, 1865-01-12
hN IMPORTANT RAILWAY LINK
THE MISSISSIPPI AGAIN
SPAWNED.
The Chicago and Northwest
ern Railway--Its Event
full Year.
CGNsGLiDATlONOf CID LINES
Its field AND ITS RElk-
TioKS TO CHICAGO,

CGNS0LiDATlON0 Of OLD LINES
Its FIELD AND ITS RElA-
TieKS 70 CHICAGO.
The opening Of a completed railway link,
or even new line Of road, has been of itself
no novelty in Chicago for the past ten years.
which has given us our RAILWAY system, radi.
ating TO all parts of The great region, whereof
our city is the metropolis. One afler another
they have taken their place In the guide
books, md passed into the permanent rela-
tions they hold to the material growth and
Development Of the respective sections OF
country they open to trade. With all Of them
results have proven the sagaelty Of the
founders Of the enterprise which so liberally
associates tho locomotive and the flying
train, with progress in the Northwest. Nor
Is 1t indeed fact without precedent, as we
arc happy to believe 1t will not be the last In
the succession, the opening of a railroad
bridge ncross the Mississippi. Was the loco
motive 10 come to the brink Of tho Father of
Waters and then be turned back, and the
traffic he has made his, to wet Its feet In the
stream md pay perpetual tribute to
the river godss This could NOT be al-
lowed, even though the river deitles
took the shape of men mndc rich by the
steamboat trade and determined to resist the
innovation Of even bridge shadow resting
across the path Of their craft. The Rock L.
land Railroad bridge, which, under circum-
stances often perilous, and never at rest, has
held fast to either bank Of the river, has
now sister structure Of The rni11oad family
in the Clinton Bridge, opened at Clinton,
Iowa, connecting the Illinois and Iowa shores
at that point. Our dispatches have already
advised the reader ofthe cyent itself and the
appropriate and interesting ceremonies of
Monday last which crowned the OCCASION
Without further elaboration on the incidents
Of the occasion, other than to say that q par
ty Of nearly two hundred ladies aud gentle
men, from our city, were the we'll pleased
guests Of the officers Of the Chicago & North
western Railway Company, We pass ut once
to Two other permanent objects in view in
ills more elaborate notice.
The bridge itselfis notable structure, IN
achievement In civil engineering of no COM
Non order, and deserves such mention rs will
interest those for whom such enterprises
have attractions. The point chosen for tho
location, Us the map will show the reader, is
The shortest possible straight line to the ga
tier Of Waters" and WAS reached at It's ter
nlnus, Fulton, several years ago by the Dix
on Air Line road Of the Ga1ena i Chicago
Union, since adopted into the larger family,
whereof We arc soon to speak, The river at
this point spreads into IN expanse little oFer
thrce~quarters Of mile in width. the
main channel being pushed to the farther
or west side Of the bed Of tho river, by
broad, low, sandy island, and It's adjacent
shadows, known as Little Rock Island. ITO
The western verge Of this island the railroad
company, some time ago, pushed their track,
unopposed By the river men, that portion Of
the river bed so t1ayersed being Of slight avail
for purposes Of navigation. The structures
that form the Clinton bridge arc thus Of two
fold date. Seven wooden spans two hundred
feet in length, and graceful and substantial in
appearance, reaching with the pile work
length Of 22,773 feet, compose the earlier pr
ton Of the bridge. The channel beyond h-s
been crossed hitherto by the ycxatious and
inadequate medium Of ferry boat transport
ng three cars at once, and obviously subject
to great dctentions and annoyance, notwith-
standing Which, the business Of the route has
largely increased each year.
