Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-20
TACOMA WIDOW FINISHES
TUNNEL HUSBAND BEGAN
l'rs. Nelson Bennett Shows Northern
Pacific She Has Ability 10 Han
die Mans Job.

Tacoma, Wash.--A one approaches
Tacoma on the Northern Pacific Rail
road the train keeps close TO Puget
Sound until it reaches Point Defiance,
when Il goes directly thru the yltals
ot that great promontory in forty.
four hundred foot tunnel.
Over the east and west portals OF
the tunnel is the simple inscription.
Nelson Bennett Tunnel put there
at the special request OF the board OF
directors, in joint memory Of husband
and wife-of the husband who started
IL. but who died in the midst OF its
construction. and hts plucky and cour.
ageous wife who. tho overwhelmed
with grief and facing financial ruin,
assumed personal and complete super
vision Of the million dollar tunnel,
and turned It over to tho Northern
Pacific Railroad within contract time.
The tunnel was hardly well under
way when the chief executive died,
leaving the gigantic project without a
guiding hand At that moment Mrs
Nelson Bennett grasped the reins
and resolved never TO lose sight Of
two saliant points that the work must
not stop, and that she herself must
carry it on TO completion.
In The midst Of her first disquieting
reflections came a telephone message
that a man who once had been slightly
connected with her husband was at.
tempting to establish claim Of full
partnership with him. and would as.
sums entire charge Of the work.
Immediately following this came a
message from the superintendent stat.
ing that his crew OF five hundred Ital.
ians were on tho point Of quitting, as
Is their custom whenever sudden
death occurs, and declaring that such
/ disqualification Of the work would
mean inevitable failure.
Putting the case of the claimant IN
/ the hands OF her attorney, Mrs. Ben.
/ aett hurried to tho scene Of opera
lions. She assembled the workmen,
aud thru Interpreters made a strong
appeal to them to stand by her and
help her finish the project her hus.
| band had begun. Practically every
man promised To stick to his post and
kept bis word.
Then Mrs. Bennett. In company with
J. c. Denney the superintendent, went
over every foot OF the big tube. The
/ next few days she devoted to studying
the specifications of the contract. One
week after her husbands death she
formally took charge OF the big job
as 1t Wa. locally designated
For = while tho work progressed
rapidly. Then thunder bolt dropped
ont of a clear sky. With no preliml
nary warning tho timbering not faI
from tho cast portal Of the tunnel sud
/ denly gave way. and thousands OF tons
Of earth were precipitated inward.
Mrs. Bennett proved herself equa
to the test Early and late, rain OF
shine, she was on the ground person
ally directing the work, and going
about among tho workmen with 9
friendly word for each. Her courage
and energy seemed inexhaustiblo; hel
determination to bring her task TO &
successful completion never wayered
But hardly had the debris been re
moved when still another accident oc
Cured which deprived Mrs. Bennett
Of them whose fidelity, capability
and generous cooperation had beer
her mainstay from the beginning
While rearranging electric light wire,
IN the tunnel Mr. Donney was instant
~ clectr0cutcd,
Ninety nine women out of 4 hundred
would have considered this obstacl
utterly hopeless and insurmountable
but Mrs, Bennett pushed steadily on
ward until she was able TO turn owe
the tunnel within contract time.