|
Post by batteryboy on Jun 10, 2009 22:54:10 GMT 8
Sometime around 1932, the attention of the Comamnding General of the HD Defenses of Manila Bay due to the large amount of damaged caused by loose nails in the roads of Fort Mills. This prompted him to issue an order for the Police and the Prison Officer to oder the Bilibid work details to sweep the roads and pick up the loose nails. However one young officer by the name of Lieutenant G.H. Stubbs had a marevelous idea that can solve the problem in a methodical fashion. His invention: The "Corregidor Nail Picker". Its a Liberty truck fitted with controls for eight (8) electro magnets within inches off the ground suspended by a rod in chains with a bogey wheel attached to the rod. Power was generated by an SCR-82 or any gasoline DC generating unit. The Nail Picker picked up about four hundred pounds of nail and iron scrap. It normally run once a day but sometimes a second or third trip yielded better results. This saw a drop in flat tires from an average ten (10) a week to one (1) incidents week. However it also had it shares of complaints like manholes covers being dragged, and some of the handle bars of the manholes being pulled up to cause bumps on the road. An average catch for the day would yield 25% nails or tacks , a few dozen tin cans, lots of nuts and bolts , misc iron scraps, coins and sometimes a few odd toys. FWIW,
|
|
|
Post by The Phantom on Jun 11, 2009 7:02:09 GMT 8
Amazing shots.
Looks like it could pull out fillings!
Can't figure out the location.........
|
|
|
Post by one50 on Jun 11, 2009 9:14:08 GMT 8
Tony,
You serious?
I'm confused as to why there would be nails on the road at all? Whats the story behind the nails?
|
|
|
Post by batteryboy on Jun 11, 2009 19:22:59 GMT 8
Dan,
I am as baffled as you are but in 1932, they were serious. There were a lot of construction going on in the island and although you can say that its mostly concrete, they used a lot of wood for scaffolding and other construction procedures so imagine the volume of nails used to erect these temporary wooden structures. When these wooden structure are dismanteld and and re-used somewhere else them they had to pull out nails and in the process of collecting and transporting them around the island, a lot would be left behind on the roads, ditches, pathways, etc.
During rainy season a lot of metal object as mentioned in the first post tend to be washed towards the roads and pathway as well. Even today, one of the best ways to spot shrapnel, metal objects, spent ammo and sometimes full ammo rounds, walk around Corregidor after rain or thunderstorm. You are bound to pick up a few things on the road.
Well its not only in Corregidor but here in Manila, nails and tacks are still the number one culprit for flat tires even in modern times.
Cheers,
|
|
|
Post by The Phantom on Jun 12, 2009 1:51:44 GMT 8
Most construction done on the island was done by prison labor right? Another possibility for lots of nails on the roads, aside from the other great reasons.
If the truck that takes you to work gets a flat, some time off maybe.
I can see those hardened criminals dropping nails from the trucks, if they were lucky enough to ride, or out of their pockets, if walking.
Murderers, rapists etc., what do they have to lose?
I wonder how many prisoner from old Bilabid prison in Quiapo were on the island at one time..........
Did the Army run the stockade or were their prison guards assigned to Corregidor?
|
|
|
Post by batteryboy on Jun 12, 2009 7:15:23 GMT 8
Phantom,
The 2nd Battalion, 92nd CA, Philippine Scouts supplied the guards for the Corregdior Branch of Bilibid Civil prisoners.
Cheers,
|
|