Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-04-07
STATE HOUSE.
Statistics Wanted on Maine
Summer Resort Business.
Interesting Details About Col. Far
rington's State Map.
The Rotunda FIoor-More Telephones at the
Capitol Corporations.

1t is now thought that the Metro
politan Fire Proof Co, which is putting
the fire Sroof flooring in the rotunua
will have completed its work by
week from tonight. although il has
until the 10th before the last vestige OF
its work shall be removed.
The work Of Noyes & Son was that
of putting in the steel beams and grid
ers. The work Of this company is that
Of laying the floor. The construction
of the floor. considering the results
guarantee q. is something remarkaple.
From each of the girders is suspended
n temporary structure. This Is small
staging. suspended by iron straps from
the girders 50 that it is when complet-
ed but 4 inches from the top of the
girders.
Running lengthwise of the building
will be strands of double twisted No.
l. galvanized wire. These strands VIII
be 3 inches and made fast only at the
outside girders. So that by this con-
structiOn the floor will be one network
of wires running the length Of the ro-
tunda. Each wire is caught by rods
and fastened in the center of the space
left between the girderS 50 that the
wires practically run from one end to
the other caught only at the ends ana
n arr used in Suspcnding the tempo
nary structure, 3 inches below. by be
ing caught in the center of each space.
At the sides of the temporary Struc-
ture the space is filled with tn" COM
position used in construction of the
floor. and that it may adhere to tn
under side of the steel beam wire net
ting is placed at the under side of each.
The preparation Of which the floor IS
made is composed Of - parts Of plaS-
ter Of paris. p Of sawdust. three IF as
bestos and two Of jute fiber. This is
mixed on the temporary structure ana
is at. once placed on that floor and
built up inches, or to the level of tn"
top of the beams Were this compo-
sition mixed on the floor and then
hoisted to the place where it is to be
spread il would be so hard by the time
it reached the floor that it could not
possibly he used.
BY using the wires in the cnnstruc-
ton OF the floor, for the floor is really
supported by the wires and not by the
temporary structure below. the princi-
pie on which the Brooklyn bridge is
built is carried out, the anchors being
the small hooks at the outer girders
and the suspensions coming from
where the wires are caught in the CEN
ter between the beams by the iron
rods.
The floor is guaranteed to sustain $50
pounds of live weight to the square
foot and has stood a heat of 1900 de-
grees without even the paint on the
girders being started after being ex-
posed five hours to the heat.
Superintendent Stevens had somn
doubts about the floor being able to
stand the strain claimed and went to
Bangor. where he looked over the floor
ing used in the Eastern Maine hospital.
There blow after blow was struck with
a heavy sledge hammer until the whole
floor trembled. but the floor did not
even crack. Then heavy team was
driven onto the floor, but that did not
start the flooring.
The construction is a perfect marvel
to those who have seen it and is the
talk of the different departments.
One thing which Col. Stevens has
made arrangements for is that each
contractor shall carry away the refuse
from the work. That is. the refuse
must be removed when the time limit
for the contract has expired. The com
panies. too. have agreed to put back
the electric light wires, the whole to
be laid in conduits.