Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-11
oTTUMWA BRIDGE co. WILL
BUILD GIANT STEEL vIADUcT
AT NEW ORLEANS
WINS BIG CONTEST
Local Concern in. Face Of Enormous
Competition, Is sueoessfuI-struc-
ture Will Reqsee 100000 Pounds
Of Raw Materisp


In the face Of strong competition.
comprising bids from many of The
largest and foremost manufacturers
Of the United States, the Ottumwa
Box Car Loader and Bridge company
have been awarded what is, as far as
can be ascertained at this time, the
largest contract ever given to an OF.
tumwa concern, being the erection OF
gigantic steel viaduct at New Or
leans, La. The contract price Is APP
proximately 100000. Henry Philips,
president Of this concern, received thu
information yesterday and Immediate
ly communicated with A. A. Alsbury,
agent of the concern, located at the
branch house at Houston, Texas, auth
orizing him to go TO New Orleans and
sign the contract papers.
u a Massive Structure.
The viaduct, which Is to be erect
ed In the business section of New Or
leans to do away with so much con-
gested traffic, extending over the rail-
road tracks. is to be 1000 feet long.
The structure will be amply wide to
provide for heavy street traffic and In
addition to carry two lines Of street
railway tracks. Two million pounds
Of steel will be used in the work This
thousand tons of raw material will
all be shipped to Ottumwa, worked
over here and be manufactured into
the desired pieces required for the
Job.
Mr.. Phillips stated this morning
that the entire viaduct will be built
by the Ottumwa concern, from the
excavating and laying Of the con-
crete work to the painting of the fin
ished structure. He added further
that his house had won the contract
in the face Of strong competition, bids
being sent in from all over the United
States.
81 have had no advice given me
yet" Mr.. Phillips said, "as to the time
allowed for the completion Of the task,
but just as soonS as we can get our
men and material on the ground we
will begin the work and push it with
all possible rapidity.'
viii Bid on Hotel.
John Dittman Of the Ottumwa
Bridge company left last evening for
Kansas City where he will bid for
the contract to be awarded soon fol-
the erection of an eleven story hotel
building The building will have a
steel framework, and it is the contract
for this steel erection that Mr.. Dit
man hopes to secure.
Capital Stock Raised.
An amendment to the articles Of in
corporation Of the Ottulnwa Box Cal
Loader company has been fled where
by the capital stock Of the concern is
raised from S250,000 to 100000. Oh
this amount $4,000 will be common
stock and the remainder, or $4,000
will be preferred.
The concern was incorporated little
more than year ago with S250,00t
capital stock and at that time, Mr.
Phillips stated this morning this
amount was considered to be ample
capital to operate with for some time
but as the business has grown beyond
all expectations, the change was a ne
cessity. No change has been made
| in the officers of the corporation.
| Mr.. Phillips this morning received
an inquiry from eastern agencies, ask
ing him for prices on eight electrical
| ly equipped portable dock leaders, t.
be supplied for export trade. If tni.
order is closed. the machines will bs
shipped as soon as possible to New
York. from where they will be re-ship
ped 20 their permanent destinations.