The Iron Age 1917-12-27: Vol 100 Iss 26

New York, December ESTABLISHED 1855 A Shortage of 10,000,000 Tons of | Consumption Main Line and Siding Extensions as Indicating HE production of steel rails in the Un has been a subject very largely neglecte the war has attracted attention to other ecessary steel products. The accompanyin ymmpiled from statistics of the American Iro! nstitute, the reports of the Interstate Comme iission and the United States Department erce, affords an interesting comparison of juction and consumption of rails in the | nee 1898. While the tonnages shown include rails of t ind other types for street railroad purpo sumption of standard section rails for regul ailroad use is undoubtedly closely approxin figures given. This consumption is also shov ccompanying diagram, and it will be note though the general tendency is for increase ] tion the rate is surprisingly small when the iileage is considered. This condition may to two causes, namely, the generally heavier weight per yard of the section of | rails rolled in succeeding years and the rapid growth f the use of open-hearth teel rails with a conse- juently longer life. Obvi- susly the use of the heavier sections tends to prolong the life of rails, thus giv- ing a decreasing rate of ‘onsumption, other things being equal. At the same | time open-hearth steel %“———— rails, which have now for ant PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF RAILS Tonnage Tonnage Tonnage approximately Year rolled mported exported onsu 1893 1,136,458 2.888 19,876 1,119,47 S94 1,021,772 300 13,556 1,0 l 1895 1,306,135 1,447 15,5$ 1,29 1896 1,122,010 7,796 73,131 1,056, L897 1,647,892 415 148,221 1,50 898 1,981,241 200 301,903 1,679,538 899 2,272,700 2,134 277,714 1,997,12 1900 2,385,682 1,448 361,619 2,025,511 1901 2,874,639 1,905 18,956 2,557,588 1902 2,947,933 63,522 67.666 2,943,789 1903 2,992,477 95,555 30,837 3,057,19 1904 2,284,711 37,776 416.250 1,906,237 *Tonnage items are totals for calendar years, is for the years ending June 30, and includes all classes of track tRobert W. Hunt & Co., Chicago Figures. » < ~ wore uw a x ww wre we & ~ om r ee tw te > a 1 te . s nart at & . 96 53 327,976 333,646 342.351 35 66 3 24 3 37 ; 4 a o8 391,141 394.944 304,468 t 2 een LS eC LLU. ~~ 1526 the 24 years’ record there has been, in round numbers, Tons Total approximate onsumed 2, 900,000 Required for extensions of main tracks 14,900,000 Required for replacement 8 on ) +: or Amount available for re A few df the leading trunk line railroads count on replacing 10 per cent of their mileage each year with new rail. Others, including many of the western and southern rail renewal calling for a less amount of new rail, so that probably 6 per cent represents a liberal factor to serve as the lines, have a yearly program average of common railroad practice and especially so since such would mean that the average life of rails was over 16 years. Going back then to the Commerce Commission’s records of main track mileage it will be found that 6 per cent of the total mileage on which rails should have been renewed 322,000. If the very generous assump- tion) there would be required a total of 42,000,000 tons. Apparently, therefore, 000,000 tons of rail now exists on the railroads in order to bring them up to a prime amounts to renewals were made in 85-lb. section (a a shortage of approximately 10,- physical condition, for as above shown only 32,000,000 tons have been available for renewals in the time stated. Such a conclusion may seem like an exaggeration of facts. But in 1912 a special committee on relations of railroad operation to legislation brought out the fact that 63,000 miles of main line track was laid with rails of 75 lb. and lighter sections. No doubt much of this should have been replaced long ago. g Replacing all of it in 85-lb. rail would have required 8,300,000 tons, but 1912 has only the other or heavier rail must have been continued since 1912 as before, it the consumption since been 9,600,000 tons and considering that renewal of is readily seen that a very large amount of light rail is i that should be replaced. now in service therefore, the above estimated shortage of Probably, 10,000,000 tons is a conservative one after all, particularly in view of the high standard of maintenance necessary to en- the railroads to economically the tre mendous volume of traffic desired. With speculation rife as to business conditions after the war it seems justifiable to predict able transport a large demand for rails and consequent large production when is finally declared. Although statistics of rail produc- tion in other countries are not available it is almost certain that the United States has practically supplied the world with rails for over three years. In that time Russia has taken 500,000 tons, France probably 200,000 and Italy and other countries more. Peaceful condi- tions will require much rehabilitation of railroad main- tenance in the war stricken countries before even a nor- mal resumption of other business can be attempted and rails and accessories for this rebuilding will raost likely be drawn from our market. peace Likewise, American rail- roads, regardless of ownership, eventually will be bound to become large rail purchasers so that the future for rails should not be overlooked entirely in the present press for other products. Hanging in the entrance of the main office to the Republic Iron & Steel Co., Youngstown, Ohio, is a service flag that shows that 345 employees of this com- pany are in active war service and training camps at present, and this number will likely be largely increased The Adamson Machine Co., Akron, Ohio, which re- cently absorbed the Akron Steel Casting Co., has started a new 10-ton open-hearth furnace which will add approximately 25 tons a day of such castings to its present converter output. THE IRON AGE December 27. Heat Transmission Through Roofi: Under certain conditions, where extremes perature are to be avoided, the heat-insulating p: of a roof is as important as its strength and du according to an article by Dr. W. M. Thornto; strong College, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, wh peared in Engineering, London, Oct. 19, ar which the