The Arvada enterprise., 1917-05-03
CHAPTER iV-Continued.

But Meade was out OF the house. 1t
was summer and the sun had set, but
the long twilight of the high latitude
still fingered. Before him rose the 81
gantic structure OF the bridge. For all
its airiness 1t looked as substantial as
the Rock of Gibraltar. and it looked
even more substantial If possible, us
the man, selling II lantern and, for
getting his weakness, ran down be-
meath the OvcrarchIng steel to the pier
head. climbed up to the shoe, and
cruwled out on the lower chord US rap
idly as he could.
Meade needed but one glance to see
the detection from the right line in
the important member. For NIL his
years OF incXpcrience he was better
trained engineer than rough-and-rcndy
Abbott What appeared to the latter
as slight detection. Meade saw in ITS
true relation. There was variation
In the center OF the member OF IN
inch and u half nt least. although un.
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 cuntilcvcr and.
with the heavy Traveller at the end
the downward pressure on the great
lower chord members had greatly In
creased.
1t was n terribly heavy bridge ut
best II had to be to sustain so long
span. the longest In the world. And
the lond, continuous and increasing
had brought about this. to the laymun
triillng, to the engineer mighty, bend II
II bent that way under that much of
lond. what would 1t do when the whole
grca. span was completed and II had
to carry Its transitory loads of traffic
bcslde7
When two different views meet II Is
natural that age. experience rcputa-
ton aud authority shall carry the day.
Although Bcrtram Meade, Jr.. had
never been persuaded in all particu.
lars OF the soundncss of his fathers
design, and could not be persuaded.
that vast experience, that great rcpu-
tntIon, that undoubtcd ability with It's
long record of brilliant achievement
had Mt last sIlcnCcd him. lie had uc.
ccptcd through loyalty that which he
could not accept In argument. once
accepted, he acted accordingly. heart.
lily scconding and carrying out the
wishes OF the Older and, as the world
would say. the ublcr man.
The thing that smotc tho engineer
hardest WIS that this weakness was
exactly what he had forcsccn and
pointed out II was the possibility OF
the inability OF this great member to
carry the stress that young Meade had
dcduccd by using the formula OF
Schmidt -Chcmnitz. II wns this point,
and this point particularly. that he
hnd dwclt upon with his father and
which they hnd 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 oYcrhurnc him and now
the little curve, one and half to one
and thrcc-qunrtcr inches In sixty feet
established the accuracy OF his un.
needed contention. Nnluly now he
wished he had not let the old habit NJ
Affection and the little touch of awe
with which he regarded his father per.
-uadc him against his reason.
lie stopped. iccluc suddenly 81, rs
very nervous high,struus man may
,"cl under the sudden and unexpected
,hysical shock lie was weak sul
tom the ,ousI.Itis. lie leaned against
'hr diagonal ut the end OF C-lOM
In.iug Ia it tightly to keep from fall
.ug. Abbott. who had followed more
slowly, stopped by hlm. somewhat sur
prlscd. somewhat amused more lndig.
,unt thpn both,
abbott" said Meade fcrccly as the
erecting engineer Joined him on the
plcrhcad, "if you put another pound or
loni on that cuuUlrvrr | viii not be-
answcrnhlc f. the consequences"
"Whut do you mrauT
"Thnt DETECTION IS nearly two Inches
deep now aud every ounce or pound Of
added weight you put upon It viii mako
It greater. It's limit will be reached
mighty soon II It collnpscs-" he
threw up bis hands-"thc whole thing
will CO."
"Ycs, II It collapSos, that's true"
snId Abbott. but It won't
you're mad" said Meade. taking
unfortunately the wrong course with
the older man.
"Why. boy" said Abbott. "thnt bridge
will stand ns long as creation. Look
at II. That buckle doesn't amount to
any'hiav IL 10 only In one truss any.