Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-10-24
a Stroke In Mechan-
ical EnSiaeerinS.
tOriginal.l

lhan VINO never secured more than q
competence. Bannon was a self made
man, manufacturer, and got rich.
Eirod's son Henry, as boy. had
mechanical shop In his fathers cellar
and showed considerable aptitude for
mathematics and mechanics When
his father died, leaving him nothing.
Henry persuaded Mr. Bannon to give
him subordinate position in his
works. Bannon, who considered both
the boy and his father impracticable,
took Henry into his service under pro-
test, remarking that the boy would
never get beyond the bottom round of
the ladder. Henry did well enough
till his employer caught him making
love to his daughter, Mary Bannon,
whereupon Mr.. Bannon discharged
him.
The morning Henry stepped out of
the office building at the factory TO
hunt another job he saw group of
men. foremost among whom was Ban
non, looking up at the great smoke
stack. Joining them and inquiring
what wac the matter, he was informed
that the stack was leaning to one side.
mined that at the top It was forty-five
inches out Of plumb.
Here was serious matter. From
oil appearances scaffolding must be
erected about the stack, the stack must
be taken down and another built in its
place. Indeed, 1t would be fortunate
II the chimney did not fall on the fac
tory buildings beneath 1t, destroying
them, with much valuable machinery
Bannon was very much troubled. His
engineer told him there was no way
by which the stack could be straight
efed. and before leaving the spot he
gave orders for the erection of the
scaffolding and the subsequent taking
down of the chimney.
Elrod went away, trying to concen-
trate his mind upon getting another
position. But the chimney, or. rather,
some method of Strengthening it, had
got into his head. and he could not
get 1t out He thought all day and
toward evening took pencil and pa
per and began to figure. At midnight
he went to bed, but could not sleep. so,
getting up, he went over his figures
| to see that they were correct.
The next morning, after having slept
only a couple OF hours, he went to the
BannoI works. Carpenters were just
beginning to erect the scaffolding
around the stack. Henry went into Mr..
Bannon's Office Bannon, supposing
that he had come to protest against
his dismissal, frowned.
"Mr. Bannon," he said, II don't think
1t necessary to take down the stack.
have plan for Strengthening it."
Bannon looked at him as a general
would look at corporal who was
| about to inform him how to save his
army.
"If you wish it, you are welcome to
it." Henry added.
Still there was no word from Ban
! non. He was considering whether the
young man had lost his senses.
THE base of the stack" continued
Henry, who gathered confidence the
moment he entered upon his plan, 'be-
Ing square, simplifies the problem. The
stack leans to the east forty five inches.
I would remove ten and half inches
Of patchwork at the base on the other
three sides would insert in the
spaces left blocks of wood OF equal
size, thus resting the three sides of the
structure Oh the blocks. Between the
blocks | would build brick piers six
inches high. leaving space four and
half inches between the tops Of the
piers and the bottom Of the undermined
height Of the blocks by four and half
inches the gap will be reduced by this
amount and the stack will veer to the
west forty-five incnes at the arc de-
scribed at the top where the radius (the
chimney is I'D feet
Bannon's eyes were fixed on the
speaker during this statement with
growing interest. He had forgotten the
lesser in the more important matter.
He continued to stare for few mo
ments after Henry had finished, then
asked:
with the enormous weight nearly
400 tons) on the blocks. you cent cut
them down and get out the surplus
Il have thought of that" Henry re
piled. Il will burn them OUT
1t seemed as If 400 tons had been
taken off Bannon's mind
"NNhere are your figuresT he asked.
Henry produced them and waited
while Bannon went over them again
and again.
Come said the latter when he was
satisfied; 'you shall have charge OF the
work"
After the successful removal or the
bricks and the insertion OF the blocks
Henry Elrod marked off the space to
be burned out, set the blocks on fire
and kept them burning evenly. IT one
burned faster than the others II was
Immediately checked I'LL the others
caught up with ii. Thus they were
kept burning uniformly. while the stack
slowly rghted Small assures opened
on the opposite side near the base but
steel wedges were driven into them'
which maintained solid mass. When
evening came the work was finished,
and the stack was rs good as when II