Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-03-09

1 - ..sp~.ah
80 seSa 81 Ne
~. ~. BurliBston nswksye.l
r. 1. little over one year s'nes tne wos.
~as commenced upon tue ssss sous"sus
soundat,on for the brioge now neaaiy com
pIeted across the Mississippi river ~ TINS
,r,,sre. Hardly had the first pile been driv
81 when the water began 10 rise-and In
week everything was overflowed tho rise
being unprecedented in rapidity and extent.
The whole bot ON land was under water,
and work hal to be suspended. The water
remained up from about week at the iast
Of March, until the middle Of August. rsach-
ing its Highest point on the "a OF July,
when il was only five feet below the grea,
hicb water OF 1851. Little or nothing could
be done during those six long months. upon
the actual bridge. Towards the last Of Ju-
IL the work Of driving foundations in the |
river was commenced, but Il was only from |
| the middle Of August that work could be
bone TO an advantage.
The west abutment-which is upon the
solid rock-was built in June and July. be-
ing upon the land, far above ordinary VA
ter. The east abutment Was started on The
22d Of August The masonry in the river
was started on the 9Th day Of SsptenbeS,
and since that time tas been driven with
such speed that today (Marcb Say. has seen
the last stone 10 ito place. The magnitude
OF this work will be seen when it is known
hat 1900 cubic yards Of stone have been
laid aud that the last $500 yards have
besa laid in twenty ak working days. The
; draw pier alone contains about 700 cubic
yards, Is 40 feet in diamatsr at the bottom.
and "a ct the top, and over 40 feet high.
The other piers are BY 20 ct the top,
and about l6 BY IS at the bottom; except
: those upon each side Of the draw, which
are two feet thicker, and each Gu by 20 q
= the bottom. The last are As feet high, BE-
a ing in the channel and deepest water.
:. The foundation Of the draw pics-and
:. the description OF that, 10 the description
q Of all,-is Of 1888 piles driven into the sand
c on an average, ~ feet, ard sawed of at tn
r bottom If the river, ~ feet below low water
a the sand was then removed eight feet deep
: CT from among and around the piles, an
y ID place filled with rip rep, or large broke
r. stens. The masonry Vas laid 10 iarg
hs cassion, built AZ feet square and 81 soil
:. timber, with . double bettsmof the sam
:, This contained over 10O, 900 feet Of timber
pc @ the masonry Was laid the caieson VET
1t, doun. TN IL reached it, 1nal resting plec'
q This 10 90 built that the sides are easily r
4. moved and the bottom left. Trucks wei
:. built out from the cast shore and the ston
VI and other material used thereby run to u
-, place. Three locomotives and twenty Nv
be oars have been constantly In this service
,en and for the last month 20. 10 % cars {
81. stone have been used per day. The sson
".s came mostly from the Athens quasriss, nes
nst Chicago ANAL portion coming from Jol
air ct, and about one quarter from LsCiais
n. n H., Ill sanln
-, aud reloaded ~ wanted upon the wofl
-" The Masonry is first- GLASS, and On honor
its builder.
,nc Over 5000 piles have been used 10 u
he foundations and temporary work, Of length
- ranging from 25 to 60 feet, aud about ,0O0
W. 600 feet Of pine timber. This last 10 nov
sps much of it, in the temporary work, but vi
igh 60 into the protection Of the draw pie
+. which will extend about 900 feet above 40
49, below from the center pier. The elmbs
- has all been brought from Chicago, haviu
'ds come originally frsm the Michigan an
aid Green BAY pineriss. The piles have com
,se from Michigan. Indiana and Southern III
:. nois. Strong iee-breakers are now in pr
cess Of construction about the piers 30 .
tho ranged that the ice shall rise upon the
sill and break, without any shock 10 the maso
n Of ry.
The superstructuec is now rapidly beiI
put on-two spans now being up and Il
IN third VOL under way. This is built by q
led Detroit Bridge and Iron Works Of Detroi
osc whose name is . guarantee to the quality
a.. the structure.
All the spans, East Of the draw, six
number, are go fact in length The ORA
is 3G2 feet from center to center OF Vi,
piers, and west of that is n span of 900 fe
hen and one of l75 feet-making the who
Ton ength Of the bridge ,, 2S7 feet.
This work has been done really in abo'
). seven months-as ID WAY not until Augu
mr. of last year that it was fairly under Va.
an Great credit 10 due those who have had Il
in work in charge-for the speed Of its exec
lie ton aud quality Of the work done. RI
whole has boon under the general dirsctic
Of tho able Chief Engineer Of the G. b.
ity Y. r. r., Max Hior,sberg Of Chicago.
In q. Ii. Hudson, the Resident EngiUee
the has devoted his timo and energies 70 Il
uld work. David Martin, also an old {. B.
net q. employee, who has had immediate char
ose of the wood work and foundations, h
proved himself master Of the position.
low | X. Coulter, contractor for the masonry h
sar done what all his friends knew he would
viz: Built the masonry in time and ma
ae nsr unprecedented in the annals of Bird
u'd building in this country.
A Fashionable Bridal Oaant.
.lanniA lima writCl tho Cincinn