The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-08-29
BIG CROWD WATCHES
HEAVY WORK
FIRST OF THE PoNDEROuS IS
TON STEEL ORDERS is
PLACED ON BRIDGE.

At a few minutes after 5 o'clock
force Of McCreary 4 Willard, in
charge of the new foreman. NJ. j.
Haney, began the raising Of the first
of the enormous steel girders for the
new Higgins avenue bridge. and with
this act the race between the steel
gang and the concrete gang which Is
building the piers at the north end of
the structure was begun. II promises
to be a good one. and one that will
greatly interest the residents of the
city, who have so much at stake i'm
the new bridge.
All morning yesterday and part of
the afternoon the steel gang was busy
making preparations to swing the first
of the big girders into place. and when
the crucial moment arrived there was
a mighty interested crowd OF spec
tators on the job waiting to see how
the big piece of steel would be han
died. The graphing hooks of the der
rick on the ground We're attached to
one end of the girder and the other
end was taken hold of by the large
travelling derrick on top Of the bridge,
and the word given To hoist away.
Slowly but surely the ponderous 25ton
piece of steel. $3.50 feet in length. was
hoisted into the air, just enough for
one end To rest on the part of the
bridge already erected, and then the
engines shut off their steam, pausing
long enough for the men to readjust
the graphing hooks. and then the next
/ move was made. The engines gave a
final cough and with slow precision
/ the huge girder was moved up and
across the bridge, there remaining only
the task of swinging it end to end
with the structure. At this juncture
! it was found that a particular size of
prop would be needed, and as one was
not ready at the time, the work of
swinging the steel was postponed I'M
! til Monday morning at o'clock. In
! the meantime il is securely blocked
and propped, so that no ordinary wind
viii dslodge it from its precarious
position. An interesting sight is
promised to those who may be present
tomorrow morning. At that time but
one derrick, the travelling machine on
! top of the bridge, can be used i'll
swinging the girder around and car
rying it forward to its position, and
this will furnish the supreme test of
time the machine. besides handling
the big piece of steel. will be required
to move forward along the bridge I'M
der its own power But it will fully
stand the strain.
The present plan of operation on the
bridge is for the riveters to follow be
hind the big girdcrs and fasten them
permanently into place. Following the
riveters will be the carpenters. who
will lay the forms for the reinforced
concrete flooring. When the big grid
ers are swung into place the heavy
rigging on the travelling derrick will
be replaced with lighter. and the work
of swinging the cantileyer arms into
position will be done.
But not all the attention eentered
at the south end of the bridge with
the bridge men-far from it. The men
under Foreman Grove of the Burrell
Bridge & Construction company We're
as busy as beavers. for they realized
that it is "A question whether or not
the big concrete piers at the north end
are ready in time for the steel gang,
and wished To be first through the job.
The forms for pier No. are about
finished and concrete will be run into
them within the next day or two. and
this will mark the completion of all
but one of the piers. The excayating
Of the foundation for pier No. went
merrily ON yesterday, and the dirt flew
fast. Two big pumps are taking care
of the large amount of water which
seeps through the cofferdam.
f. 1t Is thought that the steel men
win be able to swing three sets of
Orders into place each week, and if
that pace is set and maintained it
means that the concrete gang will need
to go some. for the finish will be
close.