The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-12-21


she gathered that the matter was Of
gravcr consequence than she could well
understand.
Thirteen inches in 1900 feet can't
amount to much" she said vaguely.
Blaine smiled in spite Of himself.
You don't understand. It's as bad as
thirteen feet. for the work can't 80 on
until everything is in perfect align.
ment. That whole forest o. piles must
be straightforward
'Impossible" she gasped. why.
there are thousands Of them"
He shook his head. still smiling
doubtfully. Nothing is impossible to
Melien and Parker. They've begun
clearing away the ice on the upstream
side and driving new anchor piles
above. They're going To tit tackle to
them and yank the whole thing up
stream, | never heard of such a thing.
blu there's no time TO do anything
else" He cas-: Il worried look ut the
smiling sky. Il wonder what will
happen next. This is getting on my
nerves"
Out on the river swift work was go
ing ON. Steam from every available
boiler was carried across the ice in
feed pipes. the night Shift had been
reused from sleep, and every available
man was busted in relieving the pres
sure. Pile drivers hammered long tim.
bers into the river bed above the
threatened point. hydraulic jacks were
put III place, and steel cables We're run
to drum and pulley. The men worked
sometimes knee deep in ice water, but
they did not walk; they ran. In an
incredibly short time the preparations
We're completed. a strain was put upon
the tackle, and when night came the
massive false work had been pulled
back into line and the traveller was
once more swinging steel into place.
1t WAS Il magnificent feat, yet not II
of those concerned In it could fecl con
tident that the work had not been done
in vain. for the time was growing ter
ribly short. and. although the ice seem
ed solid, it was rOtting fast.
After the southern half of the span
had been completed the warmth in
creased rapidly. Therefore the steel
crew heightened its hours. The men
worked from I o'clock in the morning
until II O'Clock at night.
On the 18th. without warning OF II
sort. Garfield glacier began moving for
ward. 1t haG ian inactive even during
the midwinter thaw which had started
its smaller brother. but that warm
spell had evidently had its effect upon
the giant, for now he shook off his
lcthargy and awokc. He stirred. grad
ually at first and without sound, as If
bent upon surprising the interlopers;
then his speed Increased. As the gla-
cier advanced it thrust the nine foot
blanket OF lake ice ahead Of 1t, and
this in turn crowded the river ice
down upon the bridge. The movement
at the camp site ON the first day was
only two inches. but that was sufi
GENTLY serious.
The onset of Garfield at this time
was, Of course. unexpected, for no for
ward motion had ever been reported
prior to the spring breakup. The ac-
ton Of the ice heretofore had been
alarming. but now CONSERVATION
spread. \ panic swept the ranks of
the builders, for this was no short
lived phenomenon. This was the IN
nual march OF the glacier itself. which
promised to continue indefinitely. \
tremendous cutting edge. nine feet IN
thickness, like the blade OF a carpcn-
ter's plane, was being driven against
the bridge by an irresistible force
Once again the endless thawing and
chopping and g%ouging of ice began, hut
the more rapidly the encroachinG EDGE
was cut away the more swiftly did
bear down. The huge mass began 70
rumble; it "calved." it split, ii GctoIat-
ed, and. having finally looscncd Itself
from IT'S bed. it acquired increased mo
mentum. As the men with chiSels and
steampoints became exhausted others
took their places. but the structural
gang clung to its perch above, aug
meuting the din Of r~iveterS and the
groaniug OF blocks and tackle. Among
the ablebodied men sleep now was out
Of the question, for the ice gained IN
spite Of every effort. 1t was too late
to remove the steel In the U%ncoMpIct
ed span to a place OF safety, for that
would have required more time than
to bridge the remaining gap.
Piling began to buckle and bend be
fore that irresistible push. The whole
nicely balanced mass OF metal was In
danger Of being unseated. Mellen
cursed the heavens in a black fury;
Parker smiled through white lips;
O'Neil ground his teeth and spurred
his men on.
This feverish haste brought it's pen
atty. On the evening Of the 18th.
when the span was more than three
quarters finished, a lower chord section
fouled as 1t was lifted. and two load
ing beams at the top Of the traveller
snapped.
On that day victory had been In
sight. The driving Of the last bolt had
AA