following abstracts have been taken The heat insulating value of roofing mate pends more upon the nature of its surface tha its thermal conductivity. A sheet of galvani on which the crystal surfaces of the alloy wer and bright was tested. Such a surface is pra a mirror, and only 111 British thermal units transmitted through per 100 sq. ft. per hour. VW the exposed side of this material was blackene rate of transmission increased so that half as more heat passed through. When the inside was | ened, more than double the amount of heat } through per hour, and when both sides were bla 581 B.t.u. per hour was transmitted. These results were also confirmed by tests on gated iron taken from actual roofs. Old galva iron allows more heat to pass through it thar The slates were found to be good insulators referred to as a heavy roofing material. Dy boarding covered with asphalted felt, though thick, not so heavy as Welsh slate, and is considered on¢ the best insulators. In this case, its poor conduct is evidently not negligible. does. are Heat Transmitted Through Roofing Material B.t.u. Per We Material 100 Sq. Ft. Thickness, Lb Per Hr. In. Sq Bright galvanized iron sheet... 111 0.040 Galvanized iron, blackened below 168 0.040 1.¢ Galvanized iron, blackened above 385 0.040 1.¢ Galvanized iron, blackened above RO DOO nik sac eweene oscars 581 0.040 1.6 Galvanized corrugated iron after one month’s exposure to the WERE 53 c455 8 ee week eee 310 0.033 1.2 Galvanized corrugated iron after one year’s exposure.. Santa) ee 0.03 1.28 Galvanized corrugated iron painted black above. 472 0.033 Roofing glass, serrated 453 0.220 2 Welsh slate . a 337 0.170 2 Westmoreland slate were ia 248 0.250 4.8 %-in. T. G. deal covered with asphalited felt re 124 1.000 2 The National Physical Laboratory, England, ports that air spaces in roofing materials may be vantageous. A satisfactory means of obtaining this to lay corrugated asbestos-cement plates on the thir nest asphalted felt or other light sheet material, sup ported by the roof frames. Where heat insulation and lightness are of the first importance, a strong and efficient roofing can be made in this way at a reason able cost. An Industrial Lift Truck for Heavy Loads The Lewis-Shepard Co., 48 Binford Street, has developed a new type of industrial lift truck. This is designed for heavier duty than the two which were illustrated in THE IRON AGE, May 4, 1916, and Oct. 18, 1917, which had maximum capacities of 5500 and 2500 lb. respectively. The new truck, which is capable of elevating a load of 8000 lb. a distance of 3 in., has all of the standard features of the line, such as the universal joint that provides a free lifting and steering handle and enables the load to be elevated with the handle of the truck turned to one side. A release check controlled by a pedestal located on the front of the truck is provided for lowering the load The new truck is made in 10 models, five having wheels 7 in. in diameter, while those of the other five trucks are 10 in. This recent addition brings the line 0! trucks made by the company up to 34 different models divided between four types. 3oston, The Dayton Electrical Mfg. Co., Dayton, Ohio, has been incorporated with $125,000 capital stock. The com pany’s plant has been operating under a receivership for the past few months. H. G. Catrow is president. * ymber 27, 1917 THE IRON AGE 1527 . tomatic Feed Tool Grinding Machine k p by the rod q. The lever r which in t automatic type of feed mechanism has been de 1utomat peration of the feed. Thes re ( ed by the Wilmarth & Morman Co., Grand Rapids nat f ? the table a: se adia ‘: for attachment to its universal cutter and too "4 ing machine. It is arranged so that it can be at | to machines of this type for which hand feed led with but little work. A gearbox containi: if the mechanism is provided and enables eight tabl it s ranging from 12 to 75 in. per m to be o 1 single self-contained unit ’ io “a6 es e gearbox is attached to the saddle on a pad at } ear and is driven from the main countershaft d> te pry ln step cone pulley a. One speed is provided Dy the “s i g pinion shaft b engaging with the two-step gea1 | sliding the shaft out of engagement with this gea1 ‘ ngaging the key of the gear d the second speed i ran i ned. Two other speeds are secured from a nest o i by the movement of the starting lever e. Th 4 is engaged to the sliding shaft with a key ate \ 1rough a slot and is thrown into engagement wit} i} vo clutch gears f and g. The lever is held in posi i y a plunger actuated by a spring he clutch ns are spaced by a collar which permits a neutra ; i on to be obtained in which all of the mechanism } ly disengaged from the table. The movement of . : : } - anertal ‘ +] f ‘ \ tarting lever provides the third and fourth sp i the table and the remaining four are obtained b | ng the belt to the other step of the driving pull a he starting lever e can also be employed for stoy the table. < he motion of the table is obtained throug! n : meshing with an idler gear A that in turn « with the rack secured to the it lt pir \ S arranvet SO as To lAaAKE T ry nie T ais . ’ Y . f , BEsa Gea & 7 - : : : Equipment ind Operation of lraveling Crane ¥ re the idler gear /. Irom tne table al tnus tnrow P NY ae he power feed. When this has been done the ta be operated by the handwheel at the front of tl e or by the lever at the rear without employins the IN i 5 a . & f the power feed mechanism that drives the table MIEOCCOF, na Harbor, Ind., it wa . The gearbox contains a bevel gear two beve empnasiz une e! tne part r the | tch pinions k and the clutch / which can be brought asing agent t p n t t of t equi} engagement w th the teeth on the clutch pinio1 ent at tne © une A ty tea re ri | ntead motion is reversed by the engagement of the clutcl ut U vhile the t rane reater tI . 