In the study Of d location sor the piers Of
1he single draw with which 1t was decided to
rPen anc ca1a....a{, sl,n most careful and hbori
GUS Investigations were fur mouths prosccn.
ted By the Company, to secure the yerr heat
possible re1ntions with the channel end rnr
rents Of the river. The experience u thc
best aud most reliable river pilots and cat,
tains Was compared and tested by every avail
nble means, and With such SUCCESS that the
most liiberal and unwilling representative Of
the river interest will find 1t no easy
matter not to strengthen the proof coveted
By the Company, by the immunity to hiscraft
IN passing this Clinton draw. AS soon as the
piers were above the water, the tendency aud
ject Of experiment to developeif possible any
thing pFejudicial In the location. Steamers
with their steam shut of and left to float at
~ul In the current passed safely through;
barges aud RATS Without q soul on board
ont even approaching the sides. The bridge
Is therefore in all respects pronounced sue
cess-a iact only to be deprecated aud denied
ny tnose VINO arc more aggrieved By its rela-
IONS M to ths currents Of trade than to those
ents and T %I s,s fsT H. further state
traek Is si1 feet above the highest
water mark ever reached By the Missj.sinpi.
ITS Appearance Is striking and handsome
10 the eye o. all who appreciate these tri-
nmPns n ele't ensi9eerlng The whole length
hundred and twenty-three feet. The dfaw Is
p,;1s p1 1W5onght e, M iron. Of the Bollman patent.
En1lt BY the Detroit Bridge and Iron NnrEs'
Ean11es sn ana Kellogg, superintendent, and COST
S.v,yv. ~. It's tniee hundred feet in length,
lusIlng on solid center pier, leaving when
open, one hundred and thirty feet in the clear
Oh each side. It is to be swung by means Of
steam engine on m upper platform between
'he towers, Which By means of the lifting !
power OF tMo hydraulic columns will slightly !
'aise tue ends Of the bridge by peculiaf and
excellent principle in its Construction. and Int at ;
the s:me lime turns 1t for the passage Of :
boats. The weight Of the draw is four hun-
cred tons. Its builder has several other
LIZ i. 11egss f1st n use On the line but
have erected. All who have seen it, and !
among these many experts, pronounce It onn
OF the finest achievements Of its class in the
country. The total cost Of the bridge struc-
tntc from shore to shore is nearly $iOo, 900.
Ia1e aes Son fo1t 5he ~ Railway Company hitherto
'he Mississippi River By ferry boats. Here
after 1t w1H cost no more than to run their
Il AIMS upon other portions Of the road ner
mile, except the triling expense OF watching
u t1as and 81 TURING tho draw Such WAS tie rs,
been found impossible, heretofore. to tsIe
across all fright offered at that point, here
after, no such difficulty will be exnerjancc5
bic. ~
Hereafter the cars will ut once Cross The
Hser, saving trans shipments and dctentions.
and henceforth.wiring the Father Of Waters
out q all account in The question OF commu-
ntcotlon west aud east, a circumstance that |
has actually no drawback, since it is reached
through careful demonstration That no 9TH
er infringement on the dignities and proprie-
~, tNs q ihe f1ver has been committed. It is
Ihs icatuie, 1hc new communication thus &c.
cured, which warrants the extended nntice NJ
this eyent. A''4es "
TO fully place Its importance before the
feadcf, we have called in the seryices
u our enE!avc1, and the map will save a
column OF description. It viii be seen that
snc link now supplied lies in the air line route,
which Will connect the nearest points Of The
Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers to Gil
e.fo, following very nearly the 4od parallel
Z latitude, aud destined to give us connec.
siun with the Platte Valley, tie hirhway of
c1,pirc westward. Already, for months emit
E' alton and shipment for the far western
Il laae, las been breaking bulk ut the termi-
nus Of this road, for transportation by cmi-
giant trains westward. Month by month this
i minus is being pushed toward the Mis-.
toEri- II is already nearing the Desmoinea
River, and ut no distant day the locomotive
will stand ready harnessed ut the mouth Of
he nast' ws xsa hs sa isss Of that manfaa iG
or which the weary followers Of the
= great trail'' along the Platte River
70 long yearned. Tho map shows the value
( ;ts present and prospective connection with
liz tladc Of Chicago. We have no room to
GLOW out all it's suggoations. But as surely
western Railway Company is seeking the
Missouri go sure Ia it that the iron 1orse will