder of misfortune growls along the sky. It is the man who will say: "Don't be discouraged. I see you are in trouble, let me help you out." It is not the man who will do you kindness only when he feels he will get in return full value for services rendered. We would not give two cents for a man who would write his name in fancy letters in our friendship-album if he would not visit us when we are in trouble.

Why We Should Control the Placing of Iron and Steel Used in Reinforced

Concrete Construction.

In our estimation it is absolutely essential that this question be kept constantly before our membership. While to the individual it may appear a question of small moment, when the entire field is surveyed and the large amount of structural steel that is being displaced by this class of construction is taken into consideration, it becomes apparent that the proposition is a far reaching one. The present reference to this class of work should be profitable. Whenever this question is raised it is necessary to at the same time refer to our friend the Lather. In a recent issue of their journal, in speaking

The Modern Jam Dollie.

We present herewith an illustration of the modern jam dollie which has been designed by Bro. A. Ricketts. The principal claims made for it is that it can be operated inside of a ten-inch column. It has an eccentric power for forcing the snap forward. With five-pounds pressure on the lever, 100 pounds is applied to the rivet. It has three adjustable screws, with one-inch thread, giving it an extension of from ten to eighteen inches. For longer space, an ordinary oneinch bolt can be used. The stock is made of steel casting, lever of tool steel, hand forged, twenty inches long, 4x1%. tire dollie is 111⁄2 pounds. procured for 4 or % rivets.

Weight of enSnaps can be

The Modern Jam Dollie.

of the decision handed down by the first annual convention of the Building Trades Department in favor of the Lather and adverse to the iron worker, we note the following:

"The officers of that organization (the iron workers) I have reason to believe, have put up this fight against us despite their personal opinion that they were attempting to uphold a false contention and one which in the end was to be a losing fight. If this assumption is correct, and they have felt called upon to follow the course they have because of their position they have surely satisfied the most exacting member of their organization and left no room for fault or complaint because of any shortcoming or lack of vigor on their part. They have gone the limit and then some, and no men could have done more in attempting to bolster up an unjustifiable contention than they have."

All this is very nice in a way, but we have no hesitation in saying that we can not subscribe to it. The officers of the International Association carried on this contest with the Lathers, not because of any personal feelings, or simply because it was the desire of the rank and file. On the contrary, we never have, nor do not now believe that we were attempting to uphold a false contention. After all that has been said and done we feel perfectly justified in saying that the Lathers. the Building Trades Department, the American Federation of Labor or no other institution can make the Iron Worker believe that he is not entitled to the work mentioned in the award of the recent convention of the Building Trades Department. This position applies particularly to the work spoken of at the beginning of this article. We have neither the time, the intention nor the space to go into the decision of the recent convention of the Building Trades Department in connection with this particular matter and do not deem such a course necessary, for the entire subject was treated in a very intelligent manner in President Ryan's report in the January issue of the Magazine. Suffice it to say that reports are being received that representatives of the Lathers in several localities, backed up by the decision referred to above, are making exorbitant claims and insisting on controlling work that is not and could not possibly have been included in said decision. We have not accepted and do not propose to accept such decision until its provisions are clearly defined and until we have some assurance that its provisions are not to be overstepped whenever the opportunity presents itself. If an attempt is made to

claim four inch angles, beams, etc., on the strength of the above ruling, our members are instructed to refuse and refuse absolutely to waive any such work.

We should like to call to the attention of our membership a few of the reinforced concrete jobs that have come to our notice during the past month. The word "few" is used advisedly. It would take several pages of this Magazine to give a list of the large reinforced concrete structures that are being constantly erected. The following is an account of one structure that has but recently been completed.

A Four-Track Railway Arch Bridge at Painesville, Ohio.

Last November a concrete arch bridge was put in service at Painesville, Ohio, by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company. The entire design and construction was done under the personal supervision of Mr. B. R. Leffler, engineer of bridges of the company, no contractors being employed.

The structure is 65 feet wide and carries four tracks. The center arch has a span of 160 feet and a rise of oo feet 3 inches. The end arches have spans of 70 feet. The total length of the structure is 382 feet, and it contains 25,150 cubic yards of concrete. During the construction the company's forces averaged 320 cubic yards of concrete placed every 10 hours, and the cost of this work is understood to have been remarkably low.

