The Ottawa free trader., 1872-04-06
ST. Louis Ferries and Bridge

| II. Besides
these there Others Tor railway cars.
In ordinary stage OF water the levee from
the margin of the river to the first buildings is
four or five hundred feet in width and rises
about twenty or thirty feet. Down and up these
paved banks 90 the heavy loads of merchandise,
aroves o! mules, Texas cattle, hogs, sheep, and
foot passengers as we'll. 1t may be wet and slip
| perry, or muddy, or deep with dust, you must 20
through it. AT the best of seasons the crossing
is an annoyance. Levees and ferries are filthy
in the extreme. Foot Passengers take the upper
deck OF the steamers, but the stairs at the wharf
boat, in Ill probability, have never been cleaned
! except by rainfall. Going down and going up
and off you play the arttul dodger with teams
and stock, unless you 90 in the railroad omni-
ousses. These are nearly twice the length of All
ordinary bus, and have four horses
Very few citizens carriages are seen Oh the
ferries. But there monster wagons with
great horses, coal carts with four inch tire and
tour mules, each span driven with a single line
held In the hand OF the driver, who is usually il
his saddle on the near hind mule. His load is
and seventy bushels OF coal. The wagoner's
whip, thwaok, crack, sack, thwack, is most
neroilsssly piled, aud almost constantly resound.
ing III blows. The tolls for ferriage approach
SoOo,OCO or S1,OO0,000 year.
There are times in extreme cold when the
river freezes and channels are cut, or loose ice
30 hiis the stream that crossing for a season is
difficult. At such times, AS once during the last
winter, freight is piled up, or delayed on the
side tracks, in cars, for distance of fifty miles
along the roads. Such seasons are not usual.
In an ordinary winter steamers come and 90
from the south to st. Louis. 1t is this state of
things that makes the break up in the river
above time of peril Grea, foes of ice come
on the swift current with force which is the
product OF the bulk and rate Of progress. A
shoreward tendency sweeps the steamers along
with them or sinks them in an instant by the
steamers, both loaded and both in the Red River
trade, were cut through and sunk and totally
ruised. One named r. J. Lock wood was the
third steamer Of that name that has touud "a
watery grave These fine boats, nearly
new, carrying about 800 or 500 tons burden
The John Kyle, an elegant passenger steamer,
was cut through and sunk some miles below
She carried when loaded 1000 tons. and wa
valued az 100000. This steamer was raised
again. 1t was not 30 with the Coluinbi. which
sunk .t E,s. ST. Louis The l.rs.., Of the
steamers IL the N-w Orleans trade at present is
~
:. Capacity oi GEO tons freight \ lar.e aneuut
oi property is in peril when these boats .re e1-
posed to ice.
To return to :he ferries. IN leG. tie freight
on three roads only terminating At Est S.,
LOUIS was 1867 ,4lO tons. Tbs total number Of
cattle crossing that year Was q, ,90l Hogs ard
sheep, l1G, ,292.
St. Louis has doubled It's population regularly
every six and a hslf years for 81 years.
In 1866 Missouri had only 9:.5 miles Of rail.
way. In 1859 it had l.7la. In 1871 i. had C, III.
ple,ed and in operation 9, ,50 miles. This index
of growth shows how greatly the needs OF com
merce require the oom mpletion OF the great
bridge.
In my last letter l spoke of the foundation as
laid. II il nearly ready for the iron and steel
superstructure. There are two central pier.
The span OF the longest is ol5 feet, The other
two a little shorter. There spans comprise
four arches, each having an upper and lower
member extending from pier to pier. Each
member will consist Of two parallel steel tubes
nine inches in exterior diameter, placed side by
side. The strength Of the bridge is supposed to
be equal to all the weight Of living men thai,
could stand on its width OF fifty feet and con.
tinuous line OF locomotives beneath and yet
when thus taxed, would not equal tive.sixths of
the whole strain tbs steel is capable of.
The cost will be above $5O00,0O0 What a
grand thing TO stand, il one may next year, on
the structure complete, and look up and down
this mighty river, and take thought Of all the
shore these waters touch and lave, for thou.
sand leagues, and picture to ones self the future
that shall look down on these works, when Mis-.
souri, shall have the population to the square
mile which Massachusetts, has now.
viii the good ship of state hold hex way
then? viii the area around be Elysien, under
the scepter of one Lord, or a Pandemoaum !:
Will the tendencies of men be to the upper skies
or to the abyss? NJ X. w.
The La Sale Press is out this week for d. L.