R

ECORDS for quick work for bridge. building on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad were broken one day last month, when the old bridge across Swan Creek was removed and the new bridge placed in its correct position in exactly four minutes. Swan Creek is located on the Philadelphia Division, about two miles east of Aberdeen, Md. The erection of the new bridge on the outside of the old bridge was completed the day before, with the floor system all in place, the rails spiked to the ties, the old and new structure connected up, and the engine and all tackle secure and ready to make the movement between trains. As soon as the Royal Blue Line train, which left Baltimore at 9.50 a. m., crossed the bridge at 10.48, the company's track forces removed the rail at each end of the old bridge. This required four minutes. Then the erectors started their engine, and at 10.56 the change of bridges had been made. As soon as the new one was in position the track forces immediately began to connect the rails on the approaches to the rails on the bridge. This required about thirty-five minutes for the westbound track and about forty-two minutes for the eastbound track. The total period, from the time the track was cut to the time the track was connected up, was forty-three minutes for the westbound, and fifty minutes for the eastbound track.

As a usual thing such work, though intensely interesting to most of the railroad company's officials who are directly concerned, and the contractor having the job, does not stir up much interest or create much impression with the public; yet, at the same time, the erection of a bridge is a most serious operation and very dangerous work on account of the liability of accident to men, trains and structure.

The old bridge across Swan Creek was a double-track truss of a span of about 115 feet center to center end pins. On account of the extremely heavy traffic over this division it was determined to renew this structure with a plate girder bridge composed of two spans, one of 80 feet and one of 36 feet, the abutting ends of these girder spans resting on a pier built under the present structure.

As a

On the west end of this bridge there are water tanks placed between the rails, from which engines, in order to obtain water, must run at a fairly high rate of speed. It was, therefore, impracticable, from an operating standpoint, to reduce speed over this structure while it was in course of erection, as a reduction of speed would not enable the engine to take water. usual thing, during the course of the erection of a bridge of this character, all trains are brought to a very slow speed, so as to assure safety, as there is always a liability of a member being disconnected or tackle hanging down which may result in damage, unless the trains are under full control, and the old structure is removed piece by piece and the new structure erected piece by piece, right in its correct position.

In the case of the Swan Creek bridge, where trains must run at fast speed or the operation of the road seriously embarrassed, it was necessary to erect the new structure on the outside of the old structure, then attach the two structures together and pull the old one out of place and the new one into the position previously occupied by the old bridge, and all preparatory work had to be done without slacking of speed of any of the trains, and the pulling of the old structure out and the new one in had to be done between the schedule time of the trains.

P

LANS have just been completed for

the new National Museum Building in the Mall, although the work has been under way for months. The details are now settled to the satisfaction of the board of regents. Superintendent Green and the Congressional Committee having the matter in charge.

The size of the great rectangle will be about 570 feet frontage by about 320 feet in depth. The ornamental entrance is to face inward toward the Mall, but there will be almost as impressive an entrance from the side at 10th and B streets.

In a general way it may be said that the building will consist primarily of a main part in the shape of a broad T, comprising three wide wings or sections diverging at right angles from a large rotunda at the southern or principal entrance. Ranges of narrower width, one on each side and two at the north, will connect the three ends of the T or main sections so as to inclose two large open courts (each 128 feet square) and thus complete the quadrangle. The two south sections which, with the rotunda, comprise the front part of the building, will project slightly at each end beyond the walls of the side ranges.

As the land rises rapidly southward from B street, it has been planned to have the basement floor slightly above the level of that street, but at the south the top of the basement will be nearly on a level with the ground. Suitable embankments will be built along the sides of the building, inclosing a broad area, which will also extend along the south front, thus making the basement equivalent to a full story for at least workroom, laboratory, storage and heating purposes. Its height will be fourteen feet.

INTENDED FOR THE PUBLIC.

The first and second stories, intended for the public, will be about twenty-three feet and twenty feet high, respectively. The windows will measure fourteen feet nine inches high in the first and twelve feet high in the second, the corresponding ones in the two stories occupying the same embrasure, though separated by ornamental

“STAR.**

metal work.

These windows will be about eleven and one-half feet wide, and the intervening wall space about seven feet wide, giving a unit for the installation of exhibits of eighteen feet six inches.

The third story will be twelve feet in height, with windows about seven feet high by five feet three inches wide, thus furnishing ample light for all the requirements of the laboratories and storerooms. In the three main sections of the building there will still be another low story above the last, suitable for the storage of dried speci

mens.

The building will cost $3,500,000, but it will be a very impressive pile in comparison with the cost, for there is to be little in the way of interior partition walls, the floor space being left as clear as possible for the better arrangement of the exhibits.

ARRANGEMENT OF EXHIBITS.

The exact plan on which the exhibits will be arranged has not yet been determined, but the building will be divided between scientific and applied geology, the industrial arts, the fine arts and zoological collections. In many of the rooms of the new building it will be possible to quarter the skilled workmen of the museum, the laboratories and particular shops of one sort and another, on whose skill and cunning the great wonderhouse depends for much of its

attractiveness.

