The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-02-16

thc hOCk OF dlDraltar, ana IL looked
even more substantial If possible, as
the man. Selling 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 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 cantllever and,
with the heavy traveller at the end,
the downward pressure on the great
lower chord members had greatly in
creased.
1t 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
trifiing, to the engineer mighty, bend. IL
1t bent that way under that much of
load, what would 1t do when the whole
great span was completed and 1t had
to carry its transitory loads of traffic
besidep
When two different views meet II il
natural that age. experience, reputa-
ton and authority shall carry the day.
Although Bertram Meade, Jr., had
never been persuaded In all particu-
lars of the s0undness of his fathers
design, and could not be persuaded,
that vast experience, that great repu-
tatlon, that undoubted 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 seconding and carrying out the
wishes of the older and, as the world
would say, the ADLER man.
The thing that smote the engineer
hardest was that this weakness was
exactly what he 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. 1t 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 half to one
and three-quarter inches in sixty feet.
established the accuracy of his I'M
Needed contention. vainly now he
wished he had not let the old habit of
affection and the lttleftouch OF awe
with which he regarded his father per-
suade him against his reason.
He. stopped, feeling suddenly III, 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 it tightly to keep from fall.
ing. Abbott, who had followed more
slowly, stopped by him, somewhat sur
prlsed, somewhat amused more lndig-
nant than both.
Abbott" said Meade fiercely as the
erecting engineer Joined him on the
pierhead, ''if YOU put another pound of
load on that cantilever | will not be
answerable for the conseQuehcessI
what do yotl meahT' Al Yf
That DETECTION Is nearly two inches
deep now and every ounce or pound of
added weight You put upon 1t will make
t greater. Its limit will be reached
mighty soon. If it collapses-" he
threw up his handS-"the whole thing
Will 60" -
ayes, If it coIlapses. that's true"
'aid Abbott, 'but it won't"
you're mad" said Meade, taking
unfortunately the wrong course with
he older man.
why boy" said Abbott "that bridge
will stand MS long as creation. Look
It 1t. That buckle doesn't amount to
1t is only in one truss any
way. The corresponding member In
he other truss is perfectly straight"
abbott, for Gods sake, hear me-"
Headed Meade in desperation. DRAW
ack the traveller and put no more men
n the bridge. Stop work until we can
eft word to-"
Don't talk to me, boy. 1 know my
usiness. tell you can Jack 1t back. !
hat members big enough and strong /
nOugh TO hold up the world"
what are you going to jack
gainst" Meade asked, and for the I
rst time a little of Abbott's contempt {
in the younger mans voice.
Abbott reflected that there was moth
II. 1