The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-07-24
50 90 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE.
one, except at the Loupefork crossing, at sll
seasons Of tho year.

one, except at the Loupefork crossing, at 81
seasons of tho year.
This river, Loup fork, like nil the shallow
streams in this part of the country, has ,
light, miry, shifting, sandy bed, which, dur
ing high water especially, is constantly chan
ging, so that where it is fordable one day i
is impossible the next, or where it is most
practicable to cross it with ferry boat, on,
day, the boat grounds the next, in the mid
die of the stream compelling the discharge
of loads into wagons, brought there acros.
channels from the opposite shore, as shift
ing and difficult as those first crossed. And
as it is impracticable for wagons or team,
to stand still, even short time, anywhere
in the river, without miring in the quick.
sands, the difficulties and labors and losses,
by emigrants, are very great, and can only
be effectually obviated by the erection of a
permanent bridge.
The river averages in width, for twenty
miles above its mouth, which embraces its
principal crossing, about one thousand feet,
with depth ranging from six inches to six
and eight feet. 1t is filled with innumera-
bic islands and bars, which are being con-
stantly formed and washed away; and there
is no point known at which ferry boat can
be crossed continuously from shore to shore.
The banks are light allusial soil, washing at
many points, but no indications of extensive
overtlows arc anywhere seen on it bottoms.
There is but very limited amount Of drift
cast upon its islands, and it is not probable
that any heavy drift is brought down by it
at any time.
1t is believed, from the experience gained
in driving the piles for the pier of the Elk
horn river bridge, which, like the Loup fork
near its mouth, is in the Platte river bottom,
and from the analogous character of the
beds of the two streams, although the for
mer is of much the least size, that piles would
necessarily form the foundation for tho piers
of any permanent bridge crossing the Loup
fork, and that if driven twenty-five or thirty
feet, they would afford firm, unyieldng
support for a bridge over it. Cotton wood
timber for the piles exists in great abund-
ance near the crossing; but the timber for
the superstructure must be transported by
land from the Missouri rivera distance Of
eighty miles-making it, unavoidably, a very
expensive bridge; but it is believed that its
importance will warrant the heavy expepdi-
ture in the preservation of the health and
lives of the cmigrants who annually cross
the river, and are now exposed for days to-
Aa thS SlAS ASauIS al VI OSSiiI5 tuCjE IttuIS
and property-an exposure which seems to
have been often followed by dysentery, chol-
era, and fevers, and has doubtless been one
great cause of the multitudes of deaths which
have so often occurred among emigrants in
the pure air Of these elevated plains.
The distance from the Missouri river to
Fort Kearney by this road, when completed,
will be one hundred and eighty miles, which
is much less than by any other route.
l estimate the cost of material delivered,
and of the erection of bridge over Loup
fork, on the line of this road, at eighty-five
dollars per running foot, or $s5 700 90 for
the whole bridge.
Estimate Of the cost Of additional ,rork re-
quired TO make the road passable all sea-
sons Of the year.
For bridging small streams, corduroy cross
ings, land culverts, and for ditching sloughs
and for embankments, and for side-cut-
ting and improving grades, $4,000
For bridging Loup fork, $1,000
Total, - $4,000
Probable balance on hand, say 1900
Additional amount required, $lOs,OO0
l am, sir, most respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
i. G. BECkWlTH,
Captain Third artillery.