Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-20
Rock Island.


and Commerce Of st. Louis. made by the
Secretary Of the Chamber of Commerce to
that body we obtain the following history of
the celebrated Rock Island Bridge. and the
proceedings had in relation thereto. In view
of the building of certain bridges across the
Cumberland river. the Mercantile interests Of
this city will doubtless watch the result of
the Rock Island bridge controversy with in
terest:
The Chicago and Rock Island Railroad was
the frat enter$,rse Of the kind completed
from Chicago to the Mississippi: and It was
also the frat Railroad in the United States
built by snecnlatOrs and contractors. BY it a
new era in railrOading initiated. under
! which roads were to he built, not because the
people needed them and were willing to take
the stock, but thai contractors might make
their fortunes in the construction. The par
rios who were the main men in the Rock
Island road then projected a connecting road
from Davenport westward: thew became the
principal stockholders. and took the entire
| contract for huilding tho road to the Missouri
river To make all things smooth, they must
needs have n bridge across the Mississippi
! river and the same men appear as the cor
pnrators and builders Of that structure. As
their charter contained aclause that the same
''should he constructed in snch manner as
not materially to Obstruct or Interfere with
the free navigation of the river" but little
attention was paid to the matter: every one
! sunpOsng they would Of course comply with
all the provisions of their charter But in
choosing a site. they located their lire across
the island Of Rock Island, at that time held
by the General Government as a military re-
| serVation.
Some gentlemen of ST. Lous. rightly fore
| seeing what trouble wOnld in future be caused
| bv bridges across this river. sent one of their
number to Washington, and he procured an
order from the Secretary at War, fOrbidding
| any work on the island and caused suit to
! be instituted at Chicago to prevent the cree
ton of the proposed bridge. But because
| the Secretary was a Southern man. great
| cry was raised that the whole proceeding
arose from spirit of Southern jealousy, and
| the Company continued their work. The
suit was tried before Judge Mclean. and the
| main point contested was, the right Of the
| Company to cross a small island-the impOr-
| tant question of the effect upon the naviga-
| ton of the greatest river in the world being
| evidently regarded as Il mere collateral mat
| ter. The case is reported in the sixth volume
| of Mclean Reports. page 517 The Judge
declined 10 grant the injunction. because the
| testimony upon the question of the Obstruc-
ton was very contradictory. and nearly Of
equal wei ght; and he thought it best to let
the Company 90 on and build, leaving nav-
gators their remedy by actions at law for
damages a they might occur. The result
has proved that the captains and pilots who
testified that the bridge would be n great oh
structi0n were right; for within few days
after the opening of navigation--the first
spring after the bridge was cOmpleted-thir-
teen steamboats, were detaine thered at one
time, none If them being able 20 pass the
FIl
the current--the Fife Aft0n-was wrecked,
and swinging round. caught fire, and burned
of one Of the spans. Immediately all the
detained boats passed through the burnt
space without difficulty. and they continued
to us" that passage until prevented by the
reminding of the obstruction. The suit for
the value of the Alton was tried at Chicago,
in Septcmh,r +. 1851, before Judge Mclean.
The Court would not permit the right of
chulleng' for cause, and the only four per-
cmptory challenges allowed the Plaintiff had
been exhausted.
Under these circumstances. the plaintiff
was fortunate to get off by having the jury
disagree. His case is now in progress in Bur-
lngton. Iowa, where he will have more sa-
tsfactory rchcaring. The injury to the COM
marce Of the river had become 80 serious. that
in December. 1856, this Chamber appointed a
Committee to institute pr 1ceedings to have
have raised th" necessary means To carry their
suit to termination. In the winter of 1873,
one of the piers of the bridge began to show
signs of falling. and the Company prepared
very large quantity of materials % strengthen
or rebuild il. This Committee at once insti-
tuted preliminary suit in Iowa, and all re-
pairs to the broken pier have been prevented.
Daring the summer il moved about eighteen
inches and the draw of the bridge had to be
cut of fully two feet as the pier yielded and
the truss pushed over. There is every proba-
biity that part of the bridge will fall when
the ice comes down in the spring.
The evidence taken in this preliminary snit
shows that the injury to the commerce of the
river. including lumber. caused hy this bridge
is fully halt million dollars each year. One
witness testified that the damages he hal seen
would amount to between 500, 600 and $780,
900, and several Others that the loss and de
tcntion nj the bridg" for the three years il has
been standing. amount to more than those ON
both the Rapids for twenty years. Testimony
is now being taken for the final hearing, which
is set down for May next, and those who have
the best means Of Judging are quite confident
that every stick and stone of this great oh
struction viii be removed by due course OF
law"