Атлант расправил плечи
Account Overdrawn
ThewatersoftheMississippihadbeenrisingallthroughthemonthofJanuary,swollenbythestorms,drivenbythewindintoarestlessgrindingofcurrentagainstcurrentandagainsteveryobstructionintheirway.Onanightoflashingsleet,inthefirstweekofFebruary,theMississippibridgeoftheAtlanticSoutherncollapsedunderapassengertrain.Theengineandthefirstfivesleeperswentdownwiththecrackinggirdersintothetwistingblackspiralsofwatereightyfeetbelow.Therestofthetrainremainedonthefirstthreespansofthebridge,whichheld.
"Youcan’thaveyourcakeandletyourneighboreatit,too,"saidFranciscod’Anconia.Thefuryofdenunciationswhichtheholdersofpublicvoicesunleashedagainsthimwasgreaterthantheirconcernoverthehorrorattheriver.
ItwaswhisperedthatthechiefengineeroftheAtlanticSouthern,indespairoverthecompany’sfailuretoobtainthesteelheneededtoreinforcethebridge,hadresignedsixmonthsago,tellingthecompanythatthebridgewasunsafe.HehadwrittenalettertothelargestnewspaperinNewYork,warningthepublicaboutit;theletterhadnotbeenprinted.ItwaswhisperedthatthefirstthreespansofthebridgehadheldbecausetheyhadbeenreinforcedwithstructuralshapesofReardenMetal;butfivehundredtonsoftheMetalwasallthattherailroadhadbeenabletoobtainundertheFairShareLaw.