1 r feyy ey , ff rs ; y Fy y thy : the pinion on either one side or the othe Phe ! f 1 also to a shaft which runs through the ed and 1% was mo s and has a bronze bushing m which is double node! rane tha » pul e one ¢ ne tcn IS Sec lreda ed. The clutch is free to be engaged with either of Wren th y inspector might order bevel clutch pinions k by the lever n. This is oper e wh eeded n t Inland 1 by a bell crank o which is connected to a second me Peace WO EM wie eega? i . js a { mear ot l sate yr T¢ } a general propositi urage lent na | lubrication, which means few dela lov After Lr ime of tne Sper it ot purchase Mr. Smith went on to show that most over head trave ing crane i agent rrecd ' with operation and were t due to tr i ! | de V1CEé He I iinted ut that ft vo 1st rt ' to |} ive safe men to fj tre sit n t e operat and he cer as to spe y tnat a crane nould be ¢ ppe with safety devices. He gave as the qualifications f a crane operator a mechanical turn of mir ness in thought and movement upled with cautior and carefulness, agility kee! V1sior and r ever temper. Crane operators should be young and tive and hot metal cranemen require at least years of « perience before undert iKing this cla of wor? He cor demned the practice of employing cranes to move car as well as the making of side pulls except where abs« lutely necessary. The operator hould not run mor than two motors at one time and when handling molt: metal only one motor should be operated. The cr hooker should exercise care to avoid accident should never ride on any burden being carried crane. The hooker should watch the load being « by the crane or suspended in the air and keep out f: under it at all times. When loads are carried bv cran: irbox Attached to the Saddle on a Pad at the Rear it was the d ity ¢ f the hooker to warn the men on the les Eight Table Speeds Ranging from 12 15 I] Pe Min re + floor to get it < Methods to Improve Plant Fuel Econom The Case of Purchased Power—Boiler Room Equipment, Steam Traps and Heating Mains —Practical Suggestions on Boiler Practice BY S. J. H. WHITE HERE are many hundreds of cases in cities, where central station power and heat will prove cheaper than if generated by a private plant. The writer considers such cases as legitimate cen- tral station business. But factories so located that heat and live steam as well as power cannot be pur- chased from central stations, especially those re- quiring steam for manufacturing purposes during the entire year, are not legitimate central station business. Business secured by the central station from such factories can only result in loss to the consumer, dissatisfied customers to the central sta- tion, and a waste of fuel. Assuming that a factory purchasing power from a central station can operate its steam plant for steam and heat, on the same quantity of coal that would be required if generating its own power, the amount of coal the central sta- tion consumes in producing the power sold to such a factory will be wasted. The writer former central station man of 20 years’ experience as manager of central stations and knows both sides of the question, central station power versus isolated plants. He has had two and one-half years’ experience with an isolated plant and four years with purchased power in a certain factory. The ratio of costs was decidedly over two to one in favor of the isolated plant, and 15 per cent fixed charges on the power plant was included in the costs of operating the isolated plant. The coal consumption, in the plant referred to, per boiler horsepower-hour with the isolated plant averaged, for two and one-half years, 6.16 lb., while with the boiler plant used for heat and steam generation only, the coal consumed per boiler horsepower-hour aver- aged, for four years, 7.74 lb. of coal. During the heating season the steam and heating plant only av- erages an evaporation of about 4 lb. of steam per pound of coal, running to 7 or 8 lb. in severe weather when the boilers carry a good stiff overload. Dur- ing the summer, when steam is used for manufae- turing purposes only, the boiler averages only about 1 lb. of steam per pound of coal. The load in summer is about 30 hp.; hence, if a power unit were installed in this particular plant, a load of not less than 150 to 160 hp. (sufficient power to drive the machinery) could be carried without a material, if any, increase in coal con- sumption, as the boiler would under such conditions evaporate 6 to 8 lb. of water per pound of coal throughout the year, and conserve at least the amount of coal the central station is now consum- ing to produce the power sold. The boilers in ques- tion are wasting at least the difference between 6.16 Ib. and 7.74 Ib. of coal per boiler hp.-hr., or 20.4 per cent of the coal consumption. The conservation of 20.4 per cent of the coal consumption in only 2000 factories like the one under discussion would amount to 834,224 tons of coal, almost one million tons per year. Add to this saving the amount conserved by central stations now furnishing power and we would conserve 1,000,000 tons. A certain factory plant recently investigated by the writer, with a view of reducing the coal con- sumption, is an unusually expensive plant to heat is a successfully. The officers of the company the above plant, as frequently happens, put confidence in the smooth talk of a central solicitor from the nearest city than in their engineer’s arguments and figures, and deci purchase electric power in preference to prod it themselves by a private plant. The pr power plant would have cost about $20,000. T the central station agent’s figures of 15 per as the basis for the fixed charges, the latter amount to $3,000 per year. Yet the factory h: invest $10,000 in a heating and steam plant the fixed charges on same must be paid just ; a power plant (the same boilers used for he: could be used for power); so the factory must $1,500 per year, after all, on fixed charges. Th demand charge was fixed at about $1,200 per y an unusually low figure. This $1,200 demand ch paid to the central station, plus the $1,500 charges on the heating and steam plant makes a total of $2,700 per year. Where did the cent station prove its generosity and save the facton $3,000 per year as promised on fixed charges? Power Plant Equipment There are any number of private plants operat ing at excessive costs, with tremendous waste ir fuel, which need complete overhauling and prope: management. Many have the poorest, cheapest equipment, and under such circumstances cannot made to operate economically. Such plants shou! be shut down by the Government if the owner refuse