The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-02-03
BRIDGING THE MISSISSIPPI.

Be pFNitucut tuSli1 VI uGMsp"FStt8f
leaders ia The West a, present, is IN relation
10 bridging the Mississippi river. Notown
ha, which seems to esteem its location te
aaye been made with that especial object
in view, and the river jus, at that paiut t.
prescu, inducements no where else offered.
Engineers, with the view oil bridging the
Mississippi, have taken surveys Of every
feasible point and have decided that bridge
can be constructed with less expense -
Rock Island than at any other place on the
river.
There is spot near Lyons, Clinton Co,
called the 1Narrows," where it is ascertain,
ed, tina, next 10 Rock Island, bridge could
be erected a, least expense. Save these
Two points, there is no other site alluded
to bv our cotemporaries for bridge, south
of Fort Smelling, but which would involve
an expense tha, must prohibit the improve.
nen, until inducements be offered far SUI
perio. TO any even now in prospect.
Many Of the citizens Of Davenport are
decidedly opposed TO The construction Of .
bridge at this place. They argue that IN
view OF the extension Of The Railroad west,
ward, which is now esteemed fixed fact,
such an Improvement would have tenden-
cy 10 relsrd the growth Of our city, as il
would facilitate the progress of freight and
produce that otherwise would be DELAYED
here. There is some plausibility in the ar
sameni, though il IS not our intention now
to discuss the question, merely remarhne
tia, in our opinion, the advantages would
far supercede the Disadvantages Of such an
improvement
The Keokuk Dispatch says" keokok
and Davenport or Rock Island ale the only
Two points on the Mississippi, 5 outh Of ST.
Paul, where any other than a suspension
bridge can be built, and Of these tro points,
heoEus has the decided advantage"
In prof OF the remark quoted, We suppose, n
previous number of the same paper gave
The following statement Of Guy Wells, Civ
Il Engineer
.The width of the Mississippi river, from The
base Of the rocky bluff, near the easieTly corner
Of the city of Keosuk, is as follows: From the
/ -. II Il Ft},a Is}aui cll1l fact
from the west side ofthe island 10 The main shore
or LEFT bank of The river, e000ieet; from the leii
bank OF the river to the base Of the bluff on the
cas-, side Of the river, $50 feet making the whole
distance. from bluff to bluff, one mile and 410l
feet
Pretty considerable OF bridge, especial
IL when con,rasted with that Of Davenport,
onIs l4O0it. ia length; bu, we only give
The foregoing to show to what extremes
men sometimes will permit their ideas ,oI
carry them.
4 bill has been introduced into the lll-
nois Legislature, we perceive. to lncorpo-
rate a company to construct bridge across
The Mississippi at Burlington. That, a
the Harkeye remarks. would be ''gigan
tic undertaking." The ferry at Burlington
has TO run tico miles to cross the river, such
is the quagmire nature OF the soil opposite.
4 place could scarcely be selected os the
Mississippi more unfavorable for such a
project, unless it be al Dubuque, which 81
also urged by our cotemporarles as site
for bridge.
To turn from these ysgafies to something
more substantial; The bill! we mentioned in
our last as being before the Illinois Legs
lature, to charter company to bridge the
Mississippi river at Rock Island, after con
siterabIe discussion passed that body by al
vote ofayes AZ, nays %. |, is not anticl-
pated however, that this work will be done
within the year, though the certainty Of lis
execution is guaranteed and the speed with
which i, will be accomplished accelerated
By the passage of The above bill.