66

With the three buildings, the National Museum, the Smithsonian and the new building," the scientists will be able to store, quarter and exhibit all of their collections and works, abandoning the flimsy, fire-inviting structures scattered over much of the south section of the city, where the collections have been stored out of sight for many years. It will not be possible to put all of the collections on exhibition, but there will be many things brought to light for which heretofore there has been no room, and the collections that have to be stored will at least be in a fire-proof building.

According to present plans the structure will be completed in about two years.

UNCLE SAM SPEAKS.

It, either, like you do.

Your Uncle Samuel is the goods,
And when his flag's unfurled
For earthquakes, or for anything,
He simply beats the world.
And say, Vesuve !

You watch Frisco

And them other Califortunemakers

And see something doin'

In the wreck and the ruin,

Watch 'em and choose 'em as patterns

For people that lay down and whine

When they're punched in the slats by disaster
And call it the wrath divine.

Jist watch 'em, I tell you, and see 'em
Raise up from their earthquake and do
The things that will make their old city
A slum, as compared with the new.
Them Californians are wonders.
They are built on a plan to win,
And the Golden Gate stands open

For the wealth of the world to come in.

That's your Uncle Sam,

And he don't giveacontinental.

Let the earthquakes come,

From centre to girth;

They can't shake the Yankee

Off the earth.

Skiddoo? Not much!

And 23?

He beats it to a frazzle.

See?

AMERICAN PRESS HUMORISTS.

HUMORISTS GALLEY 2.

If every one who has given us his word will keep it, too, we'll have a big convention in Philadelphia June 4-9. Returns are coming in finely, even the far western fellows promising to be on hand, although the question of transportation does bother them a bit. Money for dues is also flowing into the treasury, and it's coming in the shape of checks mostly-indicating private bank accounts!

Everything is most encouraging!

President Rose has been drumming up recruits, and some others have caught the fever, with the result that the following new members have been added to the rolls: H. S. Harrison, "TimesDespatch," Richmond, Va.; John Kendrick Bangs, Rye, N. Y.; Charles Battell Loomis; Arthur Lewis Tubbs, "Bulletin," Philadelphia; Sewell Collins, "Life," New York, and Mark Twain, Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue, New York City.

It isn't the habit of the A. P. H. to make any undue fuss over new members, but we are inclined to make an exception of Mark Twain, because of his age. We take our hats off to Mark, and he has promised to take his off to us next June if it is at all possible for him to be present. He made this statement to us, sitting in his parlor, last Wednesday. We might mention also that John Kendrick Bangs has started in suspiciously (we wrote "auspiciously," but the intelligent typo made it "suspiciously," and maybe that's nearer correct) by paying his dues in advance.

We haven't been able to notify Charles Battell Loomis of his election. We believe he is busy jumping about from platform to platform, keeping the frost off Jerrum-Kay-Jerrum. However, we believe he will show up with his five-spot in June. Harrison, Collins and Tubbs will be here sure, and so will some other new ones, we hope. We want the old members to rope in all the new mavericks they can.

We're making elaborate plans for your entertainment in Philadelphia. Please make note of these few items:

An auto jaunt through Fairmount Park.

A "Night in Bohemia,” Pen and Pencil Club.
A Planked Shad feast down the Delaware.
A Summer Night at Willow Grove.
A Banquet at the Bellevue-Stratford.
A day or two at Atlantic City.

For goodness' sake! what more do you want? Eat, drink and be merry in Philadelphia this year, for next year you are likely to be buried.

Galley 3, which will be mailed to you next week, will tell you something about hotel accommodations and the like o' that.

Don't forget the time-June 4-9.

Yours fraternally,

T. A. DALY,

Sec.-Treas.

A SARTORIAL TRAGEDY.

BY H. E. WARNER.

Ere this tale I begin

I must tell you distinctly
That the items herein,

All related succinctly,
Came to me-you attend?"-
From a man who should know, sir;
'Twas the tailor's best friend,
Mr. Pillson, the grocer!

Now the tailor, he sat

On a board used for pressing,
And the fur of his cat

He was idly caressing
When Attorney Q. Zipp
Hove in sight, gaily smiling,
With a trivial flip

His spare moments beguiling.

He began right away:

"If you worked for the clergy

And you made it too gay,

Why, their anger would serge-eh?" But the tailor said naught,

Nor gave way to his feeling, Though his flashing eyes sought

And were glued to, the ceiling.

"Have you seen the whole cloth

That the liar from Nome spun ?" Now the tailor waxed wroth"Or the new Wendell Holmes-pun?" Then the tailor screamed: "Bah!

I vould haf you to know, sirSaid the lawyer: "Ha, Ha!

To your mind seems it sew, sir?"

Swift the tailor jumped up

With his goose in his hand, sir, And exclaimed: "Ach, du pup, I vill gif you mine anser! Du bist nicht but ein goose,

Und der teufel's own brudder, Und I kvick vill turn loose On vun goose, mit anudder!" Then he smote hip and thigh

With the might of his muscle, And he gouged out Zipp's eye In the subsequent tussle; Said the judge: "I'll be danged! With such puns did he fill him? Let the tailor be hanged

For neglecting to kill him!"