European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 12, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. September 12, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 3 poor of Toi Sis by Gnia id u i Only Vii its own weight As counterbalance the Bailey Bridge takes form Over he Mednitz hirer engineers right photo from i St army div s 14th Etier Eta ii Bridge sections together. Soldiers Bridge Gap for German residents Byton Nauroth Nuernberg Bureau Fuerth Germany a world War i Era Bailey Bridge became the Center of attention for residents this week la was installed As a temporary link Between the main part of town and the suburbs to the West after Anold wooden beam Bridge was declared unsafe by City engineers in july City officials were going to tear the Bridge Down and wait until Money could be raised to build a new one. But owners of the estimated 7,000 cars thai Cross the Bridge every Day demanded a Sclier solution after the Ridge was closed july 30. Mayor Horst Weidtmann appealed to local army officials for help and. After the red tape was sorted out the 1st army div s 16th engr 13n closed the 110-foot Gap Over the Radnitz River As a Community assistance project. Close the Gap Lay to heave engineers would recognize the traditional Call hollered Over the girders by Bridge no in charge  Gould. It Means two platoons of big muscled combat Engineer arc pressing hot flesh against cold Iron. The 54-ton Bridge with its launching nose up and sniffing toward the opposite Shore groans yields then moves. Special bearings called Rock and Rol lers because of their dual movement hum and the steel girders Clank across the landscape. It s an eerie sight. Build the Bridge build the  Goulet sing songs and the muscled ones swing 11110 action. They haul 600-Pound pieces on Board inc Bridge insert heavy pins and Lay Down stringers which will sup port the Plank Road surface. They become a swarm of ants carrying oversize loads on their backs. They Strain sweat and out of apparent confusion some How a Bridge appears they la be done in half a Day said battalion commander la. Col. William Price. That s because they be been told to work relatively slow and Safe he said. In combat they d really move if they had to gel War machines across a Gap. The Bailey Bridge works on a counterbalance sys tem. The launching nose looks like an upward pointing Kink in the Bridge. It appears to be a severe mistake in design. The nose is loosely put together so that As the Bridge is assembled like a big Puzzle As one Soldier put it in will overcome the natural bending of inc steel and gently land on the opposite Shore. The operation seems to defy Gravity but it s just an illusion. Gould a explained thai As Long As More weight it behind the Rock and rollers than in front of them it won t fall. The two Lane Bridge borrowed from a depot in Gurmer Shim will remain in place until May when one Side will be. Disassembled so the City can begin building a permanent Structure. The second half will come Down in 18 months said Nuernberg Mili tary Community spokesman Gerard Maloney. Bailey Bridge construction is a rare treat for Engi neers in Europe. Most of the soldiers have not done in since they Learned How in Basic Engineer training. We Don l get to do construction projects Over Here said pfc. Frank Copland As he crawled along lop girders lightening huge bolls. It s differ ent fun. And we re helping the folks who live around Here airman feels on top of world climbing mountains Pihota Sis Byal c. Kown Burka . Paul lain Bektes Cliff in Britain  Kaihar Slatlem Bureau Sembach a Germany . Paul Lanz like the High life 17,700 feel High to be exact. Outside of duty hours with the 66th Security police so at Sembach Lanz has spent his Lour climbing mountains All across Europe. Last month in was eng land the month before that France. A trip Lothe Himalayas of Nepal look up most of his leave last Spring where he climbed the 17,700-fool High throng la Peak. Ii was nothing he said we did the whole thing  unlike Many hobbies Mountain climbing is a life or death proposition and that Edge has kept Lanz interested for he past i j years. Lanz 23, is Stocky with biceps that lightly stretch the sleeves of his uniform. He remembers childhood vacations spent Waiching Rock climbers in Colorado. I can go Back As far As to when i was 10 years old he said. I remember being exl remly impressed with the climbing in the Garden of the  Lanz taught himself Rock climbing and improved his skills with the help of friends. Even on Small Cliff faces climbers can practice All the moves they need for higher climbs Lam said. Officially a Rock climb is scaling Cliff where a fall could be fatal. Lanz quickly graduated from Rock climbing to mountaineering where much Lime is spent crossing Snow and ice. Attention is Given there to avoiding crevices hidden by nightly snowfall and to timing a climb correctly to avoid afternoon Sun and the possibility of an Avalanche the description of a typical climb makes the sport sound less than enticing. After the expensive plan flight to Nepal Lanz faced a two week hike Wilh about 52,000 Worth of gear just to reach the base of a Moun Tain in inc Himalayas. Bad weather forced him away from his Goat of a previously in climbed 20,000-foot Peak. Once the climb reached 13,000 feet Altitude related illnesses were a problem. At that height inc climber typically feels irritable and lethargic headaches and dehydration Are a constant threat. Only regaining lower altitudes can help. The physical punishment also can result in tempers flaring among fellow climbers. And the pleasure of reaching the lop is Lille Consolation. Standing at inc Summit it s elusive Lanz said you re tired he weather can be Rotten and you can l let your guard Down. You have to make the  but the Adverse physical and menial conditions do Lille to Dull his excitement. The min ulc you re Down you  he said. I had l even left Nepal and 1 was planning a summer in the Alps the dangers and the hardships associated with climbing strip the importance from everyday prob lems Lanz said. And that keeps him heading for inc mountaintops. It s almost like a drug. You know it s going to be hard and in could Hurt you possibly fatally bul you can t get enough of  he said. It s total concentration. You can t be thinking about what s going on in the world. You re totally  the Wisconsin native will head Tor the United states in about a month for an assignment in Utah. Lanz already is making himself familiar Wilh the conditions of Rock climbing Iacre. And after the air Force a Hobby might become a career. "1 do it for enjoyment he said. And i will become involved in Mountain Rescue and someday maybe an instructor