Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-13
BIC LOCAL INDUSTRY
Establishment to Be Added to
District Industries.
ABOUT READY TO START UP
Steel Plant Located at Giesboro Point,
Near the City.
READY FOR SOUTHERN TRADE
Important Recognition of Washington
as the Coming Gateway to
the South.
ABOUT READY TO START UP
READY FOR SOUTHERN TRADE

On the first OF the year. II the present
plans are carried out. the largest manu-
featuring plant ever established I'm this Dis
| trict will begin operations. OF course in
| the above statement reference is had only
| to plans of that character whose origin has
been due to private enterprise. The gov
ernmental activities in this direction. while
not numerous. yet in the one case of the
| gun factory at the old navy yard. are OF
| sufficient extent to throw into the shade
| any thing that individual effort is likely to
| do here for a good many years to come
| If such plants the bureau OF engrav-
| ing and printing and the government print
ing Office come strictly within the category
| OF manufacturing establishments. then, OF
| course, these places must be Included in
order that any such sweeping statement as
| the opening one above can measurably be
true.
Outside OF the possible exceptions which
| are all established and maintained by the
| government and not by individual enter
| prise. the undertakings of this kind in the
| District have not been and are not now on
| an elaborate scale, taken individually. As a
whole the manufa ctures of the District foot
| up to very respectable tota'. The columns
showing the total of wages paid out In one
year by such concerns and the enrolment
| of the employees are rather impressive than
| otherwise. In spite OF that fact. Washing
| ton does not rank a manufacturing GEN.
| ter
| Biggest of It's Kind.
| After the first OF the year, however.
stated. there will be an establishment here
| that will be quite the biggest thing OF
| the sort that the District has ever seen.
| This is the plant which is being built by
| the FirthSterling Company on the Poto-
| mac. south of the city, but within the
bounds of the District. The locality is
| known to the older residents as Giesboro
Point. but the property purchased by the
company embraces much larger territory,
there which
prise a water frontage on the river and the
| Eastern branch of a mile and half
The group of buildings which are being
built there and which are nearing COM
pietion, can be seen from the river rs well
as from the high ground which lies TO the
south and east. 1t is an impressive sight
owing to the SIZE of the structures. At
present there are two big buildings and
several smaller ones One OF the former
class. which is to be the machine shop.
where the latheS are to be and whore the
finishing touches on the projectiles to
be given. has length of 80 feet ard a
width of over 100.
The building where the furnaces are to
be located and the electric cranes and great
hammers is about the same size. while the
powerhoCSe, the laboratory and other build
ings are only comparatively smaller. These
buildings are designed after the most ap-
proved style for such structures. The main
feature is provision for abundance Of
light and air which is accomplished not
only by an ample range of openings in
the lower portion of the ui'dinss, but in
the cierestory The building where the
raw material is to be gotten into shape has
practically all sides of glass that the
ventilation will be of the best and VIII do
much to relieve the heat which comes from
the furnaces and the molten metal.
Rapid Progress Made
1t is quite evident that 1t is to be
permanent plant. all the buildings are
OF the most substantial character. The
brick walls of sturdy proportions bear the
steel frame work that SUPPORTS the roofs.
There is but little wood used. and in the
case of the powerhOuSe the roof is covered
with large tile or s abs made of concrete
and resting upon the steel beams
When it is considered that the ground for
the erection of the first building was broken
about the middle of last April, it will be
understood that no time has been lost since
then. The erection of water tower has
gone with such success that the iron
structure is nearly finished. II will he sup
piled from the river. The details of carry
ing on such building operations in place
that seems somewhat remote from the or
binary channels OF communication are of
interest as showing in the first place that
the location has not proved inaccessible.
By Water and by Rail.
There are two principal ways of reach
ing the place with supplies. One is by tho
branch line of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road that passes through the property on
the way to the large wharf at Shepherds
Landing on the river opposite A axaudria,
and the other is, of course, by means Of
the river itself.
All the brick. for example Were brought
from brick yard in AnacoStia by the rail-
road to the works. switch has been built
directly into the property of the company
and a shifting engine owned by the COM
pany hauls the cars back and forward. The
wharf Of the company is reached by ves-
sells on the river, and as soon as the plant
is started, the ferryboats that ply between
this city and Alexandria will make stops
there as frequently as necessary in order
to convey the workmen to their homes
either in this city in Alexandria The
sand and gravel that is needed is landed
river and in the handling Of the finished
product of the plant, which Will be for
the present projectiles for the navy, that
method of transportation or that OF the
steam road will be employed.
Why This City Was Chosen.
The purpose of establishing the plant in
tfis ri'v was in the first place for
venience of access to the government de-
a.....uAt, where a large portion of the work
that is done comes from. When II
found that the plant of the company near
Pittsburg had become too small, and that
some measures of relief must be taken, IL
was concluded to move to this city that
ton of the business which was concerned
with the making of projectiles.
This concern, however makes all sorts of
specialties into which steel enters, and
Washington was chosen for another reaS-
SON and that was because of its accessi-
billy to the south The development OF
the business of that sort with the south is
going on rapidly, and 1t is thought that
the location of this plant here will be an
advantage In a business way that will be
more and more apparent.
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