“Mister Straw, I need your help,” the county engineer said to my grandfather. “We have a dragline in the creek and we hope you can help us pull it out.”

The engineer went on to explain that they were installing a new bridge on one of the county roads. They had fabricated a new concrete bridge to replace the old wooden structure. They had cast a new concrete deck but had retained the original wooden abutments. During the back filling of the road bed, one of the abutments had been pushed off vertical and collapsed under the weight of the new bridge.

One end of the bridge had fallen into the creek. They had brought out the drag line to try to raise the bridge and now it was in the creek too – on its side.

Daddy Straw surveyed the situation and assured him that he could recover both the machine and save the bridge. Back at the shop he had my Dad and my uncle collect cribbing and jacks. HE then had one of the other employees drive the shop crane to the job site.

The shop crane or winch truck as he called it was made from a Ford lat bed truck with most of the body removed. There was a large boom mounted on the back. The rear axle had been replaced with one from a motor grader. A huge winch form a bulldozer was drive by the truck’s PTO. The operator’s seat faced the rear of the truck. Driving it to the job site meant an uncomfortable neck strain for the driver.

First they recovered the fallen machine using the old winch truck. Next, they set about raising the bridge.

My dad and his brother took on the task of wrestling the heavy hydraulic jacks and cribbing timbers down the creek bank and under the concrete bridge.

They built a base and began raising the structure a few inches at a time and re-cribbing with wood. It took about three weeks but they were able to raise the bridge back to the level of the roadway without damaging the bridge section.

Next my grandfather fabricated steel supports out of heavy H beams and my dad and his brother were assigned the task of snaking them down the creek bank and setting them in pace under the bridge. The dug down and created a concrete base to set he beams on.

Once that end of the bridge was stabilized, they move to the other end and temporarily lifted that end off the wooded supports. They cut out the wood and fabricated another steel support for that end. They then carefully set the bridge in its final resting place.

I am always amazed at the stories of how my Grandfather who had only a third grade education was called upon to bail out engineers and others who were supposedly more educated than him. I guess his education at the School of Hard Knocks as he called it was a pretty good one.

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While traveling across Monteagle Mountain I noticed that the signs of an old Indian story that my Grandfather once told me are still there alongside the roadway. Some of them even looked new.

My Grandfather told me of a beautiful Indian maiden of the Cherokee tribe who was betrothed to the son of the Great Chief who had built the stone forts on the west side of Monteagle Mountain. Eagle Down was known for her sharp features and soft copper colored skin. She was delicate and empathetic as young maidens were trained to be. However she also possessed the passion and tenacity of her namesake.

The stone carver’s son was a handsome lad who was also very clever in the ways of carving and stacking stones. His father proudly referred to him as a “chip of the old block.” He greatly respected his father and the traditions of the Indian tribe.

Eagle Down loved him greatly even though she was more progressive in her views. Her passion burned inside her and she did not understand why they needed to wait until the Summer Solstice to marry. She knew what she wanted and she wanted it right then.

On day in late spring her impatience and passion burned inside her. She began teasing her betrothed and questioning his virility. She went so far as to assert that his brother Pebbles might make a more suitable mate for her.

She walked off holding Pebbles arm but dashed off to her family’s hut when she was out of sight. The next morning she awoke and went looking for her betrothed. She was told he had gone hunting in the mountains. He planned to bring back a huge buck to prove his virility.

Eagle Down went out to the edge of the camp and waited. She waited all day for her betrothed. She began to wish she had not been so cruel in teasing him. She had only hoped to get his attention not send him on a fool’s mission.

At supper time her parents came to get her. She refused to move. She waited all night for him to return. When he did not return the next day, she decided to go looking for him. She had heard him talk about the large deer that grazed about the cliffs of Mount Eagle. She packed a bag and set out in search of him fearing that he may have been injured or was too embarrassed to come home with out a prize deer.

She searched and searched for him but could not find him. Eventually, she returned home to see if she had somehow missed him on the trail. She was told that if he did not return that she would marry Pebbles on the solstice instead. She slipped out in the night to continue her search.

After many days of searching, she was tired and hungry. She came across a settlement of white people in the forest. They took her in and taught her English. They agreed to help her in her search. They helped her make signs and placed them along the main paths, trails and eventually roadways.

These signs are still visible in the mountains today. As you travel, you will often see the bright yellow signs that Eagle Down put up in her search for her beloved son of Chief Rock Carver: “Watch for Falling Rock.”

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I have replaced several power steering hoses on various Jeep Cherokees. It has gotten to be a pretty straight forward job. See this previous post on how to replace a power steering hose.

Janice’s 1999 Cherokee had been emitting a puff of smoke each time she turned her XJ to full lock. Although there was little sign of a leak on the hose, our experience with the Green Jeep catching fire due to a power steering hose leak made me extra cautious.

I got a new hose and then pulled the electric fan and the air box to make room. I tried using the various 18mm wrenches I had to get the hose loose from the steering box. I have always been successful in the past using an open end wrench. However, this one refused to budge.

I picked up a set of crow foot flare nut wrenches from my local NAPA store. They have a great set of tools in a nice case for around $20. Unfortunately I forgot that the bottom is an 18mm and the top is a 5/8 inch. I bought only the SAE set. The store was closed for the holiday by the time I figured out I also need the metric set.

Jennifer rescued me by searching until she found a set at O’Reilly’s. It is still a nice set for about the same price as the NAPA set but does not have the nice case.

I used the 18 metric crow foot flare nut wrench to break loose the lower line. It took a lot of torque but it eventually broke free. Janice and Jennifer were able to finish taking it out using the 18mm stubby wrench.

I used the 5/8 crow foot to pop loose the upper hose. It was not nearly as tight. I showed them how to put on the O rings on each end of the hose and let them get the lines threaded into place. The lower one always seems to be difficult and takes some patience to get it started.

After the new line was installed, I had them add some fluid and jack up the front of the Jeep. They turned the wheel from lock to lock to bleed the air out of the line. After that, they started the engine and repeated the process.

Once most of the air was out, she turned the wheel to one of the locks and listened for the pressure relief to open. There was a noticeable change in sound as the last of the air purged.

I rechecked the level of fluid in the power steering reservoir and checked for leaks again. Now we all feel much safer driving the Jeep.

Powercraft Power Steering Pressure Hose – 80290

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