The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-03-23

'lQge was an engineering leds
1tseers had a fine time, what
ather Thursday afternoon.
section, six 50-foot, l0-ton sections
win be raised In q similar manner:
three win make progress eastward
from the center. three will 60
westward.
When the resulting TOO feet Of
roadbed u In place. then similar
decking viii be constructed from
each shore. Then from the center
toward the shore. etc.
But IN q way, we digress. The
tugs JUSTINE Foss and TANGO
had the center OF the stage.
One to each end Of the loaded
scow, they hauled 1t broadside out
to the middle Of the channel. The
tory was to get It steady directly
beneath the block-and-tackle gear
dangling from the cat-walk.
incidentally, four sets Of gear
were used. Each was connected to
= powerful donkey-cngine on the
two piers: the wire-rope falls were
led along the main cables and then
down to gigantic steel blocks.
which In turn were made fast one
to each corner Of the monstrous
steel section.
Try. Try Again
During Thursday forenoon. the
scow was Unanswered and counter
maneuvered-until at last the tide
was running too strong. and the
attempt had 10 be abandoned.
After lunch land numerous con-.
situations and conferences) the
whole affair was tried again.
The tugs hsaved together and
n opposite directions: they rolled
o. their beams ends and they
rolled TIE water to . foaming
wake: they'd fight the sluggishness
a ~ scow IN the current and
thsa they'd fight the maddening
momentum which made the scow
ovsrshoot her inch-precise mark.
Thus they spent q spectacular hour
ct cramped maneuver.
The scow's crew. amid much.
much shouting and arm-signalling.
1t last secured Ill four ponderous
ssts Of gear to the steel section.
Ths tugs held their strain and
thsir peace.
Thrillkng Moments
Then the first lift was made.
The freed scow swung In the cur
rent-and many . mouth hung
ajar and many . heart beat con-
sderably FASTER.
First the two-foot-sqare wood
a stanchions Of the scow cracked
and broke like matches. Then the
scow's crew Of engineers and STEEL
workers scrambled!
TWO men slammed themselves
fiat to the scow's deck and could
do no more while 30 tons Of steel
dangisd precariously close 70 their
noses ~ the scow slithered from
under the section with the current.
The others jumped - high and
mighty fast-and chung to the ssis-
pended section.
Then tho TANGO had the UNI
snvied Job Of .nosing up to and
under the section 20 the marooned
crew could get or. latter all. the
affair had been done only on paper
and thus involved more than q
little chance in the actual perform
ance.) And the TANGO did re-
ceive one nasty bump on the wheel
house which had all the potentiali-
ties Of sweeping the entire super
structure into the briny and the
men with 1t.
But 1t was only a matter Of
minutes thereafter that the actual
lifting into place Of the section be-
gan.
And IL minutes after that,
the S0-ton hunk Of steel had
beea lifted roo feet and the
worbers were swarmlng all
over Il 10 secure II 70 the
cables.
The show was over-a good
show and a completely successful
one.
In addition 70 the afore men,
TONED towboats - and the sight-
seers dotting the city's hills at the
east end Of the hridge-"specta-
tors" included the swift bridge
tender SKYLARK with a load of
bridge officials and bee-busy pic
ture-takers. the little steamer
ARCADIA sneaking down the
shore and . purse-seiner skirting
along In the opposite direction,
Ben Lewis trim. grey painted
yacht SKIPPER IREsoN. the
coast guard patrol boat NO. 400,
L