The Washington herald., 1914-07-29
HISTORY BUILDERS.
How Norman B. Rsam Studied cy-
Written expressly for The Hezald-)
BY DR. 4. J. EDWARDS.

BY DIR. Il. J. EDWAHDs.
Norman b. Ream. who for many years
was a citizen Of Chicago. and who has
long been esteemed one OF the leading
business forces of the United States,
sometimes narrates to his friends the
manner In which the inspiration came TO
him from which has been developed the
modern structural iron and steel building.
II came at a moment when he stood on
the rear platform Of car OF train
bound for Denver which had been tagged
upon a bridge. There came, closely fol-
lowing this train. another train at the
head Of which was q very heavy loco
motive. The steel bridge supported these
two trains without perceptible vibration
and Il suddenly occurred to Mr.. Ream
that II steel and iron were strong enough
% do that why would Il not be possible
to erect a structure upon the perpendic'
ular which would bear as heavy a strain
as horizontal steel and Iron structure
like bridge.
when he reached Denver. he conmuni-
Gated with an architect OF Chicago In ref
erence to this idea and speedily thereaf-
ter the first structural steel building Of
Chicago was erected.
While ! was chatting with Mr.. Ream
at a time when he was describing the
first construction OF lofty steel and iron
buildings he told me that one OF the most
dificuIt problems 10 solve was so to con-
struct a building that II would be cyclone
proof and would be able to stand the
force of any appreciable gale.
He knew something about cyclones and
he narrated to me two personal expert
ences which IN part served him with ex-
periences Of which some use was made
when the proposition before the archI-
t.o@, u.as bo- q cyclnpa-nrnof strtfrtsIfe
could be built
'I have seen the approach and the Wild
careering. terrific sweep OF two cyclones"
said Mr. Ream. Both were In the south
ern part of Iowa. Both occurred a good
many years ago. At one time had been
in Missouri, Just over the border line
from Iowa, to visit a cattle ranch. and II
was necessary for me In order to reach
a train TO drive several miles across the
border into the State OF Iowa Heavy
clouds were pfling up In the west and
distinct storms separated by an interval
Of two or three miles.
MY friends In Missouri warned me that
the danger OF a cyclone was very great
They knew from experience how these
gigantic terrestrial forces appear and
what their destructive work is. I
thought. however. that 1t was best to go
on, but had driven but a few miles be-
fore saw the two storms gradually ap-
preaching each other. The appearance Of
the clouds wis very ominous and there
was a sitting atmospheric condition.
II thought. however. that could drive
so as to escape the storm, which knew
would extend over a comparatively small
area Yet no one can tell the course OF
an approadDLng cyclone. judged that
~ was the hetter mart for me tn drive nv
horse into a gully which fortunately was
near at hand. 1t was a deep gully. the
top of my carriage being about on a
level with the prairie.
only a moment or two after had
driven into the gully / heard tumult
that was appalling. I had been in the
thick OF battle in the civil war. but
never heard any sound equal to this. II
was a frightful roar. No words could de-
scribe II. In a moment the cyclone had
passed on and its track was only a little
way beyond the gully where I was.
noticed the curious effect upon the grass
Of the prairie and I was especially i'm
pressed by the extraordinary litter OF ar
ticles-boards. shingles. hay, and fences
which lay strewn in the path OF the cy-
clone. and which had been picked up by
the prodlGious force OF this agency and
carried along as though they were
feathers. When I got my horse and car
riage out OF the gully the storm had
completely disappeared so far as could
see. But heard that ii had been very
devastating before it was entirely dissi-
pated."
Copyright. 1915. by z. ]. Edwards AL rights re-
ssrved.l
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell Of
The Curious Freak of an Iowa Cyclone"