In speaking of the Majestic Theater erected at Los Angeles, the Engineering Record, in describing part of the structure, which, by the way, is of reinforced concrete throughout, has the following to say:

"The auditorium is spanned by three great reinforced concrete trusses, which carry the three stories of the office portion of the building located over it. The arrangement of the steel reinforcement is shown in one of the accompanying photographs. Trusses of longer span than these have been built, notably those in the Temple Auditorium in the same city, which are, however, more truly arched trusses and support only a roof. The trusses in the Majestic Theater have horizontal chords, in addition to carrying the threestory building over them. They are 71 feet long over all, 10 feet deep, 24 inches wide at the top and 18 inches wide at the bottom, and are calculated to support a live and dead load of over 750.000 pounds, or 375 tons.

They are reinforced in the top chord with twelve 14-inch square twisted steel bars. while there are fifteen 15%-inch square twisted steel bars in the bottom chord. Near the supports the top bars are bent down and used as shear bars, passing to and down the outside of the supporting columns, thus securing

a strong portal action. The lower bars are brought up as required in successive stages to the top of the truss to care for the reversed stresses that occur at the supports. These bars are all hooked at the end around the other bars to give them anchorage. Owing to the great span, it would be difficult and impracticable to secure and use continuous steel of such lengths, so pieces spliced together were employed. The splices were located at points of least stress, and have a lap from 5 to 6 feet, with three clamps at each lap. Even with this arrangement, steel 50 and 54 feet long was required."

Note the last sentence quoted above. Steel rods 50 and 54 feet long.

In the Engineering Record of January 23, a lengthy article appeared describing the reinforced concrete viaduct which is now being erected across the Rocky river at Detroit avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. The new structure replaces one of structural steel and consists of a 280-foot span in the center with three 44-foot approach spans at one end and two 44-foot approach spans at the other.

As stated above this list could be carried on indefinitely month after month, but these few jobs are mentioned so that our members may realize the importance of the question and have it brought home to them how much this class of construction is displacing the use of structural steel. During the evolution of any industry it is absolutely necessary that the interested persons be constantly on the lockout for changes either adopted or proposed. If this course is not followed in the present instance we will, when it is too late, awake to a realization of the fact that a golden opportunity has been missed. It is to avoid such a happening that we say to all our members and to all our local unions that they should control structural iron work in bridges, buildings or other structures, no matfer what shape or form it may assume.

The Privileged

It is seldom that we enter the domain of the literary critics, but a recently published book bearing the title of our article prompts us to come in Class. contact with its author. A noted humorist said he had "reduced the science of telling the truth about himself to the art of lying about others," and in his volume, "The Privileged Class" (Charles Scribner's Sons), Professor Barrett Wendell has succeeded as well as the humorist; at least a careful reading of his book shows that he has studied more the "art" than the "sci

ence" of how better to lie than to tell the truth.

For instance:

"The privileged classes are not the rich and idle, but the workingmen."

He asserts himself to be a "man of letters," and we are assuming that he places himself not as a scarecrow, but as a beautiful growth, a sunflower, in the purest and cleanest field of standard literature of which he claims his book is a gilt-edged, soft morocco bound specimen for and of the "privileged class." though to us it appears as one of those fungi that steal into existence by the grace of thoughtless, careless publishers.

To strengthen his assertion that the rich and idle are not the privileged class he declares:

"The selfish brute who refuses to give up a part of his seat in a public conveyance is always the man with the dinner-pail."

And he rises in the majesty of his erudition to say:

"It is always disgusting to a man of letters to see how workingmen idle away their time in chatting and resting when they should be working."

Ah, if the dog is not barking, he should be biting; if not biting, then barking; in plainer indication, there is no rest for the dog.

