The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-07-27
The Davenport Bridge

The Davenport Bridge.
! Our cnvions cotemporaries. from st. Loui.
to Dubuque inclusive, seem to have almos,
done gassing about the great obstruction te
steamboat navigation that the bridge across
the Mississippi at Davenport is to prove
1t is only occasionally that they now have
anything to say upon the subject; not tina,
it has lost its zest, but because they seem
to have exhausted their ammunition.
The Dubuque Herald in a recent number,
has an article on the subject conflicting
with premises adopted on former occa-
sion which, as remarked at the tine, were
liberal and sensible. In this article the
Herald says, "For our part we can see no
valid objection to the erection Of bridge
across the Mississippi at any point, provided
that it does not obstruct navigation" Very
well, let us see in what way the bridge
now being erected here is an obstruction
1t will span the Mississippi on the Rapids
whe re the current is compressed to a mar
row space, so that boats 10 strike the piers
on either side would first have to surmount
rocks which old Nature has had fixed as i'm
pediments to navigation for centuries, and
Of which the proposed improvement of the
Rapids does not contemplate the removal.
Simply a skeleton Railroad bridge, the
draw will always be up save when the cars
are actually crossing, which never can oc-
cur when steamboat is passing, save by
the grossest negligence. For the reasons
thus concisely given, we argue that this
bridge viii prove no obstruction to the nav
iga,on of the river.
Our cotemporaries have bsen publish
ing with great apparent gns,o an article
stating that an injunction had been issued
by the Supreme Court against the re-erec-
tion OF the Wheeling bridge, arguing from
that circumstance that similar course will
BIZ pursued towards the bridge at Daven-
port. Well again, how has that Injunction
been heeded Not at all. Charles Ellet,
the engineer of the Wheeling bridge, has a
card in the Fatel'igncsr, noticing Judge
Grier's injunction commanding him to alb
stain from putting any wire, timber, bridge,
or anything whatever across the Ohio river
at u less elevation than that provided for in
the decree of the Supreme Court entered in
May, 1852, in which Mr. Ellet very coolly
saws, that il he is not actually obstructed BY
tho Court .ihe repairs of the Wheeling
bridge will be so far advanced that the
structure will be again opened to general
travel and the transit Of the U. s. mail in
ttro ucels from his date."
We cannot say that the engineer of the
bridge across the Mississippi at Davenport
will proceed with the work in the face of
sueh powerful opposition. but we do assert
that the immense cubes of store which.
with the aid of machinery they are now put
ting in their places in the solid piers being
constructed Il, this point, has the appear
auce, at least, of substantial bllity and OF
little fear Of the work not proceeding to
completion. Men Of enterprise sufficient
to undertake such Il contract as building q
bridge across the mighty Father of W aters,
require something more than an injunction
to ntmida,c them after having progressed
so far with the work and expended SO much
means in its prosecution.