The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-06-10

youngsters aren't needed on the job.
But I could do a mans work. and
liked the rough life In the hills.
Building an oil tank Is no play.
First the structural ironwork goes up.
aud then the big iron plates are raised
into place and riveted one to another
tc build the Sides Each sheet Of iron.
like the steel plates on the side OF q
battleship. Is rolled into shape in the
works before it is shipped. When you
remember that each plate weighs from
500 to 800 pounds and that 1t has to
be fitted so that every rivet slides into
its hole like your foot into a tight
shoe you can see that putting up an
oil tank Isn't schoolboy's play.
At the tank l was working on that
day we had big derrick to lift the
plates into position 1t was made up
Of mast 60 feet long and II 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 l was
on staging on the other side heading
rivets. l 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 jerk and go
whirlfng high In the air. the wire guy
rope twisting and squirming like a
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. Az ! ran I heard the crash
Of timbers and the grinding of iron
and felt the shock of heavy concus-
sion. On the other side it took only
a 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 tenth Of a 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.
1 don't know to this day how i ever
moved SO quickly. The next thing I
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 l Strengthened my back and
legs. up and clear, and then with q
final effort I threw them out and side
ways to fall crashing on the ground,
l fairly tossed them away from me.
Kelly's body slid from the edge Of
the iron plate and dropped to the
ground. As I came down slowly thu
men gathered around to look at him
They rolled him over to see how neal
cut in two he was. and to their sur
prise he groaned. We poured water OF
him, and after awhile he sat up. I,
was one Of the queerest things tha1
ever happened. He was hurt more b.
the fall to the ground than by the tim
bers dropping on him. The tumble
nearly broke his neck. while the tim
bers only squeezed him a little. Whel
the mast fell Kelly was leaning across
the edge Of the iron plate. looking
down. The timbers came right across
his back. but just as they reached hin