Now we know that those really great "men of letters," the trim Thackeray, the elder Dickens, the senior Jerrold, the undying Byron, the sand-papered Addison and the tender but baldheaded Goldsmith, famed author of the "Village Graveyard” elegy, “The Vicar of Wakefield," and other immortal works, found, as did other men of letters, Wine Office Court a convenient and very direct passage to a famous "dram shop," known the world over as "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese." and that in the latter they had a place to meet and mingle with the "brutes" and "idlers"-workingmen-who gathered in it to idle time away in chatting and resting-in so many words, those men of letters considered the noted place not as a disreputable retreat, but as a desirable and privileged resort for themselves and fellow toilers to talk over the miscellanea of human affairs. And they were men whose names are in the halls of fame. where names of Wendell's "letters" will never be found; and they were men who depended upon brains and pen and brawn to produce

what would entertain, amuse and educate other men of letters, and the "brutes" and "idlers" of manual and physical labor.

In almost every city where trolley, traction and electric transportation are public utili ties, the "disgusted" and "outraged" friends of Prof. Wendell-people of wealth or whom circumstances favor or have favored by associating with wealth and the wealthy class -are patrons of such conveyances, most when they are used by women, and the greater number will be recognized as those who purchase extra editions of newspapers, examine their latest mail or "chat" with a fellow merchant, manufacturer, banker or broker, over the rise or fall of stocks, bonds, securities or trade conditions, while the tired stenographer, typewriter, bookkeeper or department clerk of the feminine gender, or the man with the kit of tools, bundle of clothes or a dinner-pail grips the corner of a seat-back to prevent a wearied body starting a push and a pull resembling a football contest on a crowded campus. And in observing Professor Wendell's friends, note that there is no class of patrons of public conveyances like those who enjoy the "privilege" of distinguishing the convenience of sitting from the exhaustion of standing in a crowded car, their enjoyment preferring and deciding, by a large majority, in favor of the former.

The nobility of human nature never fails to inculcate human courtesy, but it is a nobler instinct that will regard the tender of humane effort. Not all work is laborious. not all wage-earners are laborers. Persons in independent circumstances may work and make their work light or heavy as their power or their will urge or permit. In their independence, however, they realize that there is no necessity for them to work or labor or toil. Work is not always hard, labor is, toil still harder, indeed the hardest, and who is more deserving of the humane than the laborer or the toiler.

Let the professor accuse one of being a literary snob, but one--not far from this pen -has believed that magpies and parrots "chat" in imitation of the voice of human speech; but no man of letters ever uses the low German tatern when distinguishing between the proper and improper use of words, native or foreign, that apply to or are employed in correct written or spoken language. Real men of letters-belles-lettres—and men of common sense and ordinary intelligence,

hold converse as they confer and talk about matters rising in daily or occasional intercourse. The prattling of babes is a sweet sound to the ear, the babbling of ignorant tongues but sounds of discord, and the gossip of neighborhoods mars harmony of association. But, giving the verb the present active participle and using the root in a refined sense, chatting is a charming disposition of time, but not always at the opportunity or pleasure of wage-earners, for workingmen are not given to habitually or unnecessarily utilizing it, since its employment would menace their own. Unlike the Professor and his friends, the poor "brutes" can not, unless at cost, take time, however brief the requirement, from their wage-earning hours to arrange for, seldom to attend an evening or an afternoon chat. They are too generally bound by rules requiring all their time, their tongues and their minds to be at the pleasure and the profit of their employers, who are invariably so prompt to complain. Even Mr. Wendell's own, if he had any at the time when he was writing his book, had a right to expect the time for which they paid him belonged to them.

Mr. Wendell also declares that "the man of letters finds much fault with labor unions."

If all men of letters were capitalists. Wendell's statement would be true; but there have been, and still are, men, whose literary attainments, ability and fame have brightened the intellectual world. who, by their brains their pens and their tongues. have aided and are still aiding labor to assume its rightful and proper position as one of the great factors in the advancement, improvement and material substantiality of the world, the better to enable them and other real men of letters to broaden and elevate its civilization. intelligence, knowledge and intellectuality.

He further says that "men of letters" also find fault with proposed legislation "bearing upon old-age pensions."

Doctor Osler-the old Doctor Osler-a man of letters, appears not to have been in the mind of our very fresh man of letters, Doctor Wendell; otherwise the two might have agreed that chloroform was an excellent pension for the old, notwithstanding another man of learning assures us our only billionaire will live to be a hundred years old and still be active enough to "earn" a thousand dollars an hour.