to make the necessary improvements. The best machinery on the market is none too go cheap machinery is always a bad investment. Chea help also will prove expensive, no matter when you use it, but do not attempt to use cheap help the boiler or engine rooms. A feed water heater at a cost of $7.50 per horse power may heat the water to 150 deg. Fahr. whil one at $10 or $15 per horse power will heat th feed water to 212 deg. Fahr. The difference i1 price will be paid back to you in coal saved in less than one year. An engine can be bought for sa) $2,500 which will consume 28 to 30 lb. of steam per horsepower-hour, while another engine costing $3,000 will consume only 20 lb. of steam. If you are buying your equipment to use only a few months per- haps the cheap engine might do, but remember you expect to run this engine 20 or 30 years, so the sav- ings for that number of years will run into man) hundreds or thousands of dollars. A boiler can be purchased at $10 per horse power, say, which at best will only make 5 or 6 Ib. of steam per pound of coa! while another type costing $15 to $20, say, per horse- power will produce 8 or 9 lb. of steam per pound of coal. Exhaust Steam Mains and Traps There are any quantity of steam traps on the market, some of them good, others better, and lots of them worse. Not very definite information, we admit, but the point is this: Whichever make you buy you are likely to wish you had bought another make within two years’ time. Recent trap troubles 1528 oOv7 ai, 1917 ecember THE a certain plant resulted in the installation of 15 ew high-pressure traps with a resultant saving of 500 lb. of coal per day, and a very decided im rovement in the operation of steam-consuming de Watch those traps of yours, they may be itomatic in operation, but they certainly will waste lot of steam if you neglect them tox ces. The customary scheme of running large low ressure heating mains from boiler house to build gs is the only thing which can be done when us haust steam for heating. Great care should sed, however, to insulate such mains preven it radiation losses as far as possible Wher Idings are to be heated by live steam. su heme of mains is dead wrong. Instead ru ! ressure mains from boiler house to the buildin; icing reduc Ing valves as near t nside W re ire heating main as possible, and you 1] nsiderable coal. A certain factory-heating systen Vas designe nd installed, entirely. contrary to the mpany e! neer’s recommendation, by a consulting engineer had theoretical than ind up to the time the company engineer was pet tted to remodel it, it had been impossible to heat he extreme ends of the building, while the centra re uncomfortably hot more practical training, rtions we ‘company en neer is now feeding the inside heating main at ) points from the high-pressure steam main, wo small reducing valves, and has w-pressure ising cut out the large underground main cor jiler house to the main buildings. The aving of not less than 20 per cent of coal, and he building is uniformly heated. The boi t seriously taxed in cold weather as f ind the employees in some departments hav -omplaint of being cold as they formerly had al mstantly. So far, the engineer een unable to persuade the company to insulate the ting mains, branches and risers. ‘ ii} aill pletely tron result 1s iers are ’ rmerh eon i referred to h: Some Practical Suggestions You should insulate pes, by all means. the investment. Where coal shows a tendency to clinker, steam jets directly under the grates, and : to blow straight up into the fuel bed, will result in uch easier firing, fewer clinkers, less ash, and naturally a decrease in coal ey _ } «+3 . ‘ ‘ your heating and eal It will pay large dividends or the uss irranged fewer ‘leanings of fires, consumption. The ideal method of firing boilers, of the use of mechanical stokers. At the price of coal, the writer seldom advised mechanical stokers in plants under 500 hp. boiler rating, but with coal at present prices he has revised his mini- mum to 200 hp. rating. Shaking or rocking grates are such a decided improvement over stationary grates, they should be used in all furnaces where mechanical stokers are not installed on account of first cost. Gas analysis is unquestionably a valuable means f locating and reducing losses of combustion. The instruments are not expensive, are easily understood and operated, and should be furnished engineers of all steam plants by the owners. After several gas tests in connection with draft gage readings, a fire- man should be able to maintain high CO, percent- ages by watching his draft gage. The draft gage course, 18 normal seems to the writer almost as important as a steam gage (of course ignoring the safety feature of the latter) it costs but little more than a steam gage, and there is no excuse for any plant to be without Yet there are comparatively few in use. It one. IRON AGE L529 W Save enoug! week to pay for itself, if ised pr peri Another thing « I I nt should have it few nave S al al damper reguiator { rtu te i i reg tor cost , y STO ¢ Si 5t) ni iS S I S ire INnADIE to Se ¢ ner t vy the plant | f long ‘ . , ; : y ©) , ‘ ? ? ‘ 7 ‘ vl rie } ) ‘ ' e? é I ‘ ‘ | ‘ \I ‘ nservs VW . : . r ed wu : . . ” it eters, ! rd ft hours heat, stean er al ‘ 1 { eT ne re ra A re | f lit If nrer en ed rat to-da ke tr ! o-morrow. and he doe not “A and rve the he 1 gr i ext da Business Policy Obstructs Provress P il Ae ‘ ( ‘ a : narge i 2 e! ! if riments t intr I ‘ r expe é nn gy pra t I t CAT t t T t ‘ il nsumptior ’ nlete ‘ V here heace , ‘ rye re ry T r 4 ‘ ‘ y : ’ 7 , ] j ' ! r ] rene! nese re pe f Al ¢ re pr t rl ‘ ‘ : d + r pa ' iT ir? \ ; } ¥ y nie f the e |] 7 . lt n a saving of ifficient to offset the increased y ry : y e Multiple | e Feed Lubricator for Bearin \ . ‘ . ' e P { Roct I ' f pu r ¢ YY ‘ y | t t ‘ nit t t eT | >’ ‘ I ve . t } / t irt r rer ! f the ib } ‘ -?) ’ ? ? ry te! I i kK j t i ¢ ] fy .. 