Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

At moments warming one man was to open
the valves and ignite the acetylene flame while
the other slid down specially knotted rope with
the hose in his hand He was to get close
to the crocodies as possible and cut and slash
with the fire until the man in the water was
rescued This plan decided, I felt better.
From day to day as the work progressed the
rescue men, life lines, hose, torches and equip.
ment moved along with it. And 10 feet below
us the hungry crocodiles moved along, too.
When nothing happened the men began to COM
plain again, because all this extra work was
q nuisance but insisted that the orders be
strictly obeyed.
knew the temperament of these men. They
were getting accustomed to seeing the crocodileS
about, and If had relaxed the least bit they
would have forgotten my precautions. I heard
q good deal of grumbling, but as long as the
danger was there refused to let them become
careless knew the crooks would remain while
they could still smell the men above them.
didn't dare leave the job for one second.
Day after day sat on that bridge watching the
men and gazing at those big monsters in the
water. had a premonition something was
going to happen, although every one else was
cheerful and happy in the thought that we
would be back among the bright lights OF
Chicago in four five days.
On the last day of the job one of the painters,
moving his drop line and chair, forgot to snub
himself in the chair the clamp sprung open
and with loud splash, clamp, drop line, chair
and painter tumbled into the lake.
The sudden splatter startled the crocodileS,
and they scattered in all directions, but in a
few moments before Fred James, the painter,
could extricate himself from his rigging they
turned and came swiftly swimming back. Mean
while the man with the torch had slid down the
rope and when the beasts returned he cut OUT
at them with live flame.
Probably nothing else short of an elephant
gun would have stopped them, because their
hides are like armor plate. For few minutes
it looked as If even fire would not stop them.
It was a great fight while it lasted One huge
monster almost cut in two and the water,
was stained with red before the remainder OF
the crew scuttled away
Soon after our return from Florida received
q letter from a large granary asking if we could
repair and paint some of their grain chambers,
which we're empty and badly in need of atten-
ton. AS we had never done any work of this
sort before, I decided to look the ground over
carefully before making an estimate.
The chambers were built of STEEL 80 feet high
and 20 feet in diameter Altogether there were
so of these huge cylinders in rows of 10 each.
They looked like a forest of steel smokestacks.
WHEN had examined them from the outside
climbed to the roof of one of the cham
bers and peered into it through trap door. It
was impossible to see the interior, however, as
no lights had been rugged and the inside was in
inky darkness.
Without further inspection It would be neces-
sary TO bid blind. This put me in a predica-
ment. 1 did not want to lose the job or the
money, either, SO I asked an official of the
company to give me two days to figure on it.
He was almost suspiciously agreeable.
Don't forget, you'll get the job if your figures
are right" he said
went back to my Office and explained the
case to my brother. told him the chambers
were nothing than smokestacks with a
roof over them. and thought we ought to De
able to do them for smokestack prices.
1T ought to be cinch," he said. Lets put
in a bid of s., 500 chamber"
agreed and wrote out the estimate Two
days later delivered 1t in person at the
granary In five minutes the bid was accepted.
had never had big contract accepted with
such lightning rapidity. and it seemed queer
to me. Later discovered they had been trying