The sun., 1910-02-20
REAL WORKSHOP FOR STUDENTS
inc CiVii Engineering Laboratory John
Fritz II Building for LehIrt,.

| A~h8hHCCftuk Ms1DOrUNOrH I0hl
Friiz L. Building for LchIrh. =.
BETHLEHEM Pa. Feb. l0.-The civi
en- glneering laboratory presented to Le
hsh University here by John Fritz 10 nov
under roof 1t only needs furnishing q
be put TO its intended use.
IL might seem strange that John Fritz
foremost mechanical engineer of his time
and the holder Of Bessemer medal. sboulo
donate civil engineering laboratory, bu,
Lehigh already had a first class mocha nical
engineering laboratory, aud Mr.. Fritz
with the observation-disclosures that character
ICES him, gave the institution what II
needed The construction andeuuiument
are Characteristic OF the donor
AFTER he had announced that he was
gong TO make a present to Lehikh the
authorities OF the university offered to
let eir. Fritz himself boss the lob. He was
Wiling to undertake it and impressed into
service as his chief assistant his nephew
george A. Chandler. an expert drauRhts-
man and experienced constructing enRi-
neer. After Mr.. Fritz had got preliminary
plans from New York and PhilAdelphia
architects he finally decided that he would
not use them at all but that his laboratory
should be replica in miniature OF the
immense machine shop No. 2 at the
Bethlehem Steel Works. which ho built
himself to turn out the Government con-
tracts when he was the general manager
there.
Plans were accordingly drawn for a
building % feet wide and lI4 feet long,
70 be of shop construction. and Mr.. Fritz
further decided 1t had to be constructed
OF structural steel and cement. the two
leading products OF this region. He
selected these materials because they
are of home output and are the most sub
stan tial that could be had.
The main building is 50 feet wide and
80 feet high. having both lanterns and
skylights in the roof. It's width OF %
feet is caused by the employment of
Ieantos on each side. which in reality
are wings for the entire length OF the
Il
There is a civil engineering laboratory. |
which just now has the largest TESTING
machine in the world. with a capacitv
of 100000 pounds. This was not biz |
enough and strong enough for Mr.. Fritz, |
md out Of his own knowledge and eT,
Oerienoe he planned sa 500, ,cSc pound
which he is now having con-
in Philadelphia. A minor
esting machine OF 10000 pounds capac-
ty is also being made In Phlladelphia,
Besides these two principal machines
he laboratory will have every machine.
apparatus and device which can be ussd
o train young man in the practical
york OF civil engineering. On trlIsses
o feet high the track has been built for
ten ton electric crane. This as well
s all the machinery in the laboratory
will be operated by the students. The
JUNCTION OF the laboratory will be to train
-oung men in practical construction,
mbracing civil engineering in all its
railroad work, bridges, sky-
crapers and every other department
4 the profession.
When Mr.. Fritz made his donation
Q said he proposed to spend about
5000. When he presented a church
o the Methodist congregation in South
bethlehem in memory Of his mother
Q said he would spend about $4,000.
hen the church was finished il had cost
lmost $500 and he is building and
this laboratory on the same
enerous plan. What it win finally cost
ill be his affair more than anybody
se's.