4S 1¢ re ? ; ¥ l¢ ibr ator the number of tr leary j , ‘ irse he speed of the engine or ‘ ywer \ ree ght feed | led near the ist ° nut t » the rate hich the , being pumpe I A rave i or the rneé f the t + nd ‘ te th ur f ¢ i tr reser r If ; re i the in ¢ ‘ imped | } al } it dict ng ne ar stmer The St. Louis Aircraft Corporation, formed officers of the St. Louis Car Co. and the Huttig Sa & Door Co., St. Louis, will undertake the constructior and equipment of airplanes for the United States Gov ernment, utilizing the two plants mentioned for the work involved. Messrs. Alfred J. Siegel of the Huttig company and E. B. Meissner of the St. Louis Car Co are the chief officers of the new concern which plans to turn out about 200 airplanes per month Industrial Housing Problems’ Labor Shortage Forcing Manufacturers to Build—Housing Essentials—Dwellings for Skilled and Unskilled BY LESLIE H. Workmen ALLEN URING the past two or three years employers of labor in all of our big industrial centers have ex- perienced such great difficulty in getting and keep- ing employees that much attention has been focussed upon the employment situation. In view of the prob- ability that it will not change for four or five years after the close of the war, the manufacturer is faced with the very serious problem of how best to compete in the labor market for his needs, with the knowledge that housing is an important factor in which he will get no help from local investors as in former years. The Effect of Bad Housing on Industry Apart from any consideration of this subject from the humanitarian or sentimental side, the industrial employer is beginning to realize the tremendous im- portance of housing conditions in their relation to pro- duction. The output of a plant is seriously affected by the prevalence of sickness, so often caused by un- sanitary surroundings of the workman’s house and overcrowding inside. The interest of the employer in the health of the employee is being shown in better sanitary accommodations in the factory, the provision of rest rooms, hospitals, recreation parks, club rooms, etc. In so doing he has recognized the importance to his plant of happy, healthy employees. The provision of decent houses for them is but a short step further Building fer Skilled and Unskilled Workmen When the manufacturer has decided to build, he is faced with the problem of selecting the type of house. It must first be recognized that we have two of workmen to be considered: (1) The unskilled work- men, mostly foreigners or negroes, uneducated, unused to American houses and American standards of living, earning a very low wage, and (2) the skilled men, mechanics, machinists, etc., earning a higher wage, mostly Americans, living according to American standards, demanding more and willing to pay more for the comforts that the foreigner does not consider essential. The result of a failure to distinguish these two classes is that at the present time nearly all the houses built are American houses for skilled work- men, and the need for better houses for unskilled labor has remained unsatisfied, resulting in overcrowding, getting worse and worse. Here and there, as in Phila- delphia and Washington, a most excellent attempt has been made to solve the problem of housing the unskilled, low-paid workman. Such examples have not been copied, and only serve to show up more sharply the mistakes of other cities. 5 oo mes Ciasses Housing Essentials The essentials of a modern city house may be sum- marized as follows: Watertight roof, walls and floors Bedroom for parents. Bedroom for male children Bedroom for female children. Living-room for cooking, eating and general day use Private toilet-room with sanitary water closet and sewer connection. Suitable heating arrangements. Running water supply fit for drinking Uninterrupted daylight and ventilation through windows in every room. Sink in kitchen, with running water and waste ®*From a paper presented at the convention of the National Housing Association in Chicago, Ill. The author is with the Aberthaw Construction Co., Boston, Mass Further additions required by the America: man and his family and practically always con necessary by them: Cellars. Closets. jathtub with running wate: Window screens Separate parlor Desirable improvements which usually are adds the workingman’s house: Porches and piazzas. Lavatory bowl. Hot-water supply to bath and bow! Window shades and blinds kitchei Dining room separate from parlor or Electric lighting or gas piping Wah paper Laundry tubs. Need for Economy Any attempt such as the above to divide essentials from luxuries must come in for a good deal of criticism as there is bound to be a difference of opinion upon th« details of such a list. The classifications suggested wil! at least serve to indicate the lines upon which the plan- ning of a house should be studied in view of the need for strict economy in designing and building necessary to bring buildings down to a cost that will be remuner ative. It is generally agreed by economists that the work- ingman cannot afford to pay more than one-quarter of his monthly wage in rent. This means that the man earning an average of $12.50 a week cannot afford to pay more than $150 per annum. Assuming that a hous- ing operation ought to pay at least 10 per cent gross per year, this gives $1,500 for purchase of lot with sewer and street improvements and the building of a house. At the present time a four-room house of good construction cannot be built for this money and it is therefore necessary to plan with the very strictest economy. Many of the workmen whose homes we wish to build have come from countries where four walls and a roof are considered a sufficient shelter from the elements to make a home. Although we do want to see them housed in a better manner than this, yet it is not necessary to give them a six-room house, large cellar, furnace heat with running hot water, laundry tubs, lavatory bowls, picture moldings, and all the other comforts and luxu- ries that are required by higher-paid workmen. We should give him a house that will not harbor vermin, that will not be damp or unhealthy, a house in which every room has a proper amount of light and ventila- tion and direct sunlight, and that has decent privacy in its sanitary accommodations and sufficient bedrooms for the sexes to sleep apart. Types of Workmen’s Houses The various types of houses now in use by indus- trial workers are: Single houses of five to seven rooms. Two-family houses of four to seven