INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



"The structure was molded, all of the framework 

 being formed in boxes. Carpenters formed about 

 one-half of the building force, since so many molds 

 were required to sustain the great weight of the mate- 

 rial. Boxes for the rectangular columns were made of 

 planking one and a quarter inches thick, carefully 

 fitted together, and further secured by battens and set 

 in place by hand. In arranging the system of molds 

 the upper ends of the columns were notched to receive 

 the boxes for the floor beams and girders, which were 

 fitted into them, supported on the ends of the vertical 

 boards and on transverse cleats nailed to both mem- 

 bers. The ends of the girder boxes were thus set 

 flush with the inner surfaces of the column boxes and, 

 the joints being thoroughly nailed, were considered by 

 the contractors tighter and more satisfactory than if 

 made in any other manner. The girder boxes were 

 simple rectangular troughs, made like the column 

 boxes, and were supported at intervals between col- 

 umns on vertical shores with their ends double knee- 

 braced to transverse cleats on the bottom of the boxes. 



"The reinforcement bars for the columns were 

 wired together in the iron-yard to make rigid frames 

 with the bars in accurate relative positions, and were 

 deposited as units in the column boxes and were care- 

 fully wired into position. Concrete was wheeled on 

 runways laid on the girder boxes and was dumped 

 from the wheelbarrows into the boxes. Special care 

 was taken to compact it and work it well around the 

 reinforcement bars and eliminate all chance of empty 

 space by constant tamping. In the column boxes 



[210] 



