750





RECORD  AND  GUIDE





April 5, 1913





BUSINESS NEV^S

A Wtfkly Summary of New Cataloftucs and
Bulletins and of Articles Appearinsin Cuircnt
Periodicals of Interest to Architect.s, Building
Managers, Contractors and Realty Interests.





New  Gcnernl  Klectric  BuUctlu.

The General Electric Company, oE 50 Churcb
street, annDUiK-es the following bulletins ready
for distribution. These bulletins are prepared
for the e.xpress use oC specifiers on building
construction and engineering work aud are
valuable   lor   reference   purposes.

B'ulletin No. A-KMi."., just issued, is an at¬
tractive publication of oO pages, iu colors, aud
illustrates lixed and oscillating desk and
bracket fans for alternating and direct current,
and also ceiling fans and ventilating fans. The
publication contains also illustrations of various
wiring devices for use in connection with fans
as well as a list of supply parts for all fans.

Bulletin No. A40fV.>, just issued, is devoted to
the subject of portable and stationary air coni-
pressor sets, which supersedes the company's
previous bulletin on  this subject.

Bulletin Xo. A40G6 illustrates that company's
electric hardening furnace. This publication
supersedes a previous publication on this sub¬
ject.

Bulletin No. A4063 describes various types
of polyphase induction motors. This publication
supersedes the company's previous bulletin on
this  subject.

Bulletin No. 4004 describes and illustratee
subway transformers, and supersedes a pre¬
vious bulletin on this subject.

In the report of the Boston Manufacturers'
Mutual Fire Insurance Company, for 1912, con¬
vincing comment is made on the effect of auto¬
matic sprinkler protection on the loss ratio of
the  company.

From 18TG to iSOo. a period when manufac¬
tories were only partially equipped with auto¬
matic sprinklers, the average annual loss ratio
was 10.10 cents per $l(tO of insurance: and from
ISOG to 1012, when plants were fully equipped,
the ratio dropped to 3.r>5 cents. During the
early part of the latter period many mill store¬
houses were not equipped during recent years,
they have been and the annual average loss ratio
per $100 of insurance has been reduced to 2
cents. When one stops to think that cotton
mills, about the most combustible to staple in¬
dustries constitute the hulk of the new busi¬
ness, the regard for sprinklers is enhanced.

Western   Larch,

The United States Department of Agriculture,
in Forest Bulletin No. 122, is publishing a re¬
port on western larch by O. P. M. Goss, engi¬
neer in forest product*^. The bulletin presents
the results of a series of tests to determine the
mechanical and physical properties of this little
known wood and describes the various structural
usee of it.

Larch is at present little used, but it seems
to have remarkable properties for use in build¬
ing operations and in decorative work where
weathered   effects  are  desired.

The annual layers of growth, or rings, show
distinctly in a croes section. Each year's
growth consists of a dark and a light colored
band. The number of rings per radial inch in
the material tested varied from 11 to 60. The
dark portion of an annual ring, called the
summerwood, is much harder and stronger than
the wood in transverse, radial, and tangential
sections. The wood consists chiefly of fibres or
cells running lengthwise with the trunk. At
right angles to these fibres are the pith rays,
running in  radial planes.

Resin ducts also occur, confined generally to
the summerwood. The heart wood is reddish
brown in color, and the sap wood yellowish
white. The latter runs from V2 to V/2 inches in
thickness for trees up to 3 feet in diameter.
The grain of the wood is usually straight.
Knots are generally sound and not over 1%
inches in diameter; they are common, and fre¬
quently  occur  in  groups  or  clusters.

In some parts of northern Idaho, western
Montana and eastern Washington Western
larch and Western yellow pine are practically
the only woods used for building purposes. Out¬
side of its region of growth, Western larch le
rarely found on the market.

The grain in Western larch is very close and
the wood is firm and hard. When cut with the
grain vertical it makes an excellent flooring
material which wears evenly and keeps a
smooth  surface.

As a rule it is somewhat difficult to cut edge-
grain flooring on account of the fact that many
larch logs are small. When especially ordered,
however, the edge-grain flooring is furnished,
but the general practice is to mix the edge and
fiat grain stock and sell them together. W^hen
larch is used as an inside finishing material in
localities where it grows, it finishes smoothly
and takes a high polish. It also takes stains
well and. because of it*; hardness, does not mar.

It would seem that this wood might offer
new opportunities to architects desirous of ob¬
taining novel effects in interior finish and deco¬
ration.

Cost   Keeping  for  Contractors.

A recent i^sue of the Journal of the American
SociMy of Engineering Contractors contains an
article entitled "Cost Keeping and Its Value in
Relation to Estimating on New Work." which is
significant in its substance as well as its title
in that it indicates that the contractor of to¬
day is looking upon his business as not merely
that a good "boss," getting a maximum amount
of work out of each laborer at the minimum
wage, but he is advancing it to be a profession,
the laws of which should be studied ancl mas¬
tered  if success is  to be attained.