rooms. Terrace or row houses of four rooms and up. Apartment houses or tenements, two rooms and uj} Boarding houses for single men. Hotels. The single house is the ideal residence for the American family, but is beyond the means of the low- paid unskilled workman. A single house with five or six rooms with 3000 sq. ft. of land cannot be built for less than $3,000 except in the cheapest kind of frame con- struction, and even at this price it would call for a 1530 kecember 27, 1917 rher rental than he can afford to pay. For higher- id men in the plant the single house is very desirable. The two-family house is often built for workers who h to purchase their home. Though not suitable for unskilled worker, they are quite attractive to gher-paid men who like to buy a two-family house so it the rental received from one-half of the house will p to pay the carrying charges and amortization of whole house. In some cases these are built side | ie with a party wall and in other cases one te nt is built above the other. The first-named referable, as there is more privacy. One of the of the most successful houses for the un lled worker is that known as the “Philadelphia” type house, of which many thousands have been built in \iladelphia, Washington, and other large cities. The pical four-room Philadelphia house is two rooms dee has a living-room and kitchen downstairs, two bed oms and bath upstairs. It is built in long rows or erraces with party walls in between. These can be iilt on as narrow a frontage as 13 ft. 6 in. (a 15-ft rontage is desirable) on a lot of 900 sq. ft. The cost both land and building is much lower than the pre ling type. Houses built when prices were norma V it 422.4 - CHA MEE ke aero + have been rented for as low as $12 a month and have shown a fair profit. The building of houses in terraces is comparatively new in this country except in Philadelphia, although it very common in European countries. It allows for a ery little land per house unless the lots are very deep, but is desirable in many other ways. Each family has direct entrance from the street without any common hallway and is not interfered with by other tenants overhead. The cost of heating the house is less owing there being fewer outside walls. In a house two oms deep each room has a proper amount of light nd ventilation, and these houses have proved very suc- ssful wherever they have been used. A recent variation of this type of house is the three- m two-family terrace house with one family on each or. These are generally in demand by married iples without children. The multiple dwelling or tenement house, housing ten to fifty or more families, is undesirable from ny points of view, and yet in crowded cities where i values are high is practically the only solution. Apartments of all sizes can be provided, the most mmon arrangements being three rooms (kitchen, liv- THE IRON AGE L531 ine ing-room and bedroom) or four rooms (kitchen, living- room and two bedrooms). Each apartment should have Its own private toilet and its own water supply There is always some demand in a large manu facturing center for small apartment-houses of two or three rooms with bath, etc., for married couples without hildren. They are not so desirable as homes for the workingman, and yet there are some mechanics who prefer them just as so many well-to-do people in our ties are content with and prefer this iss of dwelling In rural districts many mills have built small board ses e ¢ £ LiKe a f fr ‘ I 1 el iraers Ihe vantages f a sma ‘ raing house are that one man and his wif in run them, and the mill has no further responsibility The men also prefer this sort of lodging to big company houses The ig disadvantage is that it is difficult exercise any ( [ { I il ey may e misused r overc? vded Th ir outweichs t Advantages he f ird ‘ sixty ‘ are i efficient marrié¢ e with three serva in rf he place without I A nigt r t ire na i ) sition of this kind, but they can be secured fairly readily It is easier to arrange for proper inspection and supervision, as in most cases, these are run as ompany houses.” , boarding house for more than sixty is too big a proposition to be handled this way, and would have to be run like a hotel The Manufacturers’ Local Needs The industrial manager at this point may well stop n bewilderment, not knowing how to proceed next, ze and type of house he needs to choose from being quite a puzzle. On this point it is im 1 ' ‘ + “pale : le for any expert to offer advice until his local needs are accurately determined, and to do this the only safe way is to institute a careful survey of the housing ; ‘onditions and needs of his locality Suiting the House to the Needs of the Occupant There should be in every home enough bedrooms for the parents and the children of either sex to sleep apart A good-sized bedroom should be provided for parents (and infant children) and two smaller bedrooms, large enough to accommodate two persons each for the other hildren. All families, of course, are not of the same 1532 THE size, and some larger and smaller houses will be needed; but as a rule it will be found that the larger demand is for the four-room, five-room and six-room houses. Where houses are built to sell, however, the six-room house is as a rule the smallest that one can count upon selling without difficulty. The size of the bedroom should be sufficient to give at least 400 cu. ft. of air space per min. All bed- rooms should open onto a hall and not into each other or into a living room. The toilet room must be planned so that it opens directly off the stairs. Next, there must be provided at least one living room of not less than 135 sq. ft., for working, eating, washing, and general use. Separate dining rooms and separate parlors add much to the expense of the house and it is not always possible to provide them for the unskilled laborer. What the foreigner needs is one large kitchen. It is the habit of most foreigners and of many Americans to live in this room, and it should be large and well-lighted and ventilated. It is found that where three living rooms are provided, two of them are invariably used as bedrooms for lodgers. Some comment will naturally be made on the sug- gested omission of the cellar. We are told that the family needs a cellar for the storage of coal and canned fruit, and that it costs no more to build it than to leave it out. In investigating the contents of laborers’ cellars the writer has never found large supplies of food or fuel. The laborer is too poor to buy more than two or three hundred pounds of coal at a time, and never lays in stocks of food in advance; instead of this we usually Costs of Different Types of Houses Compared Frame Construction with Ordinary Wood framing, inside wood lathed and plastered, out- side rough boarded and clapboarded and painted. .102% Wood framing, inside wood lathed and plastered, out- side wire lathed and stuccoed... ..108%% 6-in. concrete wall, inside furred and lathed and plas- tered, outside rubbed smooth....... eae . 