Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-16
CUTOFF DELAYED.
BURLINGTON RAPIDLY RECON.
STRUGGLING BRIDGE.
PILE DRIVING NEARLY FINISHED
Newly Completed Bridge on Tracy Cut
off, Which Was Washed Out by the
Flood Will Delay Opening of Line
for Several Weeks.

The reconstruction of the. bridge
which spans the Des Moines river on
the line which the Burlington is build
ing between Tracy and Oskaloosa to
connect the Burlington and Western
with the Abba branch of the Burling-
ton is being rapidly pushed. The
bridge has been practically completed
but was entirely washed away by the
recent flood.
All of the preliminary work had to
be done over again and the delay in
the completion of the new cutoff
will be considerable. 1t is not expect.
ed that the line will be in full opera
| ton for several weeks. 1t is thought
| that the temporary structure can be
completed so that the track can be
laid across the river during the coming
week.
The bridge contractors have been
at work for several weeks A gang
is working from each side of the river
and about two "bents" are constructed
daily by each gang. The two gangs
will meet today if the past rate of
progress is kept up.
A Wonderful Machine.
The pile driving work on the east
side is being done by a driver placed
on barge, while the piles from the
west side are being placed by driver
that is operated from the end of the
work as it is completed, bent by bent.
This new driver is wonderful piece
OF machinery. 1t is a new piece of
property of the company and has been
out OF the factory less than two
months. 1t is the best thing of the
kind that can be made and has all of
the late patents and Improvements. 1t
can do almost anything and has all
sorts Of motions, forward, backward,
to one side or the other, etc. 1t is to
bridge building about what the steam
shovel is to excavation work. The
big machine can do almost anything
but talk. A farmer Watching the Cd.
erations of the complicated mechanism
one day. as the pile driver seemed to
be working suspended in mid-air. was
impressed that the thing almost had
intelligence. He looked long and ear.
nestly, then turning to bystander re.
marked: Well, anyhow, the gol dern-
ed thing can't vote.
How 1t Operates.
The greater part of the machinery
and the heavy car upon which it on.
crates are of steel. A number of en-.
glnes are operated from little house
that Is placed at one end of a travel
ing bed. The thirty-five hundred pound
hammer and thelguides through which
1t falls are on the other end of the
bed. There is none better or moro
modern than this one. The machine
is moved from place to place by the
ordinary locomotive. 1t is backed up
to lot of forty-five foot pine piling, a
line is let down and made fast about
| the big stack. The timber is drawn
from its resting place and pulled in
to position on the inside of the upright
frame. The car is then moved out on
the bridge to the last foot on construc-
ton. At this point is where the work
OF the new machine begins. The driv-
ers holding the piling that is to be
placed is moved out from the end of
the bridge by the travelling of the op-
Grating parts, half the length of the
tear. 1t appears to those watching the
machine that it moves out far enough
to tip the entire business from the end
of the bridge and into the water. The
piling is now lowered into the water.
The driver is turned to this side or that
at the will of the operator and it thus
places the pile exactly where it is de-
sired. The huge hammer now comes
down and the piling is driven as far
as possible. The whole operation re-
Iquires in reality a very short space of
time and it seems hardly possible that
so great an amount of difficult work
can be accomplished in SO brief a.
4 space Of time
Saw Off Pilinn.
| When the piling for particular bent
have all been placed the bridge car
ipenters have way of getting to them.
A four-inch thick timber is showed out
from the last bent and a man goes
dancing out along this lofty teeter
board. He proceeds to make the plank
fast at the proper place and height
and then along come the rest of the
| gang with some more planks which are
likewise made fast. Then the piling
are sawed off to the desired length,
the timbers are placed on the TOP and
then the stringers upon which rest the
ties, and lastly the rails. The bent is
properly braced and stayed and con
nected with the one constructed before
and the men are then ready for the
work of the pile driver once more.
After the work has been completed
across the river in this manner the
piling will be again sawed off and what
are called pony bents" are built on
top to give the desired strength and
height and the work is thus far done
over again. Another line of piling is
driven on each side of the structure
and these are connected with the main
bridge. The additional work is for
the purpose of properly handling the
heavy steel work that will constitute
the bridge proper when completed.
Only one of the concrete piers have