The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1935-01-30
PIT,INC BRIDGE STILL STANDS
DESPITE CRUSHING ICE FLOES
MWAK Company Opens Struc-
ture When Danger OF
Collapse Lessons
Ferry Is Working

"Chief" Operating Again After
Period Of Inactivity; Used
Tramway For A Time
GRAND COULEE DAM-Worried
and "a little nervous were heads of
MWAK this week, when winters
touch I'm p eriled the temporary
trestle bridge thrown across the
Columbia, and threatened almost to
paralyze activity.
For two winters the Columbia mas
been. ice-free, and it was the hope
of MWAK that they would have
similar weather this year, until ade-
quate means of crossing the river
had been built. Their temporary
bridge, they planned to remove be-
fore high water came, but little
thought was given to the danger of
ice. :t
On Sunday, the bridge was hold
ing back huge jam of ice, with
only very. small channel of open
water. under the structure. All mo-
tor traffic was suspended early in
the afternoon, and finally the order
came that no foot traffic was to be
allowed. There was a ten-foot bow
in the. bridge, and it was shaking
with the impact of hundreds of
loose ice floes.
Use Gable
Later in the week, however, the
channel grew larger, and the danger
OF the bridge going out was lessened.
No traffic, however, was allowed to
cross, and men were sent back and
forth on the cable set up by West
ern Construction company, builders
of the state highway bridge piers.
High above the river, is men at a
time were swung across the ice and
water Of the river, swaying and
swinging. Each time the box was
lowered to the landing, sigh or re-
lief was heard. )
On Thursday, with a chinook
wind melting the snow and ice, the
bridge was reopened, and the big
ferry, Chief, was churning it's way
back and forth across the river. I'M
mediate danger of the demolition of
the bridge was over, MWAK offici-
ais said.
1.-THE show-pieces of the job"
That is what the giant whirleys are
called, and they well merit the
name. "Whirley" is merely another
maine for a crane, mounted on a
turf1table above a set of wheels
which give it complete movability.
The first of these big machines is
now in operation, and second one
lis being assembled, to be working
before many days. They will oper-
ate on the trestle built of wooden
piling driven by smaller, steam
powered whirleys, and the trestle
is located directly on the line of
the cofferdam. The electric whirl-
eys, will be used for driving sheet
steel piling of which the cofferdam
is composed.
"Stiff- Legs" are another type of
crane. They are mounted solidly on
three rock-filled cribs, and can turn
in an arc of 27O degrees.
At present, they are driving the
steel piling for one of the closure
sections of the cofferdam, on the
upstream end. Others will later be
constructed along the line of the
cofferdam and additional electric
whirleys will he added as needed.
Scene of intense activity is the
excavation area. The 1885 level,
where once were located repair
shops, foremen's offices, garages,
oil houses, and other small build
ings, is almost gone. Three huge
shovelS, (two Bucyrus-Erie 5-yard
and a Marion 4-yard) have eaten
away steadily at this level, until lit
tie more is left to do, but move the
feeder units which send the dirt to
the main line of the west conveyor
belt, to lower levels.
Just below this area have reen
built "cat house." where ailments
of the diesel tractors are adjusted
and cared for; a steam plant for
supplying steam to some of the
equipment; and dozen small time
keepers and foremen's offices.
Tractors with one or two "buggies"
in tow, clatter ard snort over their
trails from the sfovels to the feed
er units. Trucks grind back and
forth with loads of dirt, and "pick-
ups" and 'taxis' (ton or ton-and-a-
half flat bed trucks scurry from
building to building.
To an outsider, there is no rhine
or reason to it all; just a topsy-
turvy scrambled mess, and yet, in
spite of this, the work is going on
with clock-like precision. MWAK
has planned their work all out
ahead. On such-and-s date,
this many piling will have been
driven; on this date, the excavation
will have removed so many yards;
on that day they will be employing
so many men here and so many