342 



Popular Science Monthly 



Three Slender Wires Form a Bridge 



THREE wires make a bridge in 

 Maine. It is probably the cheap- 

 est one ever made, if the good old sub- 

 terfuge of a log thrown across a stream 

 is excepted, but it is as serviceable as 

 concrete for spamiing the fifty-foot 

 creek over which it does duty. The 

 bridge was built by a Portland electric 

 light com])any for the use of the patrol 

 maintained over its high-tension power 



seconds, grasping tw^o wires with his 

 hands and sliding one foot ahead of the 

 other on the bottom cable. After his 

 first attempt the patrol reported that 

 he would not use the bridge, because he 

 was no tango dancer. The wires sway 

 back and forth and impart a rythmic 

 motion, terrifying at first. But after a 

 few times the patrol liked the sensation. 

 Now he invites others to tango across 

 with him. 



Cross this fragile bridge and you will be so engrossed with the problem of maintaining your 

 balance that you cannot admire the scenery 



lines, which run across country. Twice 

 a day it is used by this one foot pas- 

 senger. 



Three hours a da\' are saved by the 

 man who patrols this part of the trans- 

 mission lines into Portland. Before its 

 construction it was necessary for him 

 lo make a long fletour to a road bridge 

 in order to cross the creek. The stream 

 is deep an<l cannot be forded. The 

 bridge came after several row boats had 

 been stolen by tramjjs and small boys. 



Short telegraph poles were erected on 

 each side of the stream, above the high 

 water line, and light cables strung 

 across; two waist-high and one for the 

 feet. The patrol can get across in fifty 



A Trolley Company Which Repairs 

 Automobiles Damaged by Its Cars 



AN electric company which operates 

 street cars in Iowa, finds it cheap- 

 er to repair motor cars damaged in col- 

 lisions than to have the w'ork done by an 

 outside repair-shop. It is estimated that 

 about fifty per cent of the expense of 

 having this work done outside has been 

 saved. Moreover, the practice is said to 

 have gained the good will of those whose 

 automobiles have been damaged. As it 

 is, the company had a large number of 

 cars in its own garage with a staff of 

 re])airmen. It was necessary only to add 

 a few men to the regular staff to repair 

 the damage caused by accidents. 



