Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-12-14

north end OF the steel then on the
false work was thirteen inches out OF
line.
tidings OF this last calamity TO Eliza
Appleton. From his evident anxiety
she gathered that the matter was OF
graver consequence than she could well
understand
Thirteen inches i'm 1900 feet can
amount TO much" she said vaguely
Blame smiled in spite Of himself
You don't understand It's az had as
thirteen feet. for the work can't 90 on
until everything is In perfect align
ment That whole forest Of piles must
be Strengthened
"ImpossibIcw She gasped. why
there are thousands OF them
He shook his head. still smiling
doubtfully Nothing is impossible Il
Mellen and Parker. They've begun
clearing away the ice on the upstream
side and driving new anchor pile
above. They're going to 1T tackle TO
them and yank the whole thing up
stream. | never heard OF such thing.
but there's no time 10 do anything
else. He cast worried look mt the
smiling sky II wonder what will
happen next. This is getting on my
nerves"
out on the river swift work was 20
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.
bcrs into the river bed above the
threatened point. hydraulic Jacks were
put In place, and steel cables we're run
TO drum and pulley The men worked
sometimes knee deep In ice water. bui
they did not walk. they ran. In IN
incredibly short time the preparations
were completed. strain was put upon
the tackle. and when night came the
massive false work had been pulled
back into line ana the traveller was
once more swinging steel into place
II was magnificent feat yet not ono
Of those concerned ia ii could feel con
fident that the work had not been dome
in vain. for the time was growing ter
ribly short, and. although the ice seem
ed solid, il 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 o'clock in the morning
until II o'clock at night
On the 18th. without warning Of any
sort, Garfield glacier began moving for
ward. 1t had lain inactive even durinl
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
lethargy and awoke. He stirred. grad
ually at first and without sound. "a il
bent upon surprising the interiopers
then his speed increa sed As the Ella
cier advanced il thrust the nine foot
blanket OF lake ice ahead OF il. and
down upon the bridge The movement
at the camp site on the first day was
only two inches. but that was sutti
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. A panic swept the ranks Of
the builders, for this was no short
lived phenomenon. This was the an.
nual march Of the glacier itself, which
promised to continue indefinitely \
tremendous cutting edge, nine feet In
thickness. ike the blade OF a carpen
ter's plane. was being driven against
the bridge by an irresistible force
Once again the endless thawing and
chopping and gouging OF Zee began. but
the more rapidly the encroaching edge
was cut away the more swiftly did l.
bear down. The huge mass began C
rumble; n "calved." it split, II detonat
ed. and. having finally loosened itself
from its bed. il acquired increased mo
mentum. As the men with chisels and
steampoints became exhausted Others
took their places, but the structural
gang chung 10 It's perch above. aug
menting the din OF riveters and the
groaning OF blocks and tackle Among
the ablebodied men sleep now was out
OF the question, for the ice gained in
spite OF every effort. It wa, too late
to remove the steel In the uncomplct.
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 black fury;
Parker smiled through white lips;
O'Neil ground his teeth and spurred
his men on
This feverish haste brought its pen
atty. On the evening OF the 18th.
when the span was more than three