FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   >>  
original level. As we have said, the plan for the San Diego work was to build a dam across the canon, and keep the waters from flowing away. The engineers thought that if they could only take this huge mass of rocky hill and drop it into the canon, it would make their work very much easier, as the task of getting enough stone down to the bottom of the gorge to build their dam was by no means an easy one. They thought the matter out, and finally decided to try and move the mountain-side into the canon. They laid their plans, and for two months were busy preparing for the great move. They tunnelled the hillside in all directions over the section which they desired to move, and in these tunnels laid mines of giant powder or dynamite. These mines they connected with electric wires, and when all was ready, the various wires were gathered into one bunch, and taken across the gorge that was to be filled up. When the explosion was about to take place the workmen and engineers moved ever so far away, until they were at a safe distance from the explosion, and one man, the foreman, was sent to the edge of the canon to touch the wires, and start the firing of the mines. When he received the signal he touched the wire, and then ran away to safety as fast as he could go, while the others watched the explosion. It seems to have been a most wonderful sight. Bowlders and masses of rock rose from their beds on the hillside, and little tongues of dust and smoke shot out from the earth in all directions. Then there was a terrific growl, which seemed to come from the heart of the mountain, the earth shook, the men who were watching were thrown to the ground, and with a roar and a rattle the side of the mountain moved and began to fall. There was a shower of stones which continued to fall for over an hour, and the dust was so thick that it was impossible to see; but when it finally cleared, it was found that an enormous slice of the side of the mountain had been blown into the canon below. The engineers said that one hundred and fifty thousand tons of rock had been moved, and to their great pride they found that it had fallen exactly according to their plans, and had bridged the canon and formed the bulwark for the support of the dam. * * * * * The past week has been one of great anxiety for Greece and the Greek cause. The Turks have been steadily gaining ground in the Eas
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   >>  



Top keywords:

mountain

 

explosion

 
engineers
 

directions

 

ground

 

hillside

 

finally

 
thought
 

Greece

 

safety


anxiety

 

terrific

 

tongues

 
wonderful
 
Bowlders
 

gaining

 

masses

 
steadily
 

watched

 

continued


thousand
 

fallen

 
cleared
 

hundred

 

impossible

 

stones

 

shower

 

thrown

 

watching

 
enormous

rattle

 

bridged

 

formed

 
support
 

bulwark

 
bottom
 
easier
 

months

 

decided

 
matter

original

 
waters
 
flowing
 

preparing

 

tunnelled

 

distance

 

workmen

 
foreman
 
signal
 

touched