The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-05

houses" almost az II they had been
hewn out OF solid blocks OF cement
barns and cribs, with cement noors
Will be found all along the roa'e. AS
they cross the ferry from Jersey Guy
they will see. jutting out along the
waterfront. the magnificent new
docks Of the City OF New YORK, bulit
OF concrete and steel They VIII riue
| through the concrete subway, walk OH
cement sidewalks and sleep III nrc-
proof hotels built OF reinforced con-
crete.
Mother Invention has been actiVe
in causing the civil engineers ana the
architects OF the twentieth century 10
develop the possibilities OF this artin-
cial compound as our supply OF timber
rapidly decreases. The initial hign
! cost OF granite and sandstone, as wen
as the difficulty OF handling large
| blocks OF the heavy material, mas
caused builders 10 use cement whet
ever possible. The relative superior
! ity OF the higher grades OF portland
cement over all the cheaper grades OF
brick has brought about an ever'in-
creasing popularity OF the artihciai
compound. which was invented by an
Englishman-Joseph Aspdfn, In 1874
This manufacturer from Leeds TOOK
out a patent on cement when ne
made by calcining a mixture or lime
stone and clay. He gave the result
inx product the name OF Portlanh
because of fancied resemblance be-
tween the set cement and the famous
| limestone al that time extensively
quarried for building purposes at port
land, England. The name has al
hered, because the product looked like
Portland stone, and not because l.
originally came from Portland. AS
matter OF fact there never has been
cement manufacturing plant at Port
land England Portland, Oregon, or
Portland, Maine.
The most gigantic project for which
american Portland cement has ever
been used is, OF course, the Panama
Canal. I'm this work 1t is estimated
that 5000 900 cubic yards OF concrete
will be used chiefly in the constric'
ton OF the six mammoth locks, in
duplicate, 1000 feet long and 10 feet
wide two OF which will be forty-one
and half feet deep and the othar
four thirty feet Concrete also will
line the great spillway of the artificial
lake at Gatun. The contract for ,ur'
nishing this enormous amount OF &C.
ment was let after open competition.
Most OF II Is being made in Northamp-
ton. Pennsylvania, and is being snip
ped through Jersey City The con-
| tract calls for 100000 barrels or ce'
ment and not more than 10000 nor
less than 1000 barrels per day must
| be ready for shipment.
But one does not have to go TO Pan
anna To witness big engineering pro-
| jects In which cement Is playing an
| important part. The great dam which
| is to be thrown across the Mississippi
| river Just below the rapids az keokuk.
, Iowa, is exceeded in size only by the
great Assouan dam across the Nile.
| This American dam will require 800
| 900 barrels OF cemC t and 1000 tons
of structural steel IL will be thirty
seven feet high. seven-eighths or a
mile long and forty-three feet thick at
/ the base. when il is completed the
dan will enable the harnessed Father
OF Waters" 10 supply 100000 horse
power to territory which will en-
brace st. Louis, a distance OF 40
miles TO the south.
Cement has been put to an entirely
different use at Cambridge, Mass.
where IL was the material selected
for the Harvard Stadium, an enormous
structure seating 10000 people, which
was built at cost OF S475,0OO. This
Is the largest athletic arena OF its KIND
I'm the United states. Last summer a
similar structure, OF cement and steel.
was completed In Tacoma, Washing
ton, and presented to the city. II is a
stadium seating 10000. and will be
used for high school athletic and sim
| liar events. The cost of $4,000 was
met almost entirely by popular sub
scription.
The steel and concrete steamship
docks which have recently been com
pleted in ew York harbor at cost
OF $10,000,000. demonstrate how well
cement lends itself TO decorative arch
itecture. There are nine OF these
piers, seven double and two single
and their substantial architectural
lines, as we'll as their pleasing yet
unobstrusive ornamentation, are In
striking contrast TO the old docks
which were an eyesore along the river
front for so many years. The initial
cost OF 100000 was not so great
when IL is remembered that the city
is receiving an annual rental OF $685.
! 900 from the steamship lines using the
docks.
| Except In such cases as the one
mentioned above. cement has played
only a small part In decorative archi
! lecture UP 10 the present time, ou'
after the successful moulding or a
colossal statue OF an Indian in Illinois
! II would be unsafe TO say that the
grayish powder will not i'm the IN
ture hold q distinguished niche In
sculptures hall OF fame. This statue
is of Blackhawk, chief OF the Sacs and
the Foxes IL Is forty-eight feet high
and stands on rocky blum $50 feet
high. near Eagles Nest across the
river from Oregon. illinois, The artist
was employed for three years in its
construction but he believes that he
has created n work OF such enduring
art that II will be IN existence long
after the Egyptian Sphinx has crum.
bled into dust.
The United States Department OF
Agriculture recently gave a great i'm.
petus to the cement industry by H..
suing q bulletin setting forth the
truly startling losses suffered BY
farmers. grain merchants and others
through the depreciation OF rats
THE httllCfin piyao in dot all nlape for