The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 83 Dams, Floating Bridges, and Iron Mines

When we left Beitsheen Castle, the sun was already beginning to set.

The scent of stone dust that filled the air in Beit She'an gradually faded, eventually being replaced by the unique, moist aroma of the Jordan Valley, a blend of earth and plant freshness.

Lyon and his entourage, escorted by the guards, headed east along the newly widened road.

The closer you get to the Jordan River, the higher the humidity in the air becomes, and the muddier the roads become.

At this moment, a deep and continuous roar of water, completely different from the rhythmic hammering of the quarry, began to envelop the surroundings.

The dam construction site came into view, a scene far more grand and chaotic than the quarry. Hundreds of laborers busied themselves on the riverbed like ants, their shouts, the sound of tamping earth, and the rushing water all mingling together.

The foreman at the construction site, with his dark skin, rolled-up trousers, and covered in mud, immediately jogged up to greet Lyon, who was surrounded by the guards of the Jerusalem royal palace, his face a mixture of exhaustion and excitement.

"Good day, Your Highness!"

The foreman pointed to a section of the earth-rock dam that was already taking shape and reported, "According to the blueprints drawn by the craftsmen, we are laying the foundation at the narrowest point of the river. But... there are far more problems than we expected."

He led Lyon to the dam foundation, grabbed a handful of soil, and frowned, "Look, the silt at the bottom of the river is deeper than we expected. We cleared it for a long time before we saw a solid riverbed. Moreover, during the rainy season, the swift currents washed away our temporary cofferdams several times, delaying the construction period considerably. The biggest headache is the stone. Although Ramla has a continuous supply of stones, it's too difficult to accurately lay such heavy stones in the middle of the river and ensure they aren't washed away..."

Lyon listened quietly, his gaze sweeping over the busy and arduous construction site.

The laborers used the most primitive methods, chanting work songs, to tamp the soil of the dam with rams, or tried to push huge stones into the water to reinforce the foundation, but they were repeatedly washed away by the water flow.

After thinking for a moment, Lyon squatted down and began to draw on the mud with a twig.

"If the silt is deep, don't force yourself to clear it completely. You can drive deeper piles at key stress points as a foundation within a foundation," he said while drawing. "As for the water flow, we can construct in sections. First, concentrate our efforts on building a stronger stone-lined diversion channel on one side of the river, allowing the main river water to flow to the other side, creating a dry environment for the dam construction on our side."

The foreman looked at the simple diagram on the ground, then at the rushing river, and the confusion in his eyes gradually gave way to a sense of sudden enlightenment and excitement: "I understand, Your Highness..."

"Once you understand, get to work. I trust Robert's judgment." Lyon stood up, clapped his hands, and turned to Theodore. "The dam doesn't need to be rushed, but the pontoon bridge is more important. How's it going?"

Theodore adjusted his glasses and replied respectfully, "Your Highness, the pontoon bridge is almost complete."

Led by Theodore, the group left the dam construction site and headed towards the ferry crossing not far downstream. A pontoon bridge spanning the Yarmouk River suddenly appeared before them.

In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the construction site, the pontoon bridge area appeared orderly. Several reinforced flat-bottomed boats were tightly connected by thick hemp ropes and iron chains, with sturdy wooden planks on top and simple railings on both sides. A solid wooden bridgehead stood on both banks, guarded by soldiers.

Theodore reported, "Your Highness, the pontoon bridge is functioning well. Infantry squads and supply wagons can pass quickly. Routes that used to require half a day of detours or risky crossings can now be traversed safely in a quarter of an hour."

As they were talking, a patrol of soldiers was crossing the pontoon bridge from the other side of the river in neat steps. The bridge swayed slightly with each step, but it was exceptionally stable.

Jacob marveled, "God bless this, it's a strategic miracle! With it, our troops can appear on either side of the Jordan River at any time."

The group continued north along the Yarmouk River, stayed in Taibale for a few days, and then traveled a distance northwest before hearing a faint tinkling sound.

Galilee is the only iron ore producing region in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. One of the iron mines in Galilee is located in the valley west of the town of Safed in northwestern Galilee. The mining site was set up in a sheltered valley to facilitate the acquisition of charcoal fuel.

The scene here is the most primitive and arduous. Large numbers of workers are mining the brown ore exposed on the surface, while others are busy beside rudimentary iron smelting furnaces, where thick smoke billows and the heat is oppressive.

The foreman presented several forged iron ingots. Lyon picked one up; it was heavy, but its color was dull, and its surface had many pores and impurities.

"Your Highness, the ore here is of poor quality. We've tried our best, but the iron we smelt is still brittle and easily breaks when forging weapons," the foreman said helplessly.

Lyon nodded; this was exactly what he had expected.

The iron ore in western Galilee is mainly hematite and limonite, with high sulfur content and low iron content. The Golan Heights in eastern Galilee have higher quality iron ore, but it is mostly oxide ore and too close to Damascus, which is controlled by the Ayyubids, so Lyon can only put it on hold for the time being.

He passed the iron ingot to Jacob and Zahir beside him, then told the foreman to lead the craftsmen to follow him toward a fast-flowing stream on the side of the valley.

Lyon had already had Theodore set up a huge wooden waterwheel by the stream, the water flowing over its blades, causing it to rotate slowly but powerfully.

"Look there. Next, we will use water power to build a water-powered blower to blow stronger and more continuous air into the furnace, so that the furnace temperature will be higher, and more impurities will be burned off and separated into slag."

Theodore's craftsmen then stepped forward to demonstrate.

Several thick wooden poles were attached to the axle of the waterwheel, with a huge stone hammer hanging from the other end of each pole. As the waterwheel turned, the stone hammer was pulled high and then slammed down, smashing large chunks of ore in the trough to pieces with a loud bang.

The craftsman demonstrating skillfully poured crushed ore into a long, slightly sloping wooden trough, allowing the stream water to flow down from upstream. The water carried away the loose silt and bad stones, leaving behind the high-quality iron ore.

Next, Lyon led his men toward the furnace complex.

He pointed to a huge bellows that required four people to pull: "This level of flame is needed to refine these iron ores."

He led his men to another device connected to a waterwheel. This was a more complex system of linkages and piston bellows. The rotation of the waterwheel, through ingenious wooden cams and levers, was translated into a push-pull action on two enormous leather bellows.

"Look! It's moving by itself!" the craftsmen exclaimed.

The two bellows rose and fell incessantly, sending a huge volume of air into the furnace through the clay pipes.

The flames inside the furnace, which were originally crimson, suddenly turned bright white and dazzling due to the abundant air they received. The heat wave hit people in the face, forcing them to retreat.

Finally, Lyon picked up a common white limestone, smashed it into powder, grabbed a handful, and sprinkled it into the feed at the furnace opening.

A moment later, he used a long iron hook to pull some glittering liquid from the furnace: "See, putting limestone in can remove some of the impurities."

He stepped aside to let them pass, and the craftsmen rushed forward, surrounding the furnace complex completely.

Theodore stepped forward, hesitatingly asking, "Your Highness, I don't understand. The iron ore in the Golan Heights of Eastern Galilee is of better quality. Besides, the fine iron that Lord Robert brought from Milan and Venice should be sufficient. There's absolutely no need for you to go to such lengths here..."

"What belongs to others is never truly yours. What if the Redbeards come back one day? The price will go up then." Lyon shook his head, looking towards Damascus. "As for East Galilee, it's too close to Damascus, the risk is too great."

Lyon exclaimed, "If we could take Damascus one day, that would truly be called achieving steel freedom!"