Even more significant of this—than the paper
Itself—was   tbe   discussion,   in   which   eeyeraj





contractors stated their belief in this idea of
contracting. One contractor whose work is
largely reinforced concrete stated: "I keep a
clerk on all of my work, and he has nothing
to do but one thing, keep the time and keep
track of the materials and their disposition. He
checks up the materials, and that relieves the
foreman of that dutv. • • • It is a small job
that docs not pay for tbe clerk to keep time
and check materials. I think that is as neces¬
sary as any other part of the work. If there
is a bag of cement that goes over to a certain
footing it is charged to that footing, and so on
for other sections of the work. And all it costs
to know that is the salary of the man who is
taking notes of  Ihcm."

Another speaker summed up the advantages
to contractors of cost keeping as follows: "The
old-fashioned contractor who did not keep cost
records never knew whether he had made or lost
money on his job until it was completed; and lr
he had made money he did not know on what
items he had made it. He had made money on the
whole job. and that is all he knew. And he used
those same figures on the next job, if it was
similar to tbe previous one ; whereas, if he bad
kept a cost system be would have been able to
bid more intelligently ou work by reducing the
price on some of the items where be had made
more money than was necessary, and increasing
the price for those items on which he bad
figured  too  low  before."

The author of the article. Berton M. Laughead,
described in brief what is included in such
cost keeping as follows: "In order to success¬
fully make estimates that will enable a con¬
tractor to make safe bids, it is absoltuely neces¬
sary that he keep daily records, in detail, of
every branch of his work, so that on comple¬
tion," he will be able from such records to com¬
pile a final cost sheet that will show him the
total cost and the cost per yard of his work."





Finds   Hidden   Pipe.

On page 36 on American Industries of March
13th (30 Church st. price 10 cents) is contained
an interesting article on a device, which, it is
asserted, will readily show the position of any
concealed or underground gas. water, steam or
other pipe whether covered with concrete, earth,
boards, snow or ice. The "locator" consists of a
special form of vibrator and induction coil,
mounted in an oak box. provided with space
for the necessary battery. This part of the
apparatus is designed to produce the necessary
current on the lost pipe.

An especially constructed detector coil with
receiver is provided for tracing the circuit.
The operation of the instrumtnt is very simple;
and the average workman can use it.

It is well known that a conductor carrying
an electric current is surrounded by an elec¬
tric field. If a coil of proper construction is
brought within this field, a current will be
induced in the coil; and if this is connected
to a telephone receiver, the effect will be
manifest by a tone produced therein. Tbe nearer
the coil is brought to the conductor, tbe louder
will be the tone. The "locator" has been de¬
signed to produce a current of such strength
that, if connected to a pipe as the conductor,
the operator may trace the pipe by means of
the detector coil and receiver.





Xew   tiovernment   Publications,

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Mines, announces the following new publication
as of list No.  17.  for March.  1013.

Bulletin 52. Ignition of mine gases by the
filaments of incandescent electric lamps, by H.
H. Clark and L. C. Ilsley, describing tests
showing the liability of tbe filaments to ignite
fire damp.

Bulletin C3. Sampling coal deliveries and types
of G'overnment specifications for the purchase of
coal, by G. S. Pope, describing in detail methods
of sampling and reasons therefor; cities new
specifications for purchase of coal by the Gov¬
ernment ; also Technical Paper 31. describing ap¬
paratus for the exact analysis of flue gas, by G.
A. Burrell and F. M. Seibert; T-#^hnical Paper 36,
on the preparation of specifications for petroleum
products, by I. C. Allen ; and Technical Paper 40.
metal mine accidents in the United States during
tbe calendar year 1011. by A. PI. Fay.

In writing for publications, order them by
number and title, only one copy to a person.
Applications should be addressed to the Di¬
rector of the Bureau of Mines, Washington, D. C.





German Cement Industry.

The Imperial Ministry of the Interior has
published data relative to the state of the Ger¬
man cement industry during tbe years 1910
and 1911. The statistics relate to the operation
of 13."5 plants and are based on definite informa¬
tion furnished by 132 of them and on estimates
for the remaining three. Of tbe 135 plants, 117
were engaged in the production of Portland ce¬
ment, 6 in the production of iron Portland
cement. 6 in the production of slag cement. 2
iron Portland and slag. 1 Portland and iron
Portland, and 3 in the production of all three
varieties. This distribution was the same in
both 1910 and 1011.

The output of Roman cement was not included
in the statistics of production. Tbe total pro¬
duction of all other kinds of cement in the 135
plants under consideration was 34,512,283 bar¬
rels (of 3(5 pounds net each) in 1910 and 30.-
12.S.216 barrels in 1011. The value of the 1010
output was .$20,016,246 and that of 1011 $33.-
.''.S2.594. Of the total output 2.226.045 barrels,
worth $1.903.2S6. in 1010. and 2,710,901 barrels,
worth $2,416,414. in 1911, were iron Portland
cement,  slag  cement,  etc.

The estimated value of tbe raw materials
used in the production of this cement was $2.-
S15.064 and $3,213,714 in 1910 and 1911, re¬
spectively.

A    Concrete-Mixing:    Machine.

