The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-11-21
| Modern
Witchcraft !
aonae of the Details
Involved ia Build. {
Jag the Modern /
Sky Sc EaPex. !
baOr FRANCIS ARNOLD COLLINS 1.-THE
BUILDING OF 4 MODERN SKY
IRAPER" IN ST. NICHOLAS
2RS2S153S15259S559S252S5Si

n quaint story is told OF an old
scAitect of the Middle Ages who pre-
.ared his plans for a great cathedral
= sitting silently before its site for
nseral years, smoking and meditat-
= upon his work, before he drew a
ineie line upon paper. The cOnstruc-
Am OF a modern sky-scraper goes
asa astonish;ngly faster The
nit steel structures, which are 50
Characteristic of American ingenuity
"a energy, are built more after the
amer of Aladdin's palace.
When the builders receive definite
nder for such a structure it is a
nestlon only of hours before it will
= actually under way. Before the
nchitect has touched pen to paper,
= perhaps before he has found time
i dive a though to the design of the
imlding, gangs of workmen have proc
a,b been rushed to the site to begin
- preliminary work.
Should 1t be necessary to tear down
bailding 1t is quickly attacked, SO
)hat few days after the order has
zen received the site will be marked
b . cloud of dust. Even when great
feel structure is to be built upon a
ncant lot the workmen are hurried
= The place, the ground will be clear
y Ind the preliminary work will soon
) wen in hand. 1t is not q question
deciding upon a date a week or
nooth IN advance to make q begin
~. In most cases the work Is
nnlH under way before the sun Is
Z
Meanwhile great staf Of assist
hab lined before long rows q desks
= busily at work figuring On the
neral form of the building, the
wight the floors will support, the
- and form of thousands Of pieces
= steel used in the construction, the
unity of stone. wood. plaster and
~ various materials employed. AZ
- q the builders know the height
I the building, the number Of stories
~ the general form they are able to
Hier . great deal Of the material
heeied, 50 that valuable time may be
onEed. It is not so much a question
Il saving material. or the cost OF Ia
IT., expensive as these may be, but
i saving time. which in busy streets
~ when 50 much capital is involved
very costly.
1Ach department is, Of course. car
~ On by men skilled in their line.
- these men must be gathered and
npicyed. Orders must be seat to
- Quarrtes, perhaps hundreds OF
niles away, for the necessary stone.
~ lumber mills must also be told
II what the orders will be so that
~ may get to work. In addition
Asse are plumbers, electricians, pias-
Rers, carpenters, decorators and hun
1ds Of workmen to be- engaged, adj
1Ar as possible in advance.
4 h only a few years since the
IT work in erecting building was
~ a deep hole for the founda-
- II the building was to be
ee one the excavation had to be
~ deep and wide. Large gangs OF
gkmen with carts and horses were
plcyed. 1t would frequently had
- that great masses Of stone must
1lasted and. with the sand and dirt,
Eted away. Until this great hole
completed everything was at a
ndstill. Today all this is changed.
Dooa as the site for q sky-scraper
bee. cleared for . modern steel
ctnre the ground Is quickly filled
= powerful machinery which would
have been dreamed Of by the build
ol . few years ago. In many
= the site is actually floored over
heavy tfmbers before the work
mences. The machinsry. which Is
~ assembled. consi1ts Of power
aeEricaCs. great drills, chutes, tall
-. odd-looking machines for mix
cement and many curious steel
- to be used for building the
chimney-like 'caissons," as We
explain later on. Such groups
nchinery may be seen today in
- crowded streets OF all large
uiean ctsies.-From Frances Ar
Ooiifns's The Building Of .
1cfaper,' in st. Nicholas.
SMUGGLING CANDY.