Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-07

Lore: It's nerce.-
Why didn't you quit = suggested An
thony.
Quit What for! Good Lord, w,
like IL. Here we are Mt Pedro Miguel
by the way. Wen be into the GU
shortly"
To his left Anthony beheld another
scene somewhat similar to the one a,
Gatun- Other movable steel cranes
with huge wico flung arms. rose out OF
another chasm in which were extensive
concrete workings. From a distance
the towers resembled parts of halt
constructed cantilever bridge OF tire
mendOus height Another army was
toiling at the bottom of the pit, more
cars shunted back and forth. mors
rock crushers rumbled: but. before
Kinks eve had photographed more
than a small part. the motor car had
sped past and was rolling out upon a
bridge spanning the canal itself. To
the nOrthward appe~r red an opening
cut through the hills nd Runnels said,
simply:
"Culebra."
A moment later he announced: I'VE
leave the +. X. X. tracks here and
switch in on the 7. c. c. Now you'll
begin 70 see something"
Down into the cut the little car went.
and NJ last Anthony saw the active
pulsating heart of this stupendous IN
dertaking. The low range was severed
by a gorge blasted out by human hands.
II was mountain valley in the max
ing. High up on Its sides were dirt
NJ ~ al
mir drills. their spars resembling the
masts Of fleet of catboats at anchor
behind these grimy. powerful steam
shovelS which rooted and grunted quite
like iron hogs. Along the tracks at va
rious levels howed~a constant current
Of traffic: long lines OF empty cars
crept past the shOvels. then. filed to
overfiowing. sped away northward mp
the valley. to return again and again.
Nowhere was there any idleness. no
where n cold machine or n man at rest.
on every hand was smoke and steam
and sweat The drills chuGged stead
fly. the hungry iron hogs souged ont
the trails the drills had loOsened. the
trims rolled past at intervals of a mo-
ment or 50. Lines Of electric wire. car
ried upOn low wooden shears" paral-
leled the tracks. bearing the white hot
sparks that rent the mountain. At ev-
cry switch negro fireman. crouched
beneath n slanting sheet OF corrugated !
iron. seeking shelter alike from dying
fra gments and the blazing sun. From ,
beneath the drills came occasional sub |
teTranean explosions: then geysers OF 4
muddy water rose in the air. Under I
the shouts Of the steam shovels "dobe"
shots went of as powders were riven \
into smaller fragments. Now and then
an excited footing OF whistles gave
OF n bigger blast rs the flag
men checked the flow OF traffic. indi-
eating with arms appraised that the
ground was coming up Thereupon
brief Iull occurred: men hid themselves,
the work held it's breath, az IL We're.
But while the detonations still echoed
and before the flying missiles had
ceased To shower the human ants were
at their hills once more. the
wheels were turning again. the jaws or
the iron hogs were clanking-
Through this upheaval the motorcar
lodging trains OF flats
which moved sIuggishly 70 AFFORD them
passage rp and down overthe volcanic
burrows at the bottom OF the gorge
" along some shelf beneath which the
were being dug. At times
shovel reached out it's FIVE yard steel
aw and gently cleared the rails of
lebrfs. or boosted some bowlder from
he path with all the skill Of a giant
and and fingers. Up and down the
,anyon rolled spasmodIc rumblings. like
,roadsides from a feet OF battleships.
~. of~hrGAare rO1Iad
m. mast scenes OF never varying &C
,vttv-past more shovels. more groups
2 drills. more dirt trains, more regi-
nents OF men-Runnels explaining, ,
Kirk usrveling until he was forced 20
.xclaim: Il
II had no idea II was so big. IL .
oesn't seem as II they'd ever finish
:" &
"Oh. we'll finish IL II we're let alone.
-ou see there Is too much politics In :
!. we never know how long our jobs !
All last. II some senator whose vote 4
/, needed on an administration matter q
-auted my position for his wtfe's $
rother. he could get IL" &
II suppose I'm an example"
Runnels looked ut him sQuarely be- ,
IRE answering. You are" said he.
although ! wasn't thinking OF yOu
hen I spoke. It's something we all 7
eel. however" n
Anthony flushed as he answered: Il '
on't remember ever taking anything y
wasn't entitled to. and I didn't think :.
hon was showed in here that I'd
hove some other fellow out ] suppose
,ere f. room at the bottom. and fell
W can work upT"
IF he has Il in him"
II think I'll start there"
I'm afraid you're n poor business