Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-18

to the Punta oil wells to build oil
tanks. That's a mans work. and
youngsters aren't needed on the job
But could do mans work. and
liked the rough life IN the hills
Building aD oil tank is no play.
First the structural ironwork goes up.
and then the big iron plates are raised
into place and riveted one TO another
to build the sides Each sheet of iron.
like the steel plates on the side OF
battleship. is rolled into shape in the
works before II is shipped. When you
emember that each plate weighs from
500 to 800 pounds and that it has 10
be fitted so that every rivet slides into
its hole like your foot iuto tight
shoe you can see that putting up an
oil tank isn't schoolboy's play.
at the tank was working on that
day we had a big derrick TO lift the
plates into position. II was made up
of mast go feet long and IL by II
inches square. supporting a boom of
just the same size The mast was
held erect by long guy ropes of twist
ed steel wire fastened to long iron
pegs driven into the ground
Most Of the men were working
around the mast and boom. but ] was
Oh a staging on the other side heading
rivets | had just finished one and
Strengthened up for a moment waiting
for another redhot rivet to be placed.
l saw one of the long iron pegs hold
ing the guy ropes of the derrick pull
out of the sand with a jerk and go
whirling high in the air, the wire guy
rope twisting and squirming like
snake. Instantly | knew that the mast
and boom were falling There was
no time to run to the ladder. | leaped
down to the ground, went to my knees.
jumped up like flash and ran around
the tank. AS l ran | heard the crash
of timbers and the grinding of iron
and felt the shock of a heavy concus-
sion. On the other side 1t took only
glance to see what had happened.
The great mast and boom, folded to-
gether, had fallen straight over on the
half completed tank. The men were
standing stock still, staring up at the
wreckage. My eyes followed theirs,
and then for about a tenth of sec
ond felt sick. There on the scaffold-
ing right over my head lay one of the
wOrkmen pinned under the heavy mast
and boom-a friend of mine. His
name was Kelly He was bent half
way across an iron plate that had been
raised nearly to its position. His head |
and shoulders and body were on the
side toward me-
Everybody. as | said. was stock still /
and staring. But | didn't even think |
| don't know to this day how | ever .
moved so quickly. The next thing 1
remember ! was at the top of the lad
der and stepping on the platform.
There was the man pinned under the
timbers. In another instant ! had my
shoulders under them and was strain
ing for the heave They came up
slowly as Strengthened my back and
legs, up and clear, and then with a
final effort I threw them out and side
ways to fall crashing on the ground.
fairly tossed them away from me.
Kelly's body slid from the edge of
he iron plate and dropped to the
ground. AS | came down slowly the
men gathered around to look at him.
they rolled him over to see how near
'ut in two he was. and to their sur
rise he groaned. We poured water on
him, and after awhile he sat up. It
vas one of the queerest things that
ver happened. He was hurt more by
he fall to the ground than by the tim
,ers dropping on him. The tumble
learly broke his neck. while the tim
'ers only squeezed him a little. When
he mast fell Kelly was leaning across
he edge of the iron plate, looking
own. The timbers came right across
lis back. but just as they reached him