The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-04-12
CHAPTER IV-Continued.

3
But Meade was out of the house. II
was summer and the sun had set, but
the long twilight of the high latitude
still fingered. Before him rose the gl-
gantic structure of the bridge. For all
its airineSS it looked as substantial as
the Rock of Gibraltar, and it looked
even more substantial if possible, as
the man, seizng Il lantern and for
getting his weakness, ran down be-
Meath the ovcrarching steel to the pier
head, climbed up to the SHOE and
crawed out on the lower chord as rap
idly as he could.
Meade needed but one glance to see
the detection from the right line in
the important member. For all his
years of incxperience he was better
trained engineer than rough-and-ready
Abbott. What appeared to the latter
ms n slight detection, Meade saw in its
true relation. There was variation
in the center of the member of an
inch and half at least, although I'M
noticeable to an unframed eye. 1t had
all come in the last week. They had
extended the suspended span far out
. beyond the edge of the cantilevcr and,
with the heavy Traveller mt the end,
the downward pressure on the great
lower chord members had greatly in
creased.
It was a terribly heavy bridge at
best. 1t had to be to sustain so long a
span, the longest in the world. And
the load, continuous and increasing,
had brought about this, to the layman
trifling, to the engineer mighty, bend. If
1t bent that way under that much Of a
load, what would it do when the whole
great span was completed and it had
10 carry its tranSitory loads of traffic
beside?
When two different views meet it is
natural that age. experience, reputa-
ton and authority shall carry the day.
Although Bertrnm Meade Jr., had
never been persuaded in all particu-
lArS of the SOundneSs of his fathers
design, and could not he persuaded,
that vast experience that great repu-
tntion, that undOubtcd ability with its
long record of brilliant achievement
had at last silenced him. He had ac-
cepted through loyalty that which he
could not accept in argument. Once
accepted he acted accordingly, heart
lily secondng and carrying out the
wishes of the older and. rs the world
would say the ADLER man.
The thing that SmOte tn" engineer
hardest was that this weakness was
exactly what he had forcSrcn and
pointed out 1t was the possibility of
the inability of this great member to
carry the stress that young Meade had
Acduccd by using the formula of
Schmidt -ChCmnitz. II w;lS thiS point,
and this point particularly, that he
had dwelt upon with his father and
which they had argued to Il finish. SO
strongly bad he been impressed with
the possible structural weakness of
this member that he had put himself
on record in writing to his father. The
old man had OvVrborne him and now
the little curve. one and half to one
and thrce-quartrr inches in sixty feet,
established the accuracy Of his un-
needed contention. Nuinly now he
wished he had not let the Old habit Of
affection and the little touch of awe
with which he regarded his father per-
Suadc him against his reason.
He stopped, feeling suddenly ill, as
very nervous high-strung man may
feet under the sudden and unexpected
from the tonSiIitiS. He leaned against
the diagonal at The end Of C-10-R,
riugng to it tightly to keep from fall
ing. Abbott who had followed more
slowly, stopped by him, somewhat sur
prised, somewhat amused more indig-
nAnt than both.
Abbott" said Meade ficrccly as the
erecting engineer joined him on the
pierhead, III YOU put another pound Of
load on that Cantilever | will not be
anSwerablc for the consequences
What do you mean
That detection is nearly two inches
deep now and every ounce or pound Of
added weight you put upon it will make
ii greater. Its limit will be reached
mighty soon. If it CoIlapSes-" he
threw up his hands--"thr whole thing
will go"
"YeS, If it cOllapsrs that's true,"
Sad Abbott, but it won't
You're mad" said Meade. taking
unfortunately the wrong course with
the older man.
why, boy" said Abbott, that bridge
will stand as long MS creation. Look
at it. Thnt buckle doesn't amount to
anything. 1t is only in one truss any
way. The corresponding member in
the other truss is perfectly straight"
Abbott, for Gods sake, hear me,
pleaded Meade in desperation. Draw
hack the traveller and put no more meu
on the bridge. Stop work until we car
get word to"
Don't talk to me, boy. l know my
business. tell you ] can jack it back
That members big enough and strong
enough to hold up the world"
What are you going TO jacl
ns,inst?" Meade asked, and for th'
lirst time little Of A0bOtt's cOntemp
appeared In the younger mans voice.
Abbott reelected that there was noth