Flame Thrower Rids Ice on New High Level Bridge

When they built the new High Level Bridge they never imagined the problems they’d encounter come winter time. By February of 1950 the County Engineer came up with a grand plan. A homemade flame thrower machine. While the flame throwers melt the ice off the steel mesh, the machine also scatters salt as it moves along. The machine was made with equipment from a road truck and a salt spreader. Five blow torches, hidden under the hood at the rear of the truck, are used in the summer to heat blacktop road surfacing.