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Show ! A Nation of Bridge Builders. The United States Is notably In ad-vanco ad-vanco of all other nations In the science and practice of bridge building. build-ing. Tho increasing demands of com-merco com-merco Justified longer and longer spans, tho wolght of locomotives and 1 trains doubled and trebled, the slnglo brldgo members Increased to one hundred hun-dred feet In longth nnd ono hundred tons weight, wonderful steam, hydraulic, hy-draulic, pneumatic and electric ma-; ma-; chine tools were made to fashion them j . with, nnd costly special shops wero ; built in this country nnd operated by thousands of men. Tho methods and j facilities of erection have kept pace with theso developments. Enormous 1 derricks, traveling towers nnd steel ij rope 'tackles operated eight nt a time I by a slnglo stenm or electric hoisting engine, with many other costly spec-j spec-j inl appliances, have been provided for assembling tho great members quick ly," cheaply and safely Into tho finished span., America stands to-day far In ' advnnco of nil tho world in the daring dar-ing designs, high quality and economical econom-ical and rapid construction of many great bridges. F. W. Skinner in Harper's Har-per's Weekly. |
