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Danger

Inside one of the ledges. The stencil reads,

DANGER
Workmen below.
Don't pile material above rail or drop any thing off balcony.
Intentional throwing is subject to discharge.


Most of the upper floors of the buildings were lined with wood blocks, I believe to absorb oil and other contaminants, and were easy to replace. The weather has since made them buckle in many places.
comments

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it almost looks like something is traversing under there.
spooky
Thu 02-23-2006
"I was feeling kinda seasick, the crowd yelled out for more..."
Puddleboy
Thu 02-23-2006
Motts...those being wood blocks makes me think back. I used to work at Pratt & Whitney, at their hardware helpdesk. The building I worked in was the 'H' building. It was where they dragged aircraft engines, on large skis, in and out with retro-fitted bulldozers. They used those same blocks, and painted them over with this black goopy stuff. They were more sturdy than anything else. They take a lot of weight. The only thing that affected them was water. They'd suck it up and buckle, just like these. And lemme tell ya, this building had LOTS of leaks!!! It makes me wonder just what this "walkway"(?) was used for....
Tony C.
Thu 02-23-2006
Excellent shot! And Pa Backy, that was priceless! I agree with Spooky.... looks like Nessie is under there.
Jude
Thu 02-23-2006
that is pretty cool, looks like the floor could use some help!!
rtotten
Thu 02-23-2006
"The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away..."
Twug
Thu 02-23-2006
Ya, thats one excellent picture. Love the colours and the simplicity of it
LoudLove
Mon 02-27-2006
those are pecan block, and they are frequently used in stamping plants for their ability to absorb shock and for toughness
packman
Wed 03-01-2006
Did you know that streets also used to be made from wooden blocks? There are only a handful left in the whole world. We have one small street here in Pittsburgh still in use made out of wood blocks. I have to go and see it sometime. It is over on the East end of the city somewhere, I forget where. There was a whole article on it in the paper a few years back.
weasel
Wed 03-01-2006
A lot of times these blocks were used in stables to be easy on the horses feet after a long day of deliveries pulling wagons.
I know of one of these stables now being used for a truck spring company in Reading Pa.
Choppper
Sun 03-05-2006
great shot motts, very spooky.
Lane
Sat 03-11-2006
My first impression: The workmen are STILL below...the floor that is, and trying to get out. Factory of the Living Dead...
Demilune
Thu 03-23-2006
The blocks of wood are soaked in cresote(sp?)
(Same stuff as RaiIroad ties) I pulled up a floor like this in a school once.
Mr Lou
Wed 03-29-2006
Lou, it's "creosote". Preserves timber and eliminates termites. It has a really strong sort of "antiseptic" smell. In Sydney (Australia) several of our older streets were made of these blocks. i remember, as a boy, sixty years ago, smelling the blocks burning in nightwatchmen's braziers, as our beautiful nineteenth century city was "modernised".
Ross
Fri 05-05-2006
I once toured the Electromotive factory in La Grange, IL that had wood block floors and was told it was a safety issue, if a metal tool was dropped there would be no sparks as would happen on a concrete floor.
John S.
Sun 08-20-2006
I love the stern warning about intentional throwing stuff. I would have been cannned 4sure. That sign just begs to bee ignored!
Mike J.
Fri 11-24-2006
The brick wave.

Signed: An American Soldier stationed in Germany.

12:52 A.M. / Tuesday / 24 / July / 2007
Joseph
Tue 07-24-2007
The wooden blocks were used for several reasons, First, and foremost they absorbed shock much better than concrete and when expensive castings were dropped they didn't fracture. Second, when damaged they were easy and inexpensive to replace when compared to repairs to other types of florring. Third, they were very easy to walk on and anyone who has spent his/her life in a mill that had floors like these preferred walking on them rather than concrete. Sadly, this third reason wasn't nearly as important as the first or second.
Terry
Fri 10-19-2007
And now the world knows that I spelled "flooring incorrectly.
Terry
Fri 10-19-2007
The way the floor was curved like that reminds me of went to visit my aunt in New York a couple of years ago. There was a lot of rain, and water got under the hardwood flooring causing them to curve upwards like that.
David
Sat 03-29-2008

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