The San Francisco call., 1906-06-24

also in the Baltimore and Sioux City
confiagrations- 1t also came out Of the
recent temblor practically unblem-
ished.
As the new San Francisco will have
so many OF it's buildings of this. mono
lithic type of construction a brief men
tion of the manner in which the mater
| ial is made should be of interest. at the
present time. The concrete Is made or
crushed stone, sand and cement mixed
in proportions that require scientific
accuracy when to be used for the sup
erstructure of a building. The rein
forcement consists mainly of steel rods
that also require great engineering
skill in their placing
This class of construction as well as
Glass A steel and brick buildings. such
as The Call building, would make. a
city absolutely fire-proof and pass
through an earthquake such as that OF
April Is with scarcely scar.
/ In order to illustrate more forcibly
what herculean tasks such organiza-
tions can undertake when the contract
time is limited in months will explain
in more detail the building of a eftysin
Maine. which created a considerable
sensation in engineering circles and
stands as example of American in
dustrial achievement.
Early in the spring OF last year. a
contract was undertaken for the build
| town in the heart of a Maine forest
This site was chosen by the paper com
pany because at this point land was
cheap. water-power could be secured
from a river and the forests could fur
nish raw material. These natural
forces had to be harnessed. and haT-
messed quickly. The greatest economy
/ to be effected was that of speed lin
converting unproductive into a
money making area The paper csm-
pany demanded certain specific require
ments for turning out it's products.
and set specified dates. On these dates
the builders organization undertook
to fulfill its agreement.
The contract was large. 1t provided
for an entire Industrial community
factories, mills. machine shops. freight
and passenger terminals. stores, homes
railroad and 20O0-foot dam OF con-
crete. Its cost ran well into seven ffg-
ures- Within eight months a territory
was to be converted from a wild forest
into productive Industrial community
of 1000 in line for listment on the Gov
ernment maps. In brief. an entire town
was to be made to order" with speed
that before the day of business organ
ization and specialized systems would
( have been impossible.
The day the contract was signed the
machinery of the builders 0rganiza-
/ tion was set in motion. Like huge
magic hand the force of this organiza-
tion applied itself TO the building OF
I this town. to be lifted only by its COM
pletion. Within total period of eight
months this town was 10 be conceived.
planned, built and delivered The work
was begun in April; it was completed
last December and the city was deliv-
cred to the owners.
The first step was the appointment OF
a general superintendent 70 direct the
work Under his supervision profes-
sional and unskilled labor was hired
from the white list" the nature of
which I have explained. Then the va
rious factors in the building OF the
town were organized into departments
The second step was to send the ad-
vance guard TO the site of the proposed
town. The site was covered with
nine-foot depth of snow. Upon this
the advance guard erected bunkhouses
for twenty-five men to follow-houses
that rested on solid ground only with
the spring thaws. These men built ac-
commodations for hundred and the
hundred for a thousand Each group
reached the spot at just the time 10
I involve the least loss. Each man ar
rived to find his quarters. tools and
work ready for instant use.
Foot by foot the town rose from the
cleared timber land. and on the list OF
October the roofs were on the build
ings as agreed. In December the job
was done. IL not able men or
good material or special machinery
that accomplished this achievement 1t
was organization-an organization thai
utilized 10 their utmost the advantages
at it's disposal. an organization which
devoted it's united effort to one pur-
pose and attained il. That purpose
was speed.
San Francisco cannot be rebuilt in
o:c hrr 4 fop nj will ro
rebuilt with a rapidity that before the
days of great building organizations
would have been impossible These
great organizations that are marshal
ing their forces to the coast realize
that they are called upon TO prepare
! for such splendid and rapid building
operations as the world never wit
messed before They know that In
their work they will be raising monu-
ments to themselves and thar@by their
speed they will gain wOrld-wide repu-
tations. The bunkhouses for the hum
dreds are going up among the ruins
now and the hundreds will prepare for
the thousands who are coming The
tools and materials are coming as fast
as the railroads and steamship COM
panieS handle them The re-
sources of the world are being drawn
upon as well as the resources OF this
country for the cement that San Fran
ture of concrete for the great build
ings that will make the gateway Of the
Pacific a man-made Gibraltar
The Gilbreth. Fuller and Thompson-
Starrett organizations rushed their
forces to Baltimore while the ruins
were being cleared. They are assem-
bling their armies here while the
debris is still piled high. Baltimore IS
a greater and more beautiful city to-
day than she was before the FIRE.
These big companies knew IL would
be so. and they know ii win be 20
with the future Of this city.
Speaking of the future of San Fran
cisco from the builders point OF view,
GiIbreth said:
Il have noticed in the newspapers
that Professor Omori. the Japanese
geologist and earthquake-tamer. says
that there will be no more tembTors. in
San Francisco for many decades to
come Whether he is right or not, II
we have plenty OF such buildings as
the Call building. the Flood building
the Mint the POStOffice and many 9th