Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-24


OF the large Auditorium building. Ra-
leigh square and the Grand Plaza.
All the outer corner of the basin
stand high towers for the exhibits Of
the light house service n the wire
less telegraph and within the basin are
conducted the aquatic and swimming
events. Government launches. pleas
ure craft and other boats of light draft
also enter this basin, and deposit their
passengers upon a broad landing sur
mounted on either side by tall. white
columns OF Corinthian architecture.
The federal government contributed
S4O0, 000 for the construction of these
piers. and advertised Tor bids which
were opened october 21st. 1906. In
Washington at the office of Major
Spencer Sosby. engineer In charge ~
the work. Although fifteen sets Of
plans had beer sent out. only one
company put In a bid, and his bid was
based on a revised drawing. IL was
the Sconeld company of Philadelphia
that submitted this bid to this COM
ANY M was awarded the contract ol
a complete re-designing Of all the sub
structure. all'the architectural features
of the original plan however, being
maintained.
The new plans called for a total Of
about $4,000 piles. sheet piles AMI
lround Extraordinarily over 4 mile
vi EAl 7 AbVhl 1NMHNNN "a hH vi ~
and about 450, 600 yards Of dredging.
To complete his plan over $500. 600
feet of lumber, for either permanent
or temporary use, was required.
The most exceptional feature of the
whole pier IL "A f50-foot reinforced
arch at the outer end. This arch.
placed on a mud bottom, relying en-
tireiy upon the bearing powers of the
piles driven for It's abutments. was
the principal engineering feature Of
the whole work. as al the time of the
issue Of the plans To date. II Is the
longest single spa bridge of its kind
in this country, measuring exactly Isl
feet and five inches from spring line
to spring line. In order to place this
arch over 200 piles were driven In
each abutment and the concrete placed
nine feet below the water line In two
large coffer-dams.
In beginning his work. the contrae-
tor had three serious problems to
solve.
First-The labor conditions at the
exposition grounds at the time, not
altogether satisfactory On account Of
the thousands of men required for
other construction then going on
within the grounds.
SecOnd-The uncertainty Of the tide
action as influenced by almost the
slightest wind.
Third-The heavy wind storms TO
which the waters off the jamestown
exposition grounds are exposed In win
ter and spring.
With practically ~ per cent of the
work at low water, which could only
be reached a few hours during the
day. with the YER cold and severe
weather throughout much of the WIN
ter and spring making II impossible
for men to work overheard. with pc
RODS of almost three weeks when the
lou etI. M AAr .t.a NNatNNhs. "a EAaN 80
normal low water, with a succession
of ver storms, and with the con
tending difficulty of transportation of
laborers, the work of constructing
these enormous piers was carried on
practically continually from the time
II started. In fact. h claim Is made
that from the first of the Near until
the present time. there has not been an
hour when some work was not being
on the pier.
Fourteen different pile-drivlng ma
chimes were used in the pile driving,
high as ten being used AT the same
time. Nine dredges, seven tugs and
twelve scows. all manned by at least
two. and sometimes three crews.
working either sixteen or twenty-four
have been used on the dredging.
In operating and handling the ma
terial for this gigantic undertaking
three locomotives We're used, two
ndllbW kdukt anu "a Nltibuiu kbNEfs :
over two n a half miles Of track
were laid to connect the various parts
the work with the exposition COM
pany's tracks.
In handling the concrete. two separ-
ate n distinct concrete plants were ,
built. one on the shore for the -four
sea walls and the other end. and the
other for the arch. situated on a tenn
porary trestle along side.
On Of the length OF time |
lost In the ride between orfolk and
The surrounding cities and the expo
grounds. and desiring 10 facili-
tate matters. the company constructed
4 number Of bunk houses. separating
he various Glasses of laborers, whites.
Italians and negroes. Besides this n
louse for the superintendent and en-
g%lneers. a tool house. a cement shed,
, blacksmith's shop. q staff work shop.
'ommissary, restaurant and three cook
houses were built.
Laborers were imported from all
'ver the east, principally Italians from
York. aud whites and negroes
rom Annapolis n Baltimore. A.
az forty-three foremen with
heir gangs have been employed on
he work at one time.
One OF the hardest obstacles In COM
the pier was found To be the
lredging. The bottom. instead Of be-
ng sandy. as shown on the drawings
n the original plans. proved to be q
combination OF clay. sand. sandstone.
tc.. with a large moun Of cobhle
tones and small boulders. which de- i
led the best efforts OF anything but
he largest dredgcs.
A simple statement of the foregoing
acts u sufficient 70 convince one that
TO the jamestown exposition.
nd In order to add To the beauty Of
he setting Of this great Worlds fair
- UuAHA A