112% 6-in. concrete wall, inside furred and lathed and plas- coed 111% $-in. brick wall, inside furred and lathed and plastered.115 \% « Wood framing, veneered with 4-in. brick, inside lathed and plastered : bie ...113% find in his cellar a miscellaneous assortment of most unsanitary rubbish and junk, which constitutes a serious fire menace. Statistics show that over 80 per cent of dwelling-house fires start in the cellar in such rubbish. The argument that it costs no more is nearly true where sand and gravel soils are encountered, but in clay or other hard digging the extra cost of digging the cellar mounts up considerably. Cellars are not needed for furnaces where the tenant cannot afford the fuel for them but derives his heat from his kitchen stove. In houses of this class the tenant usually furnishes his own stove, and as his stove has no hot-water front, a system of hot-water piping is of no use to him. Some owners prefer to install the stove with water front and hot-water piping in spite of the increased cost of the house, but all these things help to put up the cost and the resultant rent to a figure higher than the tenant ean afford. For the same reasons washbowls in the bathroom, and laundry tubs, though useful, are not necessities. There should, however, be an enameled iron sink in the kitchen, and a bathtub should be pro- vided even if the tenant has not learned how to use it. There should be a proper supply of running water, pure, and fit for drinking, and a water closet connected with the sewer, and a cast-iron enameled bath. Materials of Constructior Although no exact cost data can be given at the present time on the common building material, the fol- lowing figures are given in order to indicate the rela- tive costs of these materials based on present prices. As prices do not vary consistently, these figures may not hold good for very long. In certain localities where clay for tile making is abundant the prices of tile would be cheap and would indicate that this is the cheapest IRON AGE December 27, 19) material to use. In other places where there is a » gravel supply right on the ground the relative eos: concrete would be reduced. Assuming the cheapest construction, a wood f; ing, wood lathed and plastered on the inside and ro boarded and shingled on the outside, as standard or { per cent, the relative costs of various types of hou would be as given in the accompanying table. The chief roofing materials in use at the pres time are wood shingles, asphalted felt shingles, asbes: shingles, slate, tile, “ready” roofings, tar and gra built-up roofings and tin roofings, the last three be used for flat roofs. The cedar shingle, while still in common use, slowly giving place to other materials. Many cit have legislated against it, and as the asphalted fe! shingle, which is a good deal more fireproof, can be pu on for about the same price, it is coming into genera use. The asbestos shingle costs about twice as muc} and is not so commonly used, although it makes a mor permanent roofing. The cost of tile and slate roofing is so much highe than the above that they have to be left out of con sideration in workmen’s houses. The flat roof covered with a five-ply built-up tar ar gravel roofing is considerably cheaper than any of the preceding, but its appearance is generally objected to Various types of ready roofing are used as substitutes for built-up roofs, but, on account of the difficulty in making good water-tight joints they have not come into general favor. The tin covered roof is being used less and less. It is more expensive than the built-up roof and requires frequent repainting and maintenance. Wood lath and plastering continue to be the cus tomary method of finishing walls and ceilings. Plaster board covered with a finish coat costs very little more, and where speed is essential can be put on and dried out much more quickly. The various wall boards and composition boards offered as substitutes for plastering are not satisfactory for industrial houses. The cost per square foot is low, but the waste in cutting is very great unless specially ordered, and the result is not so permanent. Interior woodwork is best stained and varnished and not painted, as it is less easily soiled. Wall papers add nothing to the comfort or health of the tenant, but do add to the rent he has to pay, besides proving a harborage for vermin. Kitchen and bathroom walls are best painted with lead and oil, while many owners leave all others rooms bare or tint them with cold water paint. Architectural Design No laws or limitations as to style can be laid down The designer of the workman’s house is usually work- ing under very strict limits of cost. It is his duty first of all to plan for the comfort, safety and health of the tenant, and if after this is done he has still some money left for architectural adornment, the money spent in this way is money well expended. In planning a house the square plan bounded by straight lines is the cheapest and most economical. As the plan changes from square to oblong, the ratio of walls to floor space increases, and with it the cost. Any departure from the right angle means increased labor and waste of material in cutting. No applied architectural ornament can equal the beauty or permanence of a careful planting of trees, shrubs and vines. The plainest of houses suitably planted with quick-growing vines on permanent trel- lises, and with good shade