The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-26
VARIED DUTIES OF MARINES
AS DISPLAYED IN GUAM

For military reasons and 10 ASSIST
! the natives to market their produce
with greater facility it was decided
TO put a bridge across the river n
as "a drill. in military accomplishment
| requested and received authority to
use the battalion which ] then .
the honor 10 command To build b
bridge. The natives of the Yona dis.
trict were asked to cut M timber
and they produced the required num-.
bcr OF piles. sllis and other parts, al
OF very hard and waterproof WOOD.
The portable Pile driver being placed
on an escort wagon. it was sent to the
site selected tor the bridge and was
followed by the men. The difficulties
connected with the use Of "a pile driver
which was desic ned to be worked from
a fiat platform, but which had to BE-
worked on more or less airy n tenn.
porary trestl.s. are many and varied.
With the driving of the first set Of
piles for the first transom we dlscOv-
cred the hammer to be very "tempera.
MENTAL not wishing TO perform 10
work. bu, instead jumping into the
river after each blow on the top OF one
OF the piles. With hat adaptability
for which the marines are justly ia
NOUS, an amusement vas made by
which thu hammer could be confined TO
its legitimate work, and We proceeded
more or less slowly To sec the bridge
grow out from bank and approach
the other.
The men We're In the water Up 70 the
waist most of the time and occasion
ally were in even deeper water. a. the
..,., ,r,. afr,,t atx md N hale HAAt
deep in the centre.
The pile driver Mas very heavy at IT.
forward end and there were man!
schemes devised for supporting It. the
best one being "a lash Il across two
dugout canoes which were found In
the river. The. We're then ilosted up
To the position where n pill" was wanted
and the pile vas driven in place.
While orc company was at work
with the pile driver the others were
sent out into IN" uish T." cut saplings
sui,ab!" :"Y i'oorirr. These We're placed
along the tr'naH'u> ~ the bridge and
the cover 81 '.tinpou mat was placed
over them. IN the bamboo mat wa
thcn put siN .n,uc- II CASCADE" which
is n disinteElnicd coral and makes a
very fine roid surface The roadway
OF the bridge thus became "A continue
ton Of the road lcading NJ Ia II.
The work ~ bridging the stream,
was completed in TWO days and the
bridge was II feet . inches lone
when finished T. was designed T."
y take any az the mobile artillery on the
= l.. nd. hut when q native driver took
4 five ton rod role. across We eX-
A pcct-d to hear NJ - job OF tshin.
, IL roller out OF III" mud in the river
=, However, 10 eot across and cam
;, back hy the same route, though not
4 without sinking a part OF the bridge
+, down 20 water level.
The s~;r,n@p.rCcs and Tie :ransoms
We're AL dashed together with steel
wire md the wood was 30 hard that
no nails could lie driven into II with
y out splitting 4.
After the bridcc lad been completed
the men were marched onto II AMI
| moved up as close az possible while
al were in heavy marching order. The
" load thus placed on the bridge was
, greater than IL would likely be ut n
II t.mc and the mon were jubilan' owe,
= this demonstration Of their success.
think ,her. are really few people
WIN realize how varied is the work
81 which the marines, not onIy in Guam
y but wherever they may be-, are called
q on 10 perform. W" hear of them from
u 'Aini IL the Philippines. rom Main,
= T. the lStl.nus of Panama, and Cen
" 'ral America - well acquainted With
% them.
q They guard irgttions. land parties
10 protect American interests. take
' over and run Governments for less
fortunate ~neighhors. Al of h c!vi,
! functions connected with government
- are performed by thom Al times, anil
q with II All the" lave the military
u training whtch has made them VIVA.
they are.