“The House of Hits”

NORTHLAND
THEATRE

Gives You Four Different
Shows Weekly

2:30 to Midnight
Continuous

Dawson Creek

Dawson Creek, B.C.

Follow the show with a light lunch or snack
at the most popular meeting place in town.

AMERICAN LUNCH

Ice Cream Is Our Specialty

*

British Columbia

Army started blasting a passage below its
temporary bridge to relieve the pressure.

By the end of April erection of the south
cable bent had been completed, together
with the riveting thereon; embedded steel
to hold firm the cables was set in the north
anchorage and the setting of the south ap-
proach span, leading from the south shore
to the south cable bent, had been accom-
plished. The bridge was rapidly assuming
shape. With the cables it would discover
itself in its true and stirring colours—a sus-
pension bridge, fit companion of others
which spanned the Hudson, the Golden
Gate, Burrard Inlet, Vancouver, and other
famous waterways. On May 4th, high-lines
were ready to be strung between the tower
tops for the tramway cars which would work
back and forth during the placing of the
cables and reels of cable strand were
brought to the south bank of the river to
be set up on the unreeling spools. May 5th
completed riveting of south approach —
3,540 rivets driven.

Although many difficulties and near tra-
gedies were encountered, work proceeded
rapidly and on May 23rd- 24th the high-
line cables for the tramways were hauled
across the river from tower top to tower
top, through a system of sheaves; pulling
power being supplied by an electric-motor
driven “gypsy” spool set up between the
north cable bent and north anchorage.

On May 30th, at 9 a.m., hauling bridge
strand C-1 commenced, by the end of the
day, south tower and north tower were
linked with the first permanent threads
which would make them function as com-
ponent parts of a single great accomplish-
ment.

Strand after strand followed each other
across in swift ordered procession during
the days which followed. Metal “saddles,”
on the top of each tower, carried the strands
of the cables, and as each strand was ad-
justed it was set to proper sag by hydraulic
jacks at the anchorage. In this way a col-
lection of strands was built up in each
saddle which finally took the form of a giant
bridge cable.

Rain or shine the work went on. The
end was in sight. The riveting hammers
were already singing a song of things well
done, and as the floor steel, stringers and

TWELFTH EDITION

trusses swung into place; that mood of ex-
hilaration which is man’s reward when the
work of his hands stands before him
crowned with success, swept the scene.

But the war was suddenly brought
sharply in focus. Gasoline was needed in
Alaska in increasing quantities; everything
had to be done to expedite delivery. On
June 16th a two-inch pipe line was strung
from tower to tower of the new bridge and
fuel pumped across the river from tank
trucks on the south side to tank trucks on
the north. In such a fashion all delays re-
sulting from attempting to ferry the trucks
over one at a time was eliminated.

On July 8th panels 44-46 and 50-52 were
erected, completing the main span roadway
steel.

The job was now over the “hump.” But
plenty of work remained to be done. On
July 14th the last steel member was set in
place and a good start had been made on
the tremendous job of installing 45,000
rivets at sufficient speed to keep pace with
concrete pouring.

By July 17th all main span forms and
some side span forms were in place. In the
meantime a forest of steel bars was being
set to reinforce the roadway concrete.

On July 31st roadway concrete was com-
pleted and riveting was completed on
August 2nd.

After a few days of curing, the bridge
was ready for its vital trafic of Army trucks;
and vehicles of all types were travelling
over it day and night to supply the grow-

Front row, left to right: Const. L. E. Faryon, Const. M. L. Begallie, Corp.

Page Fifty-one