trees in front will look far better than the most ornate building elevation and cost much less. Layout of Streets and Lots The monotony of straight rows can be avoided by houses set at varying distances from the frontage line, and the appearance of the street improved. In laying out the street line it will generally be found that the streets which follow contours of the ground, provided these are not too irregular, give 4 I mber 27, 1917 pleasing effect, and in many cases save large of money. o general rule can be laid down as to the size of t that should be given the worker. In some sec- the English scheme of gardening in “allotments” een tried successfully. In such cases the houses ‘ uilt on very small lots of land and a reservation of ‘ al acres is provided for gardening. This is fenced d cut up into small allotments and let out in small ms to those who wish to take care of gardens. A garien properly cultivated is a very beneficial thing, a lot of land which is allowed to become the dump- round of dirt and refuse is of no benefit to any- but rather the reverse. city developments it will probably be found best rive very little land to the tenant, but to use the that otherwise would have been allowed him in the maintenance of parks and playgrounds for children and tments for gardening. Selling and Renting Houses When the houses are built a most important problem presents itself for consideration in the decision as to whether the houses are to be sold to the workingmen or rented them. No general answer can be given to this juestion, but a brief statement of the pros and cons can here be given. If the houses are sold to the workmen, there is the jection that if the workmen are fired or leave of their own accord they still retain the house though it is wanted for other workmen; also that if they can sell at a profit, the increment in value which has been put into the house by the presence of the-plant goes to the workman, who has not earned it. On the other hand the workman buying his own home and paying for it by installments has to make himself a steady and effi- ‘ient worker in order to keep up his payments. There are usually more applications to purchase than there are houses to sell. Therefore the purchasers can be selected from those that are the most likely to remain with the company. The difficulty of firing men is not & pressing one, as the manufacturer’s problem to-day is rather how to hold his men than how to fire them. The employment manager is being kept busy finding new places for men who do not fit in one corner of the plant rather than let them be fired in the old way. Where houses are rented the owner has more control ver them, and can evict tenants who leave his employ. has, however, the difficulty in strike times of taking ‘are of his property, which otherwise would not concern him, Labor leaders object to the immobility of labor aused by men owning their homes. The tendency seems to be to-day toward the selling f the houses, and several interesting purchase schemes ive been evolved by manufacturers } Supervision lf a housing project is to be really successful, too h emphasis cannot be laid on the strict and careful pervision and education of the tenants. Overcrowding ind the lodger evil must be prevented by proper restric- ns in the leasing or selling of the property, and a elfare worker or district nurse or friendly rent col- r should make periodical inspections for the pur- of seeing that the premises are being kept clean that the tenants are living decently. It is not ential that this worker be engaged directly by the wner of the houses. In many cases it is far better f the local municipal league or other local organization be subsidized to take care of these activities. \ welfare worker can often accomplish a great deal the way of educating the foreigner along sanitary iecent housekeeping lines. \n interesting experiment which is about to be tried 8 the establishment of a “probationer’s” block on the itskirts of a new industrial town. To this block are admitted tenants of negro or foreign birth, and their keeping is supervised by a resident superintend- ent. They are taught American cooking, laundry work, ttc., in a welfare building, and when they have proved themselves to be good tenants and agreeable neighbors r THE IRON AGE 1533 they are permitted to occupy houses in other parts of the town. This experiment will be watched with a good deal of interest. Conclusion In this article the writer has endeavored to touch upon the many problems that are still being studied by those who have the welfare of the workmen and the manufacturer at heart. It cannot be stated that any of these problems have yet been finally and satisfac- torily solved. All that it is hoped to accomplish in this article is to set forth clearly the main problems in a desire to assist the manufacturer starting a housing venture to form a correct judgment for himself. Drum Reversing Switch for Machine Tools For operating the driving motors of machine toois and wood-working machinery where it is necessary to reverse the direction of the rotation the Westinghouse Electric Mfg. Co., East Pittsburgh, Pa., has brought out a small reversing switch of the drum type. The switch is made for use on either direct or alternating current circuits and its small size enables it to be mounted directly on the machines. The back of the switch is formed by a terminal board of heavy micarta with the stationary contacts mounted on the front. The movable contact segments are mounted on cast brass brackets which are thor oughly insulated from the revolving shaft to which they are clamped. Phos phor bronze springs are provided on the movable segments to secure good contact, copper shunts be ing provided for their protection. Adjacent sets of contacts are separated by asbestos lumber bar Arcing between Adjacent = 1: Row of Contact of a New riers which are relied Reversing Switch of the upon to prevent cross-ar¢ Drum Type for Machine Tools Is Prevented by Bar ing. A sheet steel cover jicrs of Asbestos Lumber lined with asbestos and held in place by two ring latches protects the live parts and at the same time can be removed readily to inspect or renew the contacts. When the control