The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

132 M ESSES. SCHNEIDER AND CO.’S WORKS. long sections, but it was done away with as too costly, and the long sections are now galvanised in two operations in the No. 1 bath. Various mechanical devices for galvanising were designed and applied at the Clialon Works some time ago ; they gave more or less economical results, but to the détriment of the quality, adhérence of the zinc, and appearance of the sheets. Messrs. Schneider and Co. preferred, consequently, to make a sacrifice in this respect, and to keep to their process of drying the sheets, which they plunge afterwards slowly in the bath,using for this purpose a special device which holds three to six at sheets a time, according to their weight. Staff.—The Cbalon Works are under the supervision of a managing engineer, who is responsible for all the departments. These departments are five in number : l. The bridge and iron-building department, nmnbering sixteen engineers and draughtsmen. m. The marine office, which numbers fourteen engineers and draughtsmen. n. The accountant’s office, in five sections, under one chief accøuntant : ci . Estimâtes and cost-prices section, three olerks ; p. General accounts, four clerks ; q. Stores, four clerks ; r. Labour acoount keeping, six clerks ; s. Salary accounts, two clerks ; making twenty accountants in all, to whom are added three clerks who have charge of the galvanising plant ; the inspector of all rolied iron and steel received ; the delivery clerk and storekeeper. There are, besides, four timekeepers-—one for an average of 220 men—giving a total of thirty employés in this office. 4. The correspondence office, comprising one chief and three clerks. 5. The shop management, consisting of one manager, eiffht foremen, and one chief labourer, as follows : Two foremen for bridge and iron building work. Two foremen for marine work. One foreman tracer. One foreman carpenter and joiner. One foreman smith and fitter. One foreman of the galvanising plant. One foreman labourer, over two gangs, one to keep the tools supplied, and one for loading and unloading material. This is équivalent to one foreman for about 100 men. Each foreman has under his Orders a certain number of chiefs of gangs, or chief erectors (one per dass of work). There are therefore : Managing engineer ... ........ .......... 1 Engineers and draughtsmen ... ... ... ... 30 Accountants and correspondents ... ... ... 34 Foremen ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 75 for 850 to 900 workmen, or one for eleven workmen. The technical staff occupies two large rooms, one being set apart for bridges and buildings, and the other for all marine work. The accountants are divided among several offices, according to the woi'k they are intrusted with, the accounts being centralisée! in the main office. The correspondents are in a special office, which com- municates with that of the manager. The foremen have a desk in their respective shops. The archives, duly classified, contain the working drawings of all the Orders executed in the works from the commencement. They constitute a most useful reference. A photo-copying room, fitteel up with all the most modern appliances, serves for the préparation of plans required by the various administrations. I.—BRIDGES, BUILDINGS, &c., CONSTRUCTED AT CHALON. It would be impossible to refer, even very briefly, to all the important iron and steel construction executed by Messrs. Schneider and Co. at their Chalon-sur-Saone works ; as regards bridges, a very general summary has been given on a préviens page, and an attempt will now be made, by selecting some of the most typical examples, to convey an idea of the important part Messrs. Schneider and Co. have taken in initiating the principal processes of erecting bridges, methods which have been since generally followed. The methods em- ployed by them, as early as 1860, can effectively be traced as being now applied to the viaducts of most modem construction. Each one of the viaducts now to be referred to constituted, for its time, a decisive step forward. To illustrate this, we will describe the érection of some of the typical viaducts and bridges constructed by Messrs. Schneider and Co., each of which marks an advance in the method they originated. After passing in review the bridges built in the coni- mencement, we shall dcal with soiug detail upon. the moro recent constructions, as these are more interesting from a technical point of view, and show that Messrs. Schneider and Co. have never ceased to hold a front rank in these specialities, although a laudable émulation lias causée! them to have many competitors. The first work of erecting bridges without staging dates as far back as 1859, when it was followed with success by Messrs. Schneider and Co., for the large Fribourg viaeluet, and afterwards in a still bolder manner for the “El Cinca” bridge, (Spain), in 1866. Fribourg' Viaduct (Fig. 363, Plate LXXXIL).—This important construction is on the line from Lausanne to Fribourg, over the Sarine. It is 333.72 metres (1,095 ft.) in total length ; the rails are 76 metres (249 ft.) above the level of low-water mark. The track is on the top of the girders, which are continuons. There are seven bays, each of 48.800 metres (160 ft.) spån ; piers are of iron 43.23 metres (141 ft. 10 in.) high. The piers are erected on masonry foundations, the height of which varies according to the configuration of the ground. For the highest pier the foundation is