The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1909-11-12
NORTH COAST
BRIDGE BUILD
ING FAST
e0NIRACTORS WITH LARGE EQUIP
uENT PUSH CONSTRUCTION
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
COLUMBIA

The Puget SOUND Bridge q Dredg-
ing Co., the Northwest branch OF
the Atlantic Gulf-Pacific Dredging
Co., the ltrgest concern in that line
in the world have the contract for
building the new North Coast
bridge acrcss the Columbia east of
town below the Snake river. They
are 2 alsn t. take the contract for the
Ringold bridge for the same company
In strikin c.nt IS t." the general
policy of the North Coast this
company is rushing its work. In
the river they have four of the huge
cement piers comnleted and are at
work with steam shovels, concre e
mixers, a f1otilla of scows putting
il the remainder of the twelve
piers which constitute the principal
supports of the bridge. They are
placing about 100 yards of cement
in their piers per day. The sand
is secured from a deep cut they are
making on the south side of the
river and the gravel and rocks are
sorted from it by machinery, when
it is emptied into chutes from dump
cars. The sand scow runs under
meath chutes and is loaded in the
same manner as cars are loaded
with grain from elevators in the
east. The big concrete mixer is
set up on a big scow on which are
rigged two swinging cranes one
handling the sand into the mixer
and the other the compound into
the water and to the base of the
upbuilding pier inside the frame
crib. The cement is allowed to
harden in water and gives the very
solidest concrete because it hardens
so slowly. In addition to the
work on the water a large force of
carpenters are kept at work framing
the cribs for the next piers and in
framing the timbers for the bridge.
About 40 percent of the timbers are
now framed and ready t. be placed
A huge swinging crane ninety feet
high is used in handling the big
dimension stuff and the saving is
done with a huge power saw.
All cement and sand is tested
for standard strength before being
allowed to be used in the work
F. E. DeSellem is the cement tester.
The cement is nodded into bri-
quettes which are about an inch
square at their smallest point and
when dried are tested by a device
similar to a scale and must show
$50 t. 500 pnunds tensile strength
to the square inch before it can be
passed. The one tested before the
writer held to 625 pounds. A huge
pile of sand on the south sil3 has
been rejected.
The company employs about 81
men who are housed and fed near
the bridge. Mrs. Carter is IN charge
OF the dining room which is first
class. J. \. Livingston is the supt.
OF the whole works, and Franz k
Walter is the engineer in charge
for the North Coast Railway. Ma
terlal is delivered by a spur from
the Northern Pacific at Burbank
and postotiice is established there
about a mile distant from the
bridge. In fact the first requisite
lor a town. real estate office has
been built there in the last few
days and there is talk of a hotel.
The North Coast bridge will cost
around $4,000 is wooden
Draw span bridge of ten spans.
lhe niue stationary spans are 155
ieet long from centers and the draw
fpan turning on a concrete circular
pier will be 240 long. The entire
o''dge with approaches will be