Evening star., 1928-12-18
ARE VITAL
TO STEEL INDUSTRY
Keen Struggle Is on Among
Big Firms to Get.
Contracts.
BY J. C. ROYCE.
pecial Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, December 18.-Roofs
and bridges are subject to constant and
mathematically determinable stresses and
strains, but producers of materials for
roofs and bridges are subject today to
extraordinary stresses and strains
which are widening certain breaches in
the industry.
1t was learned today that no small
part of the impetus which produced the
huge suit for infringement OF patents
brought by the Bethlehem Steel Co.
against United States Steel, in connec-
ton with structuarrly welded or rolled
units. may be traced to the demand for
bridge materials.
The building of bridges not only is
imperative for the steel industry today.
1t is economically necessary. Trattlc via
highways is such that a desperate COM
petition has been brought about to de-
termine whether private capital VIII
build toll bridges or whether the cross
ing of water courses will be lett IN red
eral State or municipal HANDS. ana
the steel industry is out to fight Tor the
business not only as between units OF
the industry, but against alternative
materials.
Eye Appeal Factor.
Eye appeal has become factor IN
bridge construction as we'll as IN AUTO
mobiles household utensils, toys, furnl-
tllre and dress. The steel industry,
therefore. is out not only to build steer
bridges, but to enhance the beauty OF
such structures.
l. For wears most of the attention OF the
industry was directed to steel bridges,
which could be built quickly to open
uncleveloped territory, with emphasis on
speed of building and utility.
Little attention to the artlstlc sloe
of steel structures has been paid IN the
engineering schools, and many bullders
and architects still feel that concrete
or masonry should be used to- bring out
the beauty of mass structure. This
feeling is undergoing changes as re-
suit of the work of the committee on
the esthetic design of steel bridges OF
the American Institute of Steel Con-
struction, through treatises which can
be used as text books in engineering
schools, by lectures in regular courses
of bridge design, and by awards OF
merit for the most artistic bridges and
bridge designs.
Importance Of Contracts.
The Importance of bridge construc-
ton to steel industry can be realized
when it is known that $75,000,00 in
Federal aid for bridges has been made
available; that 50 miles of bridges have
been authorized in 1923 and SO adj
ditional miles of spans have been
planned. The last Congress acted on
POI toll bridge bills, of which 80 were
approved. Sixty-two of these will be
privately owned.
Among the huge structures completed
in 1927 we're the Philadelphia
Bridge, the International Bridge at
Buffalo, and the Sarquinez Straits
Bridge, at San Francisco. In process
of construction are the Mount Hope
Bridge. in Rhode Island the Detroit
Windsor Bridge, the New Hudson River
span, the Bayonne. N. j.. bridge; the
Ohio River Bridge, at Ashland. KY, and
Maysville. KY; the Mississippi Bridge,
at, Vicksburg, and the Poughkeepsie
Bridge. across the Hudson. The con-
tract for the $4,000, 900 span over the
Kill Won Kull, at Staten Island. has
just been let to the American Bridge
Co. This will be the longest arch
bridge in the world.