The Brigham Young Center

Salt Lake City, U.T.
May 4. 1872

Frank Low Esqr. & Co.
Boston, Mass.

Gentlemen.

Yesterday I read with considerable interest of your raising the first great truss for the Coliseum. The description of the truss itself is meagre & I have seen nothing with regard to the plan of the great building; but having had considerable experience in this class of work, and more recently in the erection of our Tabernacle at S.L. City, I wish to offer a few suggestions trusting they may prove of some advantage.

As the raising of these trusses in mass, must strain & rack them, thus loosening the pins and rendering them correspondingly weak, are they not almost certain to settle? In my judgement, the trusses should be framed and put together upon the ground, and temporarily pinned until the holes are bored, and when everything is properly fitted and marked alphabetically or otherwise, the timbers should be taken apart and raised plank by plank & put to their places over scaffolding erected for that purpose. From being pinned when in position, everything remains fat and strong.

The trusses in our Tabernacle were built in this way. They are 150 feet span, standing upon stone piers 3 ft. by 9 ft. and 20 ft. high. and they are 12 ft. apart. There are 4 rows of ribbons each 2-1/2 in. two thicknesses on each side of the lattices making a total of 15 in. The depth of the truss is 9 ft. As the span of your trusses is so much greater I would suggest that their depth be from 14 to 16 feet, with 5 or 6 ribbons.

We raised our trusses from each side, meeting in the centre. The pins are of well seasoned timber, turned to about the 32nd part of an inch larger than the holes, they were well greased and driven home with sledges and wedged at each end. The lumber used is red pine 16 in. by 2-1/2 in. the pins are of the same material. 1-3/4 in. 4 pins to each cross.

I offer these few suggestions in the interest of public good & improvement, hoping they may prove of some service, as from what I can glean of your proposed building as shewn in the "Dramatic News" I seriously apprehend danger of a failure. I will further say that if you require & will accept the services of an intelligent & thoroughly experienced mechanic, well skilled in truss work, I will furnish such a person to advise and consult with your builders. The gentleman alluded to superintended the building of our Tabernacle.

With my limited knowledge, I have an apology to offer for thus obtruding my opinions on the attention of skilled architects and experienced workmen, but it is done solely in the hope that good may result therefrom.

Yours with respect
Brigham Young

P.S. Enclosed is a photograph of the west end of Tabernacle shewing trusses.