The National tribune., 1899-11-30
See page 12 for particulars of
cash Guessing Competition.
AN ENGINEERING FEAT.
A Piece of Rapid Bridge Building Which
Saved q Union Division

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: While
the 18th Pa. Reserves was lying at Fred.
ericksburg, Va, during 1862, detail was
made from the regiment to reconstruct the
railroad bridge over the Rappahannock
River, the bridge having been recently
burned by the Confederates, and upon the
detail reporting to Col. jackson, VINO had
charge of the construction, it fell to the lot
Of Serg't Kline, Of Co. A, son Of a bridge
builder Of repute, to ACT. as forema n of gang
of erectors.
The Sergeant took soundings. as he had
been taught by his experienced father. and
assumed command without the slightest
heSltancy. The work consisted of setting
three bentS of tresties, one upon another. in
the deep river. He set those long timbers
in their places with as much ease as though
they Were match-sticks, by the use of a
steamboat, moved by her paddle-wheels.
Inc faster the treSteS went up, the more
intensely he was interested with the work.
so much so, that he did not at first notice a
big steamboat with flags flying and much
pulling and blowing approach the shore
near where his regiment lay. Finally he
noticed in the distance the flag of the old
9TH Reserves being escorted by a long line
OF men, marching to the music of the ever
present fife and drum.
The thought of being left behind nearly
threw him OIL his balance, and while stand
ing on the top of the high treStle he saw the
regiment file on to the boat, as he thought:
but the strain was too much for his fighting
propensitieS to stand, 50 he climbed down
and said to his next best man at the business
to take charge of the erecting until he re-
turned, for he could not stand upthere and
not know where his regiment was going
Only by extra hard running did he manage
TO get aboard as the boat showed off on lis
trip TO the James River, to help fight the
battle Of Chickahominy. He was ex-
postIlated with 10 return, but he said that
4 1 -
him, and SO he went along.
While before Richmond he was in all the
engagements fought under Gen REYNOLDS.
Division Commander Of the Reserves, with
the others of his company, but he felt badly
about deserving Col. jackson at the Fred
erlcksburg bridge building, and was wish
ing for a chance TO show his usefulness in
his line, to settle his conscience.
The opportunity soon presented itself in
a hurried call for volunteers to save Kings
Division from capture or annihilaton, for
they were on the other side of the Chicka-
homIny, and with "a large force of Con-
federates ready to gobble them up at the
first dawn of day. Serg't Kline said that
if given 100 men ne would let the practically
lost division march over a bridge before
daylight, and upon his volunteers being
given him ordered all hands TO strip to the
bun and gather loose cottonwood logs then
IN the stream and swim with them to a car-
tain point. There he located a pier, which
he made by rolling logs, one upon another,
by main force until they sank to the depth
OF II feet under the constantly added
weight of naked men, and then building up
TO about three feet above water.
Now, TO get stringers over from the shore
to the pier seemed task TO men of no ex-
perience, but as his company had experts
with the AK who could chop and throw a
tree within foot of a desig-
mated mark, well located trees We're dropped
ha VT tnia 4
quickly Topped off, which We're used as
corduroy on the stringers. Many hands
made the pier quickly passabe for the be-
leagured Kings Division TO pass out Of the
reach of their enemies.
When the Sergeant saw the division COM
mence TO cross over his bridge TO safety, he
in his big-hearted way, that he
knew he was not called away from the
bridge without doing some
good TO the army Of his country.-F. Il. w.