The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1909-10-16

and left ravines as evidence of where
the flow of water had been the strongest.
So it was not just merely the rebuild
ing of thirty-fiYe miles of tracks that
Mr. Marshall and his men had to do. 1t
was almost like building the road all
over again, and it required more grad
ing and more digging and more filling
than the original work years ago, when
the first rails were put down.
But Mr.. Marshall, by instinct, it
seems, knew just what to do to relieve
this havoc that had been wrought, and
as soon as possible, regardless of all
cost. This is part OF the railroad
business. Tuesday morning, the day
after the storm, there was a work train
at Henderson Point across from Bay St.
Louis. Almost before the wind had
gone down, Mr.. Marshall had gangs of
men working on both ends of the Bay
ST. Louis trestle.
Two miles of the Bay ST. Louis bridge
were washed out completely, together
with the track. Many of the pilings
had been broken off several feet above
the usual level of the water and after
ward resembled a huge comb with its
uneven teeth protruding above the water.
Two days after the storm a pile driver
was al work at the Bay Then another
arrived, and another, and still another,
until there was almost continual string
of machinery on wheels and an army Of
men running back and forth, night and
day, and pushing with all possible haste
the completion of this job in particular.
AT Bay St. Louis one hour or part of
a day, at the Rigolets another hour or
longer, and going from place to place in
between and on both ends of the wash
out, was Mr.. Marshall on whose hands
the work of repair depended. Every
minute was precious. 1t is time, time,
time that counts with toe railroad men.
Mr.. Marshall was on the job every
morning before daylight. Some nights
he was right there all night long. Ev-
cry night he was with his men until far
into the night. 1t is said that he was
the hardest-working man that the COM
pany had on the job, not only mentally,
but physically as well. One minute the
division superintendent would be assist
ing his men to drive pile or arranging
tie or rail in place. Then again he
would be down in the water up to his
waist working and tugging away at the
trestle work and huge timbers like the
laborers of 81 day.
And after hours of manual labor, days
of it, it might be said, upon his shoul-
ders rested the responsibility of it all
the laying of the plans, the initiative,
everything. Of course, he had assist
ants, but Mr.. Marshall was at the head
of everything just at that time.
The most serious break was at the
Rigolets. There it was that 500 feet of
steel girders were washed out as COM
pletely as if they had never been in
place. The Rigolets practically was
marooned. There were washouts on
both sides. This was handicap owing
to the fact that is necessitated a DELAY
in getting pile drivers and material to
this particular place. But this was soon
arranged, however. and night and day
| for three weeks men have been at this
work. There were floating drivers,
| three or four of them, and several work
| ing from the ends of the bridge.
Owing to the depths of water, seventy
or eighty feet, extra-long timbers had
to be secured. 1t was impossible to find
any of the length in stock, and so the
| woods in St. Tammany had to be secured
for the tallest trees. Timbers from lI0
TO 125 feet were required. As fast as
the timbers were brought from Houlton-
vile by tugs they were driven as rapidly