Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-07-18
THE POUGHKEEPSIe BRIDGE.
How the Men Work in Mid-Afr and
Like It.

How the Men Work in Mid-Afr and
Like It.
The Poughkcepsic Eagle says: Peo-
pie who have been Watching the cree.
ton of the false work ut the east shore
anchorage pier at the bridge and out in
the river between piers = and 8 have
been wonderfully Interested in the agili.
ty and what seemed TO them dare devil
recklessncss of the trained men on the
job. They have seen them crawling
along on the gir,lerS and braces nearly
a hundred feet high, leapng from tim
Der to timber or running along the
narrow planking, now STOPPING over to
all in the hosting of timber or iron,
now standing on the extreme edge Of
the river front of work pecring down
upon the rocks and RIVER below, or 60
ing along hand over hand among the
braces with apparently as much ease
and comfort as though moving along
on terra firma.
They are all used to that kind Of
work." sail Gen. Field. of the Union
Bridge company, land have no feaI
whatever. When we were building the
cantilever over the whirlpool rapids al
Niagara, 240 feet above the running
waters they were just rs daring as
they are. here. remember when we
had the job about completed 1 was up
there one day. The cantileyer arms
were thep within fifty feet OF each
other, and 1t was decided to connect
them temporarily with plank. This
plank was about iifty-iive feet IN
length, about two and half feet Of
each end resting on the cantileveI
arms: The foreman had issued . strict
order prohibiting any one Of the men
from crossing the plank until II wai
firmly fastened at each end. the penal
ty being immediate dismissal There
had been great deal of talk among
the men rs to who would be the first
one to cross. was standing on the
American side of the structure, when
saw one of the men walk out on the
plank. look at it a minute, then look
down into the whirlpool below, ] felt
that he was going to cross the plank,
but was too far from him to make
him hear. He waited second or two,
and then deliberately walked out or
the plank, and when he reached the
middle Of it he stopped over, seized
the edges of the plank in both hands,
and, throwing his feet up, stood on bis
head and kicked his heels and shouted
to the the terrific lockers on. He musi
have been minute doing it. but I fell
as though it was half an hour. After
satisfying himself that he had kicked
enough he regained his equilibrium and
trotted along the plank to the opposite
side from where he started, seized hold
one of the iron braces of the cantileve,
and went down it head first, hand
over hand to the bottom. 1never saw
anything like it before. OF course th,
foreman discharged him and he wai
laid of two or three days, when ! ssnt
for him. He was one Of the best men
on the job, and l talked to him
like Dutch uncle, and put him tt
work again. These men have no fear
they are brought up to the business,
and feel just as safe $50 feet in the air
as they do on the ground. OF course
can see how people wonder at such
i filings, bptwe 'heye cot used 10 1t. The
best lime to sec them travel is ut The
dinner hour Or when the days work il
completed.