The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-07-02
Important
Role Played
By Tugboats
Foss Equipment
And Crews Set Up
Excellent Record

The Tacoma Narrows bridge
is an enduring memorial
which will be particularly
cherished by the Foss Launch
& Tug Co.
Not alone was the role
Foss played in construction a
vital one, but the year marks
the end of a half century's
devotion to the Foss motto:
Always Ready"
The greatest tugboat concern on
the Pacific coast, the company's
omni-present green and white
equipment OF today has grown
from a handful of skiffs and a
tiny naphtha launch acquired so
years ago by Andrew Foss and his
capable wife. Thea.
Nowadays the far-flung Foss
fleet numbers 4S boats and
about $50 scows for handling
lumber, gravel. pulp, fuel oil
and petroleum. heavy lifts and
for almost any other use found
in the world of maritime COM
merce.
II il that vast array of equip
ment which enabled Foss to pro-
vide the service-Always Ready
necessary to the gigantic task OF
building a great bridge across the
Narrows.
Primarily a nautical project, the
task of bridge-building called upon
Foss skill, equipment and service
TO the utmost. Great were the
maritime problems which confront
ed the bridge-builders and tug
boats alike.
Tidal flow was a particularly
difficult hazard. Employing a spe-
cial "speedometer," a Foss tug
clicked the racing waters at speeds
up to Sc miles per hour at times
"a speed of IL feet per second.
Under such p~erilous and eXasper-
ating conditions was much of the
tugboat work accomplished.
Maneuyering tugs and scows
in the Narrows called for every
vile and trick of the Foss vet
eran crews.
Between high and low tides in
the Narrows there is a 15-foot
range; that, too. had to be met
with most expert precision.
Well-qualified construction en-
gineers and maritime men have
conceded the Narrows bridge con-
struction to have been the most
difficult in the world in many i'm
portant aspects.
Towed TO Tacoma
Particularly was that true in
placing the huge Caissons upon
which the bridge-towers rest.
Each was 119 feet long, 65 feet
wide and As feet high.
They were fabricated upon huge
scows at Seattle, and later the
scoWs were sunk from beneath and
the c~aissons floated.
In that name they were towed
to Tacoma and subsequently to the
bridge site and sunk into position
upon the channels bottom.
The first of the two $4,000
ton caissons was placed May 8,
1899. The second vas placed
June 2, 1899. Despite the
countless factors which prom
ised serious mishap, the re-
markable feat of spotting and
sinking the vertical buildings
was literally perfect - split
hair measurements showed not
an inch nor ounce Of error.
Far more spectacular, but equal
" difficult, was the complicated
Job of transporting and placing
the concrete anchor-blocks which
hold each of the channel piers in
place.
A total OF Sc anchors were
placed. each weighing 900 tons.
These were made singly at the
George Scofield Co. plant on City
waterway, hauled on individual
scows to their allotted sites, where
the respective scows were allowed
TO partially fill with sea-water;
when the scow careened far to n
side, the huge blocks slid into the
water with a mighty splash. Even
greater, however. was the splash
made by the scow, shot bodily into
the air by the recoil from its re-
leased load.
Placing Of the anchor-blocks