Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1909-07-03
ANOTHER BRIDGE
BUILDER IN TOWN
George r. Seymour, Who Had Charge
of the Construction of the Church
Street Terminal of Hudson River
Tunnel.

George F. Seymour, superintendent
of the Raymond Concrete Pile COM
pany of New York, Chicago, Pittsburt
and Baltimore, arrived here yesterday
for a stay of indefinite length, coming
from Dallas, Tex, where he learned of
the project of this county for bridging
Salt river near Center street. The
company he represents designs and
constructs reinforced steel bridges and
other lines of work employing pro-
cesses for which it holds exclusive pat
ents. Mr. Seymour is the chief engi-
neer of the Raymond company and will
probably submit plans TO the board Of
| supervisors before he leaves indicating
| his idea of the most appropriate type
| of bridge for Salt river.
The success of the RAYMOND COM
| pany has been largely due to the use
| of the patents it holds its concrete
piles being different from any other
so called piling, and being constructed
in a way that has always proved en-
tirely satisfactorv thus far
Mr.. Seymour is a man of large ex-
perience in construction work. Prob
ably his most notable service was In
the construction of the Church street
| terminal of the Hudson river tunnel
in New York, he being at that time
superintendent of the contracting com
pany. This was probably the largest
| caisSon job ever undertaken in this
| country and in eighteen months the
company spent four and a half million
| dollars below the level of the streets
! in New York. The station was exca-
waited eightv-five feet below the street
| level and the entire cellar was sixty
five feet below sea level. The excava-
ton was through a quicksand forma-
ton almost entirely until bed rock was
| encountered. and to protect adjoining
property a row of caissons was first
sunk around the border OF the pro-
posed excavation after which the Gals
sons were sealed together and the ex-
cavation followed
A world record was made on that
| job by sinking ninety-seven caissons
in sixty days, each one containing from
! $50 to 200 yards of material Another
| record day was made in the subse-
quent excavation and construction
when in one twenty-four hours 1876
two-yard loads of dirt were elevated
| from the cellar and moved away on
| flat cars.
AS will be remembered by most
! newspaper readers, this was one of the
most remarkable pieces of engineering
ever undertaken. With high buildings
all around, hole was dug big enough
TO drop a skyscraper into iand con-
| structiOn of the station began practi-
cally on the surface and was carried
on both ways. toward the sky and
| toward the bed rock
These things are mentioned merely
to show that Mr.. Seymour is not an
amateur in the building business, but
has had to solve engineering difficult
ties more embarrassing than anything
Salt river has to offer, and is not
| afraid to look a hard job in the face
Last evening he drove down to the
Center street site with Territorial En-
| gineer J. B. Grand, on whom he called
| in the afternoon. He was asked last
night if he thought the site is feas-
| ible one, and replied that he did. 1t
is only a question of what type of
| bridge the county wants and how much
it can pay. both of which features he
understands are limited to certain lines
namely, the vote on cost and the fact
| that it must be some kind of a con-
| crete structure.
Mr.. Seymour has in hand the con-