Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-07


 before noon on the 10th day of March.
 Temple had succeeded in getting the work started, but the task was her culean one. Duncan hurried to the scene of action as soon as he returned from New York to Cairo. He found that the space to be built over was very low lying and that the nearest source of supply for earth with which to build the high embankment required was nearly two miles distant.
 Temple had begun work at that point. He was extending an embank- ment thence toward the point where the county line must be crossed. On this he was laying temporary track as fast as it was extended in order that his earth cars might be pushed over it with their loads of filling ma terial.
 Duncan's first look at the progress of the work convinced him that it could not be completed within the time allowed unless much larger working force could be secured.
 He instantly telegraphed to Hallam:
 Must have more men immediately. If you can send 200 at once. there is a bare possibility of success, provided weather conditions do not grow worse, but with out that many men failure is inevitable. Why not send all your miners here7
 Hallam in his habitual way acted promptly and with vigor. Leaving Stafford to hire all the men who could be secured in Cairo, he himself hur- ried to the mines and by promising double wages induced most of the men there to go for the time being into tho work of railroad construction. Within two or three days the total force at Duncan's command numbered some. what more than 200 men.
 "We ought to have fifty or hundred more," he said, particularly as the miners are new to this sort of work, but as we can't get them we must do our best with the force we have"
 After consultation with Temple he divided the force into three shifts and kept the work going night and day without cessation. For a time the rapid progress made gave Duncan con- fidence in his ultimate success. In that confidence Temple shared, but with reservation.
 'Pm afraid we're in for freshet," he said. "The rivers are all rising, and the rain is almost continuous now. All this region except hill here and there lies lower than the flood levels of the Ohio river on one side and the Mississippi on the other. If the rise continues we shall have both rivers on us within few days"
 "Is there any way in which to meet that difficulty" asked Duncan anx- iously.
 Yes, possibly" Temple responded slowly and hesitatingly. "We might build crib across the space still to be filled in and make it serve the purpose of cofferdam in some degree. By doing that we can keep the work going even if the overflow from the rivers comes upon us. But the building of the crib will take time, and we've no time to waste, you know"
 "Yes, know that. Still, If 1t be- comes necessary we must build it. I'll tell you this evening what is to- be done."
 For convenience and quickness of communication Duncan had strung a telegraph wire from tree to tree through the woods to the point where the work was In progress. He instant. ly telegraphed Hallam, saying:
 Find out and telegraph flood prospect. How long before the rise in rivers will dfown us out here? Everything depends on early and accurate information as to that
 The answer came back within half an hour. Hallam telegraphed: Have already made telegraphic inquiries at all points on all the rivers Reports very discourasing. Probability is you'll be flooded within three days. I'll be with you tomorrow.
 The space to be cribbed, so that the work of filling might go on in spite of floods, was comparatively small, but the task of cribbing 1t. even in the rud- est fashion. occupied nearly the whole working force during three precious days and nights. Worse still, In order 10 hurry 1t Temple made the mistaKe of working the men overtime. As an Hallam promised to in- crease ths double wage per hour, which the men were already receiving. to triple wages on condition that they should work in two instead of three shifts. AS the work was exhausting in its nature and must be done under a deluge of bone chilling rain. this over tasking of the men quickly showed It. self in their loss of energy and cour- nge. Some of them threw up the en- ployment and made their way home ward All of them were suffering and But at the end of the three days the rude crib was so far finished that even should the floods come 1t would still be possible 10 con tinue the work of filling In by running the dirt cars to the slowly advancing end of the temporary track and drop ping their contents into the crib.
 Thus the work went slowly on. The men daily showed more and more the effects of their oyerwork. for each was for twelve hours of each twenty four now. They grew sullen md moody of mind and slow of move ment and of response. Every day q lew more of them gave up the task. and Duncan began seriously to fear that 6 wholesale quitting would occur In spite of the enormous wages be wss paying