Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-03-09
CHAPTER Iy--continued,

But me0ue was out Oh lue uOuSC- ~
was summer and the sun had set, but
the long twilight Of the high latitude
still fingered. Before him rose the gi-
gantic structure of the bridge. For all
its airiness 1t looked as substantial as
the Rock of Gibraltar, and 1t looked
even more substantial IL possible, as
the man, seizing a lantern and, for
getting his weakness, ran down be-
meath the overarching steel to the pier
head, climbed up to the shoe, and
crawled 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 inexperience he was better
trained engineer than rough-and-ready
Abbott. What appeared to the latter
as a slight detection. Meade saw in its
true relation. There was a variation
in the center of the member Of an
inch and half at least, although UNI
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 cantilever and,
with the heavy Traveller at the end,
the downward pressure on the great
lower chord members had greatly in
creased.
IL was a terribly heavy bridge at
best II 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
trlfling, to the engineer mighty, bend. If
Il bent that way under that much of
load, what would It do when the whole
great span was completed and it had
to carry its transitory loads of traffic
beside7
When two different views meet 1t is
natural that age. experience, reputa-
tion and authority shall carry the day.
Although Bertram Meade, Jr.. had
never been persuaded In all particu-
lars Of the sOundness of his fathers
design, and could not be persuaded,
that vast experience, that great repu-
tation, that undoubted ability with its
long record of brilliant achievement
had at last sllenced him. He had ac-
cepted through loyalty that which he
could not accept in argument. Once
accepted, he acted accordingly, heart
fly seconding and carrying out the
wishes OF the older and, as the world
would say, the abler man.
The thing that smote the engineer
hardest was that this weakness was
exactly what be had foreseen and
pointed out. 1t was the possibility Of
the inability Of this great member to
carry the stress that young Meade had
deduced by using the formula of
Schmidt -Chemnitz. It was this point
and this point particularly, that he
had dwelt upon with his father and
which they had argued to finish. So
strongly had 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 overborne him and now
the little curve, one and a half to one
and three-Quarter inches in sixty feet,
established the accuracy of his un-
needed contention. Vainly 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-
suade him against his reason.
He stopped, feeling suddenly ill, as
a very nervous high-strung man may
feel under the sudden and unexpected
physical shock. He was weak still
from the tonsilitis. He leaned against
the diagonal at the end of C-10-R,
clinging to 1t 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 fiercely as the
erecting engineer joined him on the
pierhead, "lf you put another pound Of
doad on that cantilever will not bt
answerable for the consequences"
what do you mean?"
THAT detection is nearly two inche,
deep now and every ounce or pound O
added weight you put upon it will max,
it greater. It's limit win be reached
mighty soon If it collapses-" h,
threw up his hands-"the whole thin
will 60"
'Yes, II 1t collapses, that's true,
said Abbott, "but it won't"
you're mad" said Meade, takin
unfortunately the wrong course wit
the older man.
why, boy" said Abbott, that bridg
will stand as long as creation. Loo
at II. That buckle doesn't amount {
anything. 1t is only in one truss any
way. The corresponding member /
the other truss Is perfectly straight"
abbott, for Gods sake, hear me,
pleaded Meade in desperation. "Dra'
back the traveller and put no more me
OH the bridge. Stop work until we ca
get word to-"
'Don't talk to me, boy. / know m
business. 1 tell you can jack it bac
That members big enough and stror
enough to hold up the world"
"What are you going to jaC
agalnstT Meade asked, and for Il
FIRST time little of Abbott's contem
appeared in the younger mans voice.
Abbott reflected that there was not
ing firm enough to serve as O suppo
for jacks and said rather grudglngl
for it seemed like concession to Il
younger and junior engineer:
'Wcll, 1 can hook on 20 the opposi
truss and pull It back with tn
buckles"
"That will damage the other tru
promptly. "It isn't possible"
"Then I'll think I'D some 9th
scheme" returned Abbott indifferent
as II lumoring the other. "We ca
walt, we've got to hurry IL aloI
There's Going TO be no penalty agair
us on account OF me. won't stop VIC
q minute" he explainei patronizingl