New-York tribune., 1900-05-20
AMERICAN METHODS WIN.
WHY ENGINEERS FROM THIS COUNTRY ARE sU.
PERIoR TO THE BRITISH IN STRUCTURAL
STEEL WORK.

London, May 10.-The notable series of articles ap-
pearing in 1.-The Times upon the competition of
American engineers continues TO attract unabated
interest. The contribution published this week.
upon structural steel work. is one of the most
noteworthy and is in part follows
In constructive steel work the Americans have
made great advances during the last few years.
in the United States demand large number 'e Of
bridges, and this alone is sufficient to give great
one firm building for themselves railway bridge
simply to make a communication between two OF
Its factories, IL IS very easy TO suppose that bridges
the strong points of the American system nj that
those who contract for structural work are largely
II is to be hoped .hrs S9sthns may Be
for no other reason than to give an impetus to the
steel trade At present, what little is being done
hands Of Americans When l was at Homestead
erect big steel building in Edinburgh for The
ness is remarkable. steelmakers always trying
to @ People % 70 Tes 81 m hY Re
not put steel In place of wood. the steelmaker em-
not sit down and abuse the architect for his want
of enterprise but sets to work S to force his hand
market for steel is that Of the PFesSed Steel Car
railway wagons on the schoen system. The busi-
ness was started in 1889 in comparatively small
produce 1SO cars day. Their chief difficulty is at
The Atbara bridge created so much excitement
that l naturally visited the works, near Phla-
made II will perhaps he remembered that in Eng
land II was considered impossible for this bridge TO
be produced in the time that elapsed between the
giving, Of the order and its execption. | was as
sured by the head OF the Iirm that Rere was aothins
that 1t was not true as had oeen sta,ed 1nat
rins nrage IN had been diverted from
4 feature of American practice worth noting is
the whole machine, rolls and housings is removed
can b be changed and WORK resumed in one and
half hours. IL need hardly he said that the cleo
dea Of very eea powers and 4eroIe @ am
costly machine. IL is striking example OF the
and the way they appear To- lavish capital sx,
penditure TO serve their ends in this respect:
sgscal plants and Pssa tassoTlsS gTs@f
quite different direction TO ourselves. We have
bridges roofs. etc and the contractor. in. theory
has simply to follow drawings and specifications
ing ensineers' but the work Us j. far more IN the
exeen,on To- Of wcrS Therefors practise and theory
using the terms In their c9nventional sense-go
had in this Country not long since Of the design Of
an important bridge being ,, recast by the con-
possible to IL originally planned. could not
In & In hS ,asv hsns a5 IN fy
office; bridges stations. permanent way, ioeomo-
the impertinent contractor who saggests that any
detail IS capable of improvement The conss
they are merely copies Of former practce-methoCls
and details peeed ,9ge.hsr TO suit the occasion
the foreign contractor gets footing on the other
Mn M not e eonsu M has 10 produce esaetiy What
he is told 70. be Il good or bad and ne seeks COM
Let US imagine case in machins shop practice
BY ay NAY Gs hgstraon iecSmosve os hM, maker may
stationary engines has found II Is better to ma
motive maker W 'Sef neither seek nor accept advice
and goes on planning. That Is crude instance.