The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-04-04
For the MINES otian.
The St. Paul Bridge.

| The result of the proceedings instituted by
our City Council, against the ST. Paul Bridge
Company, is the denial by Judge Shcrburne
OF the motion for an Injunction on the ground
that the proposed structure is not such an
obstruction to navigation as to justify the
interference of the Court
The complaint presented by the City, al
leges principally that the proposed structure
will obstruct the navigation of steamboats,
and RATS by not leaving sufficient width te-
tween the piers to permit at all times their
safe and uninterrupted passage; and that the
current will be SO affected as to cause the
formation of d ngerous sand bars apd espc-
cially the increase of the bar supposed to be
now forming in front Of the lower landing.
The evidence adduced on the rur's OF tie
Bridge Company. show satisfactorily that the
proposed structure provides channel of
navigation of nearly twice the width of the
draw of the bridge at Rock Island, or of any
Of the bridges at Galena or Chicago, that IN
the opinion of experienced steamboat Cap
tains, the passage of the bridge will be less
difficult than the passage of many places
naturally existing in the river, and is amply
sufficient. Indeed it seems evident enough
to any one that steamboat not sixty feet in
W
narrow channel of the Upper Mississippi
might easily enough pass in 4 straight chan
mel through an opening of 220 feet. 1t APP
pears also that the RATS run above Lake Pc
pin are never made more than &c feet wide,
the nature of the channel not admitting a
greater width; the RATS that are run below
Lake Pepin, have Oftena width of $50 feet,
and have to pass the Rock Island Bridge
which allows for them a space of but 50 feet
wider than is provided by the proposed bridge
at st. Paul, while the rapidity of the cur
rent and the oblique direction of the piers
sufficiently account for any difficulty expe-
rienced in the passage.
The channel for steamboats, through tie
Rock Island bridge does not exceed twice the
width of the largest boats, while that Of the
St. Paul bridge allows them a space of q
times their width. And RATS have to pass
at Rock Island through channel of one and
one-half their own breadth, while at St Paul
they will have one of q times their own
width. AS to the obstruction by deposits
Of sand to be caused by the bridge, it is
enough to say that in the opinion Of the
Company's Engineer, the effect of the piers
will only be to deepen the channel in their
vicinity, and that the principal channel be-
low the bridge extending nearly to the low
er landing is too narrow and too much con-
fined to afford any space for forming sand
bars, or to allow any charge in the direction
of the current, which is parallel with the
shores.
No arguments, nor even judicial decision
can be expected to remove the pre- JUDGES and
opposition of those interested persons who
have from its commencement been dissati$-
fed with the location and plans which have
been adopted for the St. Paul bridge. and
who would no doubt be dissatisfied with any
location or plans not arranged specially for
their own benefit; but it must be evident
that no farther difficulty or delay is to be
feared from any such opposition.
1t will not be mistimed here to remind the
citizens and property holders in this town of
the great importance of this enterprise de-
signed to bring in closer conneXion with st.
Paul one OF the richest and most thickly set
tied portions Of our Territory. The incon-
vcnience and delay always found in cross
ing the Mississippi, probably in the summer
equivalent to ten miles of Intervening dis
tancc, and for a long time in spring and fall,
amounting to an insuperable barrier, have
heretofore diverted most of the trade of the
country west of the Mississippi which would
naturally find its outlet to St. Paul, to other
points less favorable but more accessible.
1t is the design Of the company to push
their work with the utmost vigor and to
complete them within year from the pres
ent time. a contract for the foundations
and masonry of the piers for the bridge has
been entered into with Messrs James and
John Napier, gentlemen of great experience
in this sort of work, and Of u"doubted char
acter and responsibility, who are now ma
king extensive preparation for its prosccu-
ton in the most efficient manner 1t is i'm
portant that no time be lost in providing for
the remaining part of the work, which has
been heretofore postponed in consequence of
the unwillingness of the directors of the
Bridge Company to incur obligations beyond
the amount of the stock already subscribed
for. The example of the bridge at st. An
thony, seems to be a sufficient warrant of
the future char acter as an investment of the
stock of this Company, and in view Of the
great Importance of the project to our City,
it is hoped it will not be suffered to flag for
want Of means. \.