Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1917-03-22

these big compression members. Wher
I first studied your fathers drawings
I wondered If he had made the lacing
strong enough to hold the webs"
"That matter was very thoroughly
gone into" said Meade quickly. at
was the very point which l myself had
questioned, but father Is absolutely
confident that We provided ~latticing
enough to take up all the stresses.
looked into that matter myself" he
went on with much emphasis.
Il guess it's all right" said Curtiss
lightly. II examined the webs and lac.
ings carefully this afternoon. They
seem to be as right as possible"
"Those trusses," said Abbott emphat.
ically, "will stand forever. You need
not worry about that"
Are you going to finish this job on
time?" asked Severance, the vice presi-
dent. "You know the financial end of
it is mine, and mucl depends upon the
date of completion"
"That depends upon you people at
the shop. doctor. If you get the stuff
here to me I'll get it in place in short
ORDER" answered Abbott.
I'VE aren't worrying about anything
with you and Meade on the job, Alb
bott," said the colonel genially.
Eyes, you are. father" said the girl.
Ever since the International has been
started you have scarcely been able to
give a thought even to me. I'm tired
Of it. l hope the old thing will soon
be finished, SC that we can all go back
to normal life again."
II hope so, too" assented the colonel,
"and I guess YOU are right. The fact
Is the bridge Is an obsession with US
all. 1t is the biggest job the Martlet
has W. handled. Indeed, it is the
biggest thing in the world. It's the
longest cantilever, the greatest span,
the heaviest ~trusses, the"
"Tve heard all about It," interrupted
the girl, waving him into silence, lever
since you began it. Sometimes I think
it's beginning to obsess me. too"
"You don't look like It," whispered
Meade, . under cover of the general
laugh that greeted her remark.
"What do l look likew she whis-
pered back quickly, in return.
But Meade had no opportunity to
tell her.
ut is not exactly a subject for din
ner conversation" said the colonel with
sudden gravity, but all of us here,
even you, my dear. must realize how
much that bridge to US. I won't
go so far as to say that its failure
would ruin us, but 1t would be hard for
us to survive"
Have you ever known anything that
my father designed to fail?" asked
Meade somewhat holly.
mo, and that is why we took his
plans in spite Of"
I'm spite Of what, sirT
I'm spite Of Curtiss here and some
others"
"Mr. Curtiss," said Meade. turning
to the chief engineer, III 1t will add
anything to your peace Of mind, I will
assume my full sh are Of responsibility
for the matter. You know the books
by Schmidt hemnitz. the great Ger.
man bridge engineer
Curtiss nodded.
"At first THAT is, w~e-thought that
there might possibly be weakness In
those compression members, but I
checked them with the methods he ad-
vocates and then submitted the figures
to my father, and then he went through
the whole calculation and applied co.
amcients he felt to be safe"
"Tm willing to take your fathers
Judgment In the matter rather than
schmidt-C hemnitz', or anybOdy's," said
.urtlss, 80 successful has been his CO.
"Now that / have seen the members
n place l have no doubt that they will
snid the colonel.
"Sure they WILL" added Abbott with
supreme and contagious confidence, an
which helped even Meade to
believe.
"Of course we all know" said Doc
Severance, who had been long
In touch with. engineering to
much about 1t, shat there is al
Ways more or less Of experimenting In
he design Of q new thing. like this"