The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-02-16
CHAPTER ~.
The DETECTION in the Member.

2
the Illingworth party the Young en-.
gineer fell ill with follicular tonsilitis,
which is about the ineanest small thing
that can lay strong man low. He
fretted over his enforced absence from
the work and in the end had to pay for
that very fretting for he got up too
soon and went out too quickly, and was
promptly forced to bed again as con-
sequence of his Impotence.
Now, after a weeks confinement in
his cabin, he felt strong enough to ven
ture out again and to attack his prob.
lens They were personal problems
now, much more intimate than before.
for he was building not only the bridge
but weaving in its web Of steel his own
future happiness.
or course he had been able to get
out on the rough porch of his galyan-
lied iron shack where he had the
bridge In full view. and the day before
he had even walked unsteadily down to
the river bank, where he had been
equally surprised and delighted at the
progress that had been made. Abbott
was driver after his own heart. Real
ly things seemed to have gone on lust
as well without him as If he had been
on the job. He had not been lonely in
his illness, for all of the chief men con
nected with the construction had done
their best TO beguiie the tedlum of his
hours by visiting him whenever they
could spare the time.
Abbott had been especially kind in
his somewhat rough-and-ready way.
The big construction superintendent
was fond of Meade, although he I'M
dervalued him. He regarded him more
as theoretical than practical man
and the inevitable antagonism between
the theorist and the practical man.
when they are not combined in one per-
sonality, was latent in Abbott's heart.
Nightly, he brought to Meade details
: of the progressed the work. Phat eve
ming just before leaving, be remarked
in the most casual manner In the world,
as If 1t were matter of little or no i'm
portance, that C-1G-R was trife out
of line.
Now C-l0-R was the biggest member
of the great right-hand truss on the
north sile OF the river. 1t consisted
of four parallel composite webs, each
forinsd Of several plates OF steel riv-
eted together. These webs were con-
nected across their upper and lower
edges by Diagonal lattichg made Of |
steel angle bars C-10-R and its parallel
companion member, C-10-L, in the left.
hand truss carried lthe sentire weight 4
OF the cantilever span to the shoe rest
ing on the pier. These members were
sixty feet long and five feet widey The |
webs were over four feet deep and in |
size and responsibility the great struts
were the most Important OF the whole
structure.
To say that C-10-R was out of line
meant that 1t had buckled, or bent, or
was springing, and had departed from
that rigid rectangularity and parallel
ism which was absolutely necessary to
maintain the stability and immobility
of the truss and the strength of the
bridge To- the tfeofist nothing on I
earth could be more, terribly por- !
stentous than such a statement,
II it were true. To the prac-
teal man, who, to do him Justice. had
never dealt with such vast STRUCTURES
and he was not singular in that be-
cause the bridge was unique ON ac-
count of its size-the detection noted
meant little or nothing s
"Good Godie exclaimed Meade,
aaame on the instant with anxious APP
prehension. The night was warm and
he was dressed in his paiamas and had
been lying on the bed. AS If he had
been shocked nto,action he sat up for
getful of his weakness. 'Deflection
he fairly shouted at Abbott, who re-
garded him with half-amused astonish-
ment, "a Gambler in C-10-R? Why
didn't you tell me?"
BY this time Meade had got his feet
into his slippers and was standing
erect.
1T isn't enough to make any differ
ence,' answered Abbott quickly, per-
haps little dsdainfully.
at makes all the difference on
earth cried Meade. at means the
ruin Of the bridge"
He reached for his jacket, hanging ,
at the foot of the bed, and dragged it
on him
'Don't worry about it, youngSter."
said Abbott rather oontemptuously, al
though he meant to be soothing. I'm
going to jack it into line and--here,"
he cried rs Meade bolted out OF the
door you'd better not excite yourself :
that way, Come back to bed, man, !
and--"
But Meadc was out Of The house 1t
was SUMMER and The sun had set, hut
The long twilight Of the high latitude