The sun., 1919-10-26


rsnean near Cannes, which European
engineers used to like to point at as
their most remarkable work.
This piece OF road around the nose
Of Storm King. which Is only about a
mile and a quarter long and which is
the costliest. piece Of road I'm the world,
costing 100000 a mile. presented such
engineering difficulties that when they
came to run the lines for the contrac-
} tor to follow they had to drop surveys
over the side of a cliff at the end OF
| a 100 foot rope with their instru-
ments to make observations.
J Some OF the time even the rope
| method failed them. and the engineers
, went up to West Point and borrowed
small cannon. The cannon they
loaded with cans of paint, and shot
them at the side of the cliff. Where
the cans Of paint hit they burst, and
splashed a blotch OF color on the rock
: big enough to sight transit by, and
8 by the use of series of these paint
r splotches with which they bombarded
t the mountain, the engineers were able
to make sightings, and complete their
calculations.
But even when the liens were run
and the contractor got on the job the
difficulties We're not ended; directly
beneath the road runs the West Shore
Railroad. They had visions of huge
masses of rock, loosened by dynamite,
crashing down on trains, and blocking
the track, II not taking lives.
At the very start OF the work tho
State stipulated that q $4,000 travel
ling crane be set up on a car, and sta
toned on the West Shore tracks to
remove any rocks that might fall.
Could Not Blast.
1t did not hasten progress any that
blasting could not be employed. The
bulk OF the rock has had to be quar-
ried OFF, and used as fill.
You might say that in building this
road the engineers have just sliced
down the side of the mountain with a
perpendicular cut, meeting it with
horizontal slash. as you would cut
quarter from an apple. Then this quar-
ter they have stuck on the side OF the
mountain again, with its straight
side up.
In this way they have made a shelf
about rs feet wide along the very face
of the rock. In the centre of this will
be a smooth surfaced roadway, 16 feet
wide The outer edge is protected with
a parapet wall OF stone.
With painful care this cut and III
method OF road making has been car
ried on, foot by foot. around the face
of the great Storm King. which looms
1850 feet above the West Shore tracks
At a height OF about 400 feet they
have pr,ed of $4,000 cubic yards of
solid rock, and used it to build a road
- ,G1A a.
the mountain.
Creeping around the side of the
mountain like a fly is the 20 ton
crane which lifts the rock, and builds
the road on which IT is to move Foot
by foot IL places the stones which
make up the f1ll and compose the wall
Then the contractor lays rails ahead.
and moves the crane forward a few
feet At points the very machine
which does the work has to be dashed
TO the side of the mountain. as the
engineers we're held on with ropes
when they made their preliminary
survy.
This particular stretch of road starts
at Bay View avenue. Cornwall-on-thc-
Hudson, at a point 100 feet above the
level of the Hudson River. At an easy
grade of 63 per cent, IT goes up for
the first $50 feet The high point O.
The road Is 200 feet higher than its
start, bringing Il 800 feet above the
Hudson. After the first ESQ feet out
of Cornwall the grade eases of to 32
per cent, and at places to 81 per cent;
That Is TO say, il will rise NJ the rat
- OF feet in every 100 feet
Leaving the high point the road
III drops at the rate OF seven feet 20 the
I'll hundred for quarter OF mile On
% this section there is being built a steel
' truss bridge 1877 feet long. and re-
W. enforced concrete structure seventy
% two feet long.
Such have bean the engineering and
~ construction difficulties OF the most
wonderful little stretch of road in
90 America. 1t Is doubtful II anywhere
Gu you will be able TO find view so
superb as that OF the storied Hudson
W which viii be revealed TO you as you
~ circle the face OF this most impreg
a. nable rock which the cunning OF man
mo- has conquered
a6 To the south you may vision Bar
uerman's island and see Beacon in the
:, distance. and beyond that a superb
a. view OF tho Hudson, a view which
II. hitherto has been denied the ordinary
ha tourist. To the north your eye ma
an Soan the bay at Cornwall Landing
ar and look on up tho Hudson. This
10 road will cut or fifteen miles OF cir
,al cuitous travel straight inland which
oh was formerly necessary TO circumvent
this proud monarch OF tho Hudson
lb- which for sons has defied man and
he the elements, this rock which hs,
ga. withstood ths floods OF the prehistorio
.ay days which cleaved the rocks and 10
BY the waters through. Hard as ada
by mant unyieiding as time ITSELF storm
King has at last been conquered b.
the skill and daring of the en- Creer