The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-02-09
From the Chicago Dem. Press.
CHICAGO AND B, ISLAND RAILROAD.


the West, than the Chicago and Rock Island
Railroad. Its progress seems more like the
wonders Of magic, than plain ma,ter-oi-fact
reality. 1t was commenced on the 10th OF
April, 1852, and opened to Toilet, 40 miles,
on the 18th Of October, in the same year; to
Morris, 6 miles, Jan. 9th, 1853; to Ottowa,
SO miles! Feb. l4th;t to La Sale, 90 miles,
March 10th; to Peru, 50 miles, March 2lst;
Tiskiiwa, l22 miles, Sept. 18th; Sheffield,
1876 miles, Oct. 10Th; Ganesco, 1873 miles,
Dec. 18th; all during the last year. The
road would have been completed to Rock
Island on Wednesday OF this week, could
the contractors have got their locomotives
past the city OF Erie when they arrived there,
several weeks since. The want of engines
10 run construction trains has greatly imped-
I'd operations; but the road Will be finish
cd, il no uniow ard circumstances intervene.
on or before the twenty-second of Feb,
only three weeks from tomorrow. The
total distance to Rock Island is lSl miles
This VIII be the first continuous line Of
railroad to reach the Mississippi from Lake
Michigan The city 0 Alton was reached
about the first of October last; but three diff
ferent rouds had to be passed over in order
that the iron hose M ght renew his strength
from the great artery of tn western CONT
ncnt. Think OF this, We ancient worthless
who some .fitea years ago, would have re-
guir ID as many years to build the same mum
Der Of miles Of railroad One hundred miles
of the line was built, stocked, and in running
order in less than Il year; and the whole dis
lance to the Mississippi, l8l miles, will be
finished and the read will be IN operation. in
trentyt,co anil htlf months, This simple
statement speaks volumes for the inteiii-
gence, energy and business capacity Of the
contractors, Messrs. SHEfFiELD & FAENAM.
Ii is che oil the pfoudest monuments they
could possibly have to their memory; and ii
win confer blessings innumerablc upon the
people o! this city and those whose fertile
fields lie along the line Of the road for all
time 10 come We almost envy them the sat
islaction which the accomplishment of so
great work in 50 short period must afford
them.
Tie location Of the road is peculiarly ia.
yorable for business. For the first hundred
miles i follows down the valley Of the Iii
nois and It's tributaries through the flourish
inc towns and cities Of Joliet, Morris and OF
tawa, drawing the trade OF a rich and very
fertile region. Al LaSalc It is at the head
Of ordinary steamboat navigation on the Hi
nois, and OF course will always secure large
and lucrative trade from that artery of com
lnerce From Peru to Rock Island il crosses
the Military Tract, Of whose agricultural Ca
pacitics we gave cur views when speaking Of
the Aurora railroad. 4 section richer in al
the elements Of wealth aud prosperity can
not lie found anywhere upon the Western
continent Added to this, it crosses an ina
mensc coal field, and viii furnish TO our city
without stint an abundant supply of the best
OF fuel. w might here speak of the ImpoT-
tancc ofthis fact in reference to the iron aud
other manufactures. that will be established
here as soon rs the Saut Ste Marie Canal
is opened. and we have direct steamboat
connection with the iron and copper mines
Of Lake Superior; bat il does not fall within
the proper design OF This article.
The receipts OF the road are already very
satisfactory In October last they amount
"a To Sj7 .u1I.77: and they wau'd have aver
AIRED more than $50 600 through the wintc.
had the contractors been able to procure To-
motives and cars fast enough to do the hu-
s,ncss The contractors now have MI the
revenues ur the road; hut ihcy are To deliver
il over u the Company On the 10th OF July
ncXt--onc year and a half before The time
specified in the contract. On the first OF
May there viii BE- three passenger and
rwo freight ,raiGs leaving the city every
day.
The western cxtensio: oft!,isroad in Iowa
is called the
Mississippi and Eissouri Railroad
Ii is proper here t. speak Of the bridge
which is to connect this road with the Rock
Island railroad. II is to be one Of the finest
structures in the country We believe 1t Is
owned equally by these companies. Rock
Island tor /; time was thought to be tie only
place where the is.is,irpi could be bri'ged:
hut il is NOW claimed that it can be done at
Fulton City. Savanna, or any other place
where the wants Of commerce require it
Such OF course ouId be the opinion OF any
one who hid witnessed the wonderful
triumphs of modern engineering. 1t can
not be doubted, however, that variety OF
circumstances eonsnre to render Rock
Island one OF the .most favorable locations
for bridge between ~. Paul ard 81.
Louis.
The bridge il under contract. and Is to be
comp ctet by the first Of December next
The eastern end Of it over the slough, be.
tween the main shore ard the island, has
three spans OF 100 1t. each in the clear.
Fha total length OF this part OF It IS 4Ii feet.
The foundation of one of the piers. is already
in, and this part Of the work will be finished
bv the first Of June. The main stream west
OF the island is crossed by five spans, each
go feet in the clear, and the total length OF
this part If the bridge is 1892 teet making
in ali oo56 feet. The draw is to turn upon
the central pier, and is always TO stand open,
free for the passage OF boats on each side oil
the pier, except when train is passing.
~, trains on each side of the river are to
come to full stop and to remain till sig
nal is given that the bridge is ready. Of
course the draw, o if y.n please, "turn
table," will not be closed if there is steam
cr near at hand likely TO pass up or down
the river. 1t is to be twentv-onc feet above
high water mark, and will be Il substantial
aud elegant structure. The bridge is to be
built with Howe's truss, with the addition OF
arch beams, J. Warner & Co. have The
contract for the stone work. and Messrs.
stowe & Boomer that for the superstructure.
The total cost of both divisions OF the bridge
will be S250,000.
The Mississippi and Missouri railroad has
three divisions; amounting in fact to three
distinct roads The first division extends
from Davenport, opp site Rock Island, one
of Tho most he,utif,i n nd enter0riSin6 towns