Exclusively for California . .

West Coqst Dock Sfrike

New talks between labor and management in San Francisco late last month were seen by some as hopeful signs that an end to the costly West Coast dock strike might be near.

Central to the dispute is the longshoremen's contention that they, and not the teamsters, should have the right to unload the containers on the dock. The union is presently allowing cargo that was piled up on the docks before the July 1, start of the strike to be removed "because this will remove some of the hardships on small businessmen sufiering from President Nixon's wage-price freeze."

The strike has halted all general cargo operations at 24 ports from Puget Sound to San Diego and has resulted in millions of dollars of losses to industry.

to more and more California dealers and distributors. For year around supplies of dimension lumber and precision-trimmed studs, depend on D&R.

$800,000 Feqther River Fire

A blaze firemen fought at tlle Feather River Lumber Co., kilns for more than 14 hours was estimated to have caused $800,000 damage to the Auburn, Calif., facility.

An electrical short in a control panel was the apparent cause of the Aug. 23 blaze'

Coleman M. Greer, general manager' said of the total of 10 kilns on the site, six were destroyed and the balance damaged to the extent that it will be about 30 days belore any drying operation may be resumed.

He said about $50,000 of prime sugar pine was lost in the blaze and replacement or repair of the kilns will run about $750,000. Construction of replacement kilns, he estimated, will take at least six months' l{ow, over 5,000,000 leet of dimension lumbet and studs monthly manufactured etpecially for Southern California construction needs. nNE OF the largest wooden build- \-z ings in the world. San Diego's Del Coronado Hotel is a remarkable monument to the efficacy of wood as a durable, infinitely variable building material.

"We will take immediate action to purchase stock to keep the operation going so that a minimum number of "-ploy""t iot" "tty work we do not plan any layofis," Greer said. Some 80 workmen and supervisors are em' ployed at the Auburn plant.

Art tleth would appreciate an opportunity to tell you how you and your customers will benefit lrom usinq deoendable ll & R dimension and studs.

Youian'reach him by calling 872-1280 or 783-05tf4.

Built in less than a year in 1887, it was erected by unskilled Chinese laborers imported from San Francisco who were given nothing more than sketchy architectural outlines to {ollow. They began with the uncomplicated rooms on the north side until they became experienced enough to handle the curves, arches, and tangents of the larger public rooms. Under those circumstances, their completed masterpiece should be considered an engineering miracle.

Douglas fir, purchased from Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Co., San Francisco, was used for the structural timbers.

Although the builder, Elisha Babcock of Chicago, had his own lumber planing mill on the construction site to process the green lumber, he did not wait for it to thoroughly dry. Memoirs of the architect, James Reid, indicate they all feared the structural timbers would shrink. Fortunately that did not happen.

Undoubtedly the most magnifi. cent area is the main dining room, the Crown Room. Dimensions of this unusual room are 156'in length x 62' in width x 33' in height, with a seating capacity of 1,000.

Its arched ceiling was made of natural finished sugarpine fitted together with wooden pegs. No nails were used. The roof is carried by scissor truss€s which also relieve the arched sugarpine ceiling, so no supporting pillars were required.

W0R[D famous for unique design, the Crown Room is preserved unaltered as a rare example of nineteenth century achievements in wood. Com p I ete ly sprinklered, the hotel has never had a fire since its construction in 1887.

19th Century Wood Masterpiece

The other public room of great beauty is the Grand Ballroom, a cirular room 160' in diameter with a 31'ceiling {rom which hang elaborate crystal chandeliers. Its walls and ceilings are supported by the structural strength of the overhead Pavilion Tower.

Story sI d Glqnce

You better believe it that they don't build 'em like they used to . herewith some of the details of construction of the West's biggest and best-known wooden structure.

The vertical trusses of the tower are constructed o{ Iaminated members. Planks are bolted at about 12'l diagonal spacing with 5/a" diameter bolts in the lower trusses ana r/2" diameter bolts in the upper. These are attached at the bottom (ballroom ceiling) and at the top to circular attachments. At mid-height, between top and bottom anchorage, is a cylindrical iron anchor 3I" in diameter, 44" high and.212" thick receiving 12 laminated truss members from below and 12 laminated truss members from above. Two Y-shaped bolt anchors from each tapered end of the truss members bolt into the iron cylinder.

The main lobby is a real treat for connoisseurs of fancy woodwork. Solid Illinois oak was used for the main stairways, with mahogany and California redwood for much of the trim. Scrollwork on the capitals of pillars used in the lobby was hand.carved. The open-work, cast:iron, gilded elevator in the lobby was part of the original installation.

Bedroom doors, frames, and window trim are redwood. Part of the detail which went into construction included redwood trim around the interior side of doors to the storage rooms and closets which are never seen by the public.