Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-06-26

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mored that the tunnel was nearly finished
In less than two weeks the first engine, g
rusty, battered affair, came up and halted
on top of the great embankment. 1t had
brought up long line OF fat cars loaded
with heavy timbers. The neighbors said
it was to build bridge, for the temper
airy bridge was long ago swept away by
the river floods. There came also swarm
of carpenters and laborers, and station
ary steam-engine. The Chase mansion
began to be exceedingly undesirable as
residence, but the farmer did not care, fol-
he drove lively trade in hay for the
horses, vegetables for the men, and fuel
! for the engine. He had even dreamed
of cutting up the farm for house lots, for
there was hint IN the air of station
near the bridge Real estate had already
risen, and suitors began to seek the hand
of the probable heiress. Her father well
coined them, in the hopes that they might
make her forget the young farmer lad
who went away to learn trade.
She refused them all, for she knew her
lover too well When he left home he
had gone straight to technical school,
and after two years. hard study he had
Joined himself to company OF that
country who built iron bridges. Then
came more notable events and another
letter. Square beams, hollow within and
closed on both sides with work,
long bars with eyes like those of darning-
needles, rods, bolts, and blocks of iron of
fantastic patterns, and every piece mark
ed with curious letters and numbers in
white paint The people in all that
countryside came in focks to see the
great heaps of metal, and to inspect the
huge wooden structure that had been
erected in the river between the abut-
ments on either shore. Suddenly in their
midst came the bridge engineer-Thomas
Lawson. The improbable had come
true.
With him came the bridge building
company and about twenty workmen.
The officers inspected everything, and
then went away, leaving the young man
in charge of the work. In this they felt
quite safe. They knew the young farmer
lad from the day he left home and took
up hammer and file by. day, and his
books by night They knew him as a
hard student and a competent workman
Besides this, the work was all finished,
he had seen it put together once in the
shops, all the parts were plainly marked,
and he had only to join together perma-
nently what he had assisted to erect tenn
porarily. The only mistake was in put
ting the young man on his first import
ant piece of work just at that particular
spot.
THE DISASTER.
In twenty-four working days the bridge
was finished and ready for the rails.
Every part had been accurately fitted in
to place, and the timber scaffolding under
the bridge was removed, leaving it self
supported, perfect whole spanning the
fitful Minnesauken, one hundred and
eighty-four feet in one bold leap through
the air. 1t was Through truss'' of the
finest American design-light, airy, and
yet firm as the solid hills, strong enough
to carry half dozen locomotives, and
wonderfully beautiful
Farmer Chase was pleased and satisfied
The young man had done well. He should
have his reward. Both families were
reconciled and approved the match. Real
estate had risen on both sides of the river
and both learned, as if it were something
truly remarkable, that one family was
"
herself, she could not keep away from
that wonderful bridge. 1t was mystery
and a source of endless admiration, and
he had built it.
He tried to explain to her the charm
inc details of the law of strains in bridges,
the truly beautiful way in which the
strain of compression was taken by the
massive hollow beams, and the strains of
tension distributed with exact justice
among the rods and eye-bars. He told
her of all the happy thoughts developed
in preparing for the strains under a NOV"
ing load, and how wonderfully large was
the factor of safety. He took her up on
the abutment on the Lawson side of the
river, and pointed out the steel rollers
placed under the bridge to give the beau
tiful creation chance to stretch itself in
warm weather. He also showed her how
space had been left between the end of
the bridge and the masonry to give it free
room to contract and expand in the heat
and the cold. The Reward declared that
she understood everything perfectly, and
that bodybuilding was perfectly lovely
she knew.
"Your father says that we may be mar
ried as soon as the bridge is accepted.
The officers of the company will be here
tomorrow to meet the president of the
railroad. Rails will be laid over the
bridge, and engines will be run out upon
it to test it. If everything is all right the
president will accept the bridge, and then
the company are to give me permanent
position at good salary"
"Then we are within one day of happi-
ness.
Early the next morning the young man
crossed the stream dry-shod by leaping
from beam to beam of the great bridge he
had assisted to erect. Already the work
men were gathering the materials to lay
the rails over the finished bridge. He
was glad and triumphant Now all his
trials and waiting were over. He could
claim his reward. AS for the Reward
herself, she greeted him with kiss, and
led him in to breakfast at her fathers
house Peace had been declared between
the two families, for the modern Romeo
had built railroad bridge to reach his
Juliet.
In the midst of the merry breakfast, a
man came to the house, asking to see the
Young bridge builder at once. The man
was excited and frightened, and for a
moment the young builder could not un-
derstand him
"It's true, sir: it's as true as you live!
Old Jimmy Walsh found it when he laid
the first tie The bridge is out of place