Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-31


were again rising. Ten minutes later
Leopold Lincoln Bum, the local re
porter. came tapping in on Randalls
old white horse. like a second Pant Re
we're, crying that the iron bridge had
gone and the logs were racing down
river toward the booms.
1T just went OUT" he answered the
eager excla nations of the men who
crowded around him. That's all
know. 1t went out, And the other
bridges, Sure: All but the Lake Shore.
Don't know why that didn't go ont.
No; the logs didn't jam there-Just slid
right underr'
THAT settles it." said Welton.
"You won't quit % cried Orde
Certainly. You're crazy" said Wei
ton, with some asperity. IF they can't
stop a little jam with iron. what are
your wooden defenses going to amount
TO against the whole accumulation?
When those logs hit the tail of this
jam she'll go out before you can wink.
It's sure death, and I'm not going TO
sacrifice my men,"
Already the news was spreading
among the workers on the jams Orde
saw the government driver below cast
ing loose from her moorings. a mo-
ment later her tug flowed her away to
a side bayou of safety out of the ex-
pected rush to the lake.
But we. can hold herr cried Orde
in desperation.
Its no use. boy" said old Carlin
ITS sure DEATH"
Sure death"' Orde laughed bitterly.
"An right; sure death. then. Isn't
there a man in this crowd that will
tackle this sort of sure death with
meg"
I'm with you" And me-" said
North and the Rough Red in a breath.
"Goodm cried Orde You, too,
Johnny Sims and Purdy and Jimmy
Powers? Bully boysr'
II reckon you'lI-need the tug.'' said
Marsh.
A dozen more of Orde's personal fol
lowing volunteered.
We've got to close that opening first
thing" said he. Marsh, tow The pile
driver up there
The opening was to be closed by
piles driven in groups of sixteen bound
together by chains. The clumps were
connected one to the other by a system
of boom logs and ropes to interpose a
continuous barrier. The pile driver
placed the cIumps, while the tug at
tended to the connecting defenses.
Now, boys" said Orde as his last
word, 'if she starts to so save your
selves the best way you can. Never
mind the driver. Stay on top"
Slowly the tug and her consOrt nosed
up through the boiling water.
Work fastr' Orde called to the
men on the pile driver. IF we can
close the opening before those Redding
logs hit US we may be able to turn
them into our new channel"
He did not add that If the opening
were not closed before the jam broke.
as break it would in a very few mo-
ments, the probabilities were that both
pile driver and tug would be destroy
ed. Every man knew that already.
Tom North ordered a pile placed in
the carriage. The hammer descended.
The work went forward as rapidly as
possible. Four times the jam shrugged
and settled. but four times it paused
on the brink of discharge. Three of
the clumps had been placed and bound,
and fifteen piles of the last clump had
been driven.
zone more pilev' breathed Orde.
The hammer ran smoothly to the top
and fell. a half dozen times more it
ripped. Then heavy chains were
thrown around the winch. and the
steam power began to draw the clumps
together.
"Donew cried Tom North.
North unmoored, and the driver
dropped back with the current. The
tug churned forward to accomplish the
last duty of binding the defenses to- |
gether by means OF chains and cables.
Two men leaped to the floating booms.
Orde and the Rough Red set about the
task. They worked from either end to-
ward the middle. When they met Orde
ordered Red aboard the tug
''I'll tie this one. Jimmy" said he.
Aboard the tug all was tense prepa-
ration. In the engine room Harvey.
his hand on the throttle. stood ready /
to throw her wide open at the signal /.
Armed with sharp axes. two men pre-
pared to cut the mooring lines on a
sign from the Rough Red. They watch |
ed his appraised hand. When it should |
descend their axes must fail.
Orde folded n knot Upstream the |
Jam settled deliberately forward, cut /
ting clump of piles like straw.
"She's comingr cried the Rough Red. |
"Give me every second you can,"
said Orde. making the last turns.
The mass toppled slowly, fell into .
the swift current and leaped with
roar.
Jump" the Rough Red cried, ant
his arm descended.
Orde leaped blindly for the rail
where be was seized and dragged
aboard by the Rough Red. The axes
fell; Marsh whirled over the wheel;
Harvey threw open his throttle The
tug sprang from its leash like hound
And behind the barrier the logs, toss
ing and tumbling, the white spray fly
ing before their onslaught. beat in
vain against the barrier, like raging
wild hea SITS whose Drev has pSp1Dpd