_IGAN
today tomorrow
WINTER ISSUE 1988
Line of blasting holes being drilled.
DANGER - BLASTING 3 blasts of whistle equals 5 minutes warning Encountering these messages on the highway, you think of stopped traffic, detours, and delays. On our road, these signs meant that progress was being made on sewer lines cuttfng across campus. They also meant excitement. Throughout the fall anq right up to the start of the Christmas recess the construction crews worked their way across the top of campus parallel to Back Bay Road with their blasting equipment. Everyone listened to the three-blast signal and started the five minute countdown. At the one minute signal, attention waned in the classroom to await the muffled BOOM and tremor of our very own earthquake. During the engineering stage of this project, notations were made of locations where subsurface ledge existed in the expectation that some blasting would have to be done. As construction got underway, much more ledge was encountered than expected and blasting has been almost constant. It's been interesting to see the drilling rig making its slow journey along the route of the line stopping every few feet to drill an eight foot hole. The evidence of its passage is marked with black tarpaper cones to hold a charge of blasting powder. A mat of old car tires is lifted into place, the 5 minute warning sounds, and the subterranean blast cracks enough ledge so the next section of trench can be dug out. Students agreed that it was great of Mr. Wakely to provide such an on-going show right here where we can see it.
Blasting mat is lowered into place.
Visiting Skier at CMS Bernhard Rufenacht is a new face on campus this winter. This young man decided to take a year off from his work as a pharmaceutical chemist in S_witzerland to explore, to learn more about the United States, and to do something different before continuing his career. He's not new to this country having spent five weeks of vacation in the USA last year. This Fall he ·was in Florida for three months visiting, exploring and learning from John Oliver Rich, Cardigan's former Director of Admissions. Here, · Bernhard is living in a student room in Franklin House, sitting in on English and science classes, and helping with our ski team. He will remain at Cardigan until the end of the Winter Term, and then will continue to explore and do yet something else that's different.