The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-09


The American Bridge and Iron Works
is an industry that Roanoke can well
feel proud of. Thro ughout the winter
these works have been running a full
forco of hands, and in fact oven moro
men were taken on than could BIO worked
with comfort. Almost since the day the
shops were first started the men have
made overtime from two to four hours.
and in many instances some depart
mcnts worked all night.
The open space about the works pre-
sents lively scene, and the inside is a
beehive Of industry. Two hundred and
fifty men, each in his place and working
undor perfect system, turned out the
heavy and light bars of iron, passing
from one to the other until the whole
presented some portion of bridge or
furnace in all it's perfect symmetry.
These works now employ fully GOO
men. Two hundred and fifty OF them
are employed at the works proper, whilo
the others arc engaged throughout the
country in erecting and putting work
together. OF the $50 mon cmployed in
tho city, at least $50 are Skilled
mechanics. The amount of work
turned out in the past two years has
been more than could be expected from
an industry of this size. Two large
bridges for the Roanoke Gas and Water
Co have just been completed. They are
100 and 100 feet long and are all iron
except the floor. Another bridge 22S
feet lOnT q nd fnot ,t,i1o I,
finished for firm near Norfolk.
OF the work now under construction
the immense iron bridge for the West
Radford Land and Improvement Com
pany, which spans New River, will be
sufficient to give the works a name in
history. This Magnificent bridge will
be l,4S0 feet long and 10 feet wide, and
will be the longest structure OF tho kind
south of Washington. 1t is GOO feet
longer than the Rivermont bridge at
Lynchburg. Work is progressing favor
ably on this bridge and parts of it are
being shipped out almost every day.
Three largo iron buildings for the
rolling mills at Shenandoah arc being
gotten out, also two of the Same kind
for the Radford Pipe and Foundry Com
pany. The sizes of the latter two are
5lXl77 and 123x22S feet.
There is also under construction n
bridge for the Pulaski Land and I'm
provemeDt Company, 100 feet long and
40 feet wide.
The largest contract now on hand is
the blast furnace for the Pulaski Dcvcl-
opmcnt Company, 15X75 feet. This is n
$500, 900 job and will not be completed
TO- several months.
In addition to this the company have
under contract the three overhead
hriH fA,. ~,
street bridge is now under course OF
construction.
The 80 feet span bridge over Roanoke
river for the Roanoke and Southern
railroad is also under construction, as
well as the Cantilever trestle bridge also
over Roanoke river, which is being
erected by the Roanoke Development
Company. The contract has also been
awarded to those works for the erection
OF another bridge at Norfolk for the
Norfolk and Carolina Company.
The Appalachia Steel and Iron Com
pany at Big Stone Gap are having sew
eral iron buildings gotten out at the
Bridge Works, but the work on these
has not yet been com pleted.
In addition to the immense amount of
work now under construction, the works
are getting out material for tho new
iron blacksmith shop which is to be put
up in place of the one which was burned
down last winter. ThisR building is to
be somewhat larger than the old build
ing and will be CT tirely fireproof
The foundation is being cleared up
and put in order, and in is expected
that the shop will be ready for occu-
pancy within five or six weeks
The works have hardly recovered from
the great loss entailed when the COM
plete supply of patterns which were
stored in the smith shop were burned
last November.
Some extra work is being turned ont
for the Maple Shade Inn, at Pulaski
City, besides numerous other small con-
tracts all along the lines of the Norfolk
and Western.
The capacity of the shops are not
now sufficient for the contracts on hand.
Space is in such demand that every foot
is taken up with machine or me-
chanic.
The large crane recently erected for
the purpose of loading heavy bridges,
beams and Orders. is mode! of perfec-
ton and capable of lifting fifteen to
twenty tons.
New machinery is constantly being
added, and the management expects
within short time to make the plant
as complete as any the country.