Builders and engineers having to do with
mixing of concrete will find of particular in¬
terest a catalog and quotations of tbe Lake-
wood Line, otherwise known as the Ohio Cera¬
mic Engineering Company, of New York and
Cleveland.    Tbe  new  method  of handling  conr





Crete by the Tower system, in which gravity
and automatic handling appliances materially
reduce the cost of building construction, should
be of more than ordinary interest to those
having this work in hand. Copies will be sent
upon application to the office at 50 Church
street, or in Cleveland.





Metal   Electric   Moulding.

Tbe National Metal Moulding Company, of
Pittsburgh, Pa., has issued a new catalogue de¬
voted to National metal moulding. This modern
electric construction material is now available
complete with couplings and fittings of every de¬
scription so that every requirement of construc¬
tion may be expeditiously handled. The material
Js ready, together with fittings, in large quanti¬
ties and stocks are available for quick shipment
to every part of the country. Tho catalog de¬
scribes and illustrates the methods of construc¬
tion with National metal mouldings, and indi¬
cates the relation of one part to tbe other. This
catalog may be secured upon request.

AVlnd  Bracin;;:  AVithout   Dia^onnls.

A discussion of three methods of wind brac¬
ing in current use with advantages and dis¬
advantages of each appears in the March IGth
number of Engineering News, .320 Broadway,
on page 402, under tbe beading "Wind Brac¬
ing Without Diagonals for Steel Frame Office
Buildings," by R. Fleming. In the same num¬
ber appears an article on the "Action of Acids,
Oils and Fats on Concrete," being extracts
from a paper read before tbe Concrete Institute
in England, by W. L. Gadd.





Edison Co. Making Artificial Stone.

The Edison Portland Cement Company, ac¬
cording to its general sales manager. Mr. E.
Meyer, has received informal notification from
the Manhattan Bureau of Buildings that its
architectural concrete has passed the require¬
ments of tbe city building department and has
been approved.

The product being turned out by the Edison
Company is. in reality, imitation stone pro¬
duced to duplicate the surface of any building
stone in use in building construction or in or¬
namental work. This product is the result of
exhaustive experiments conducted by Thomas
A. Edison in his laboratories at West Orange.
N. J., but since he has demonstrated that it is
commercially feasible to cast decorative placques,
capitals and other structural stones in concrete,
tbe manufacture of Edison Architectural Con¬
crete has been transferred to tbe Edison plant
at New Village, N. J., where the original ca¬
pacity for turning out this product has recently
been increased more than 100 per cent.





The Small Uses for Cement,

Spectacular works give tbe greatest publicity
to concrete construction. Big dams, tall sky¬
scrapers and huge factories are fit subjects for
magazine articles and tbe speaker's platform,
but the measure of the volume of concrete con¬
struction is dependent on tbe preponderant vol¬
ume of small work, says tbe Universal Port¬
land Cement Company. The greatest good to
the greatest number lies in tbe development of
the small  uses.

The estimate of 1012 cement production and
consumption, 3^^ million barrels more than in
1011, went largely into normal, healthy increase
of small work, especially into small town and
rural construction. In tbe latter field the sur¬
face has only been touched. It is, perhaps, less
interesting as a subject of discussion, but is
more productive of bread and butter to a great
number of designers and contractors and more
significant of rising standards of building among
owners.





Artificial Marble.

The following are directions for making arti¬
ficial marble: 1. Burnt gypsum is saturated
with a solution of lime in alum water, burnt
again, ground finely, or rather pulverized, add¬
ing one-twelfth by weight of tbe gypsum of
alum ; and cast in tbe mold. Tbese barden very
slowly, but attain the hardness and transpar¬
ency of marble. Different pigments may be
added to obtain different colored marbles. 2.
Pieces of burnt gypsum, the size of a fist, are
put for 3 hours in a 12 per cent, solution of
alum in water of a temperature of 85 to 104 de¬
grees Fahr.. burnt again, pulverized, adding
one-sixteenth powdered alum, and lastly worked
into molds with water containing one-sixteentb
sal ammoniac for each part of gypsum. Cast¬
ings made of this combination possess great
hardness and brilliancy, and it may. therefore,
be used for fine statues.—Neueste Erfindungen
und Erfabrungen.





Iron  Exports   Averaging   a   Million
Dollars   Daily.

No class of articles exported from the United
States has shown in recent years such a phe-
nominal gain as that of iron and steel manu¬
factures. The exports of iron and steel and
articles chiefly composed of those materials
showed. 20 years ago in the fiscal year 1S93. a
total of 35 million dollars; 10 years ago. in
1903, 120 million dollars: and in the fiscal year
1013 will be fully 365 million, or an average of
a million dollars a day for the full year. North
and South America are the largest markets for
our iron and steel manufactures exported.





Structural Steel for Balboa Shops.

The United States Steel Products Company,
which has the contract for tbe fabrication of
all of the structural steel framework for the
permanent shop buildings at Balboa, has ad¬
vised the Canal Commission that delivery of
the order will be expedited, and that it has
made special arrangements for tbe water trans¬
portation.