Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-08-23
How the Soldiers Build Bridges.
An Interesting Incident OF the Yellow
stone Expedition.

An Interesting Incident OF the Yellow
stone Expedition.
The Northwestern Expedition under
Gen. Stanley has met with no little
trouble. A correspondent tells how
they crossed a swollen stream with no
bridge and no pontoon. How to cross
it, was the question. There were two
propositions. One was to construct a
rope-line elevated railway, with an
aerial car to be pulled back and forth
by hand. Another proposition made by
Lieut.. p. H. Ray, of the Sth U. S. in
fantry, was to extemporize a boat All
that he asked was a wagon bed, some
rope, and a tarpaulin. The railroad
finally gave way to the boat line. There
was danger in hauling car back and
forth, that its center of gravity might
not receive due respect, in which case
we should rob our horses to feed the
stream. On the other hand there was
much distrust in the boat. Prophetic
ally it sprung a leak several times be-
fore it was launched. alphabetically,
it was so laden with contingencies that
there was no need of launching it at all.
But Lieut.. Ray said, l shall show my
faith by my works. Gen. Stanley an
Swered Yea. A wagon body was dis
mounted. 1t was wrapped on its bottom
and sides in heavy "paulin " which
was firmly Secured by ropes. 1t was
the work of a few minutes to make il
and launch it. The heavy canvas effec-
tually kept out water. 1t was safely
navigated to the other side. General
Stanley and Lieutenant Ray were
among the first to cross the rapid
stream. A number of men, stationed
on each side, easily pulled the boat
across, receiving no little aid from the
current. On this little craft we coulG
safely put 1000 pounds of forage. il
solved one element in the problem. II
five or six hours we had ferried enough
stores and forage to supply the company
of cavalry and two companies of infan
try that formed the surveyors escort.
The next question was, how should
we get over our heavy train and teams
On Sunday afternoon, while we were
crossing our forage, the stream showed
a decided tendency to fall. It's leve
was quoted at various stages during thu
day, but toward night our stake showed
a decrease of three or four inches. I
is characteristic of these streams tina
they rise and fall very rapidly. If th,
rise is rapid, the fall that succeeds i
most likely to be so too. As the STREAM
was decreasing, it was hoped that b,
morning it would be sufficiently Low
and narrow to permit building with tn
short timber that grew along its banks
The hope was delusive, the expectation
vain. Instead of going down, tn
stream, refreshed by some remote trib
utary, went up to its original height
When Monday morning came, we wer
just as far from the other side as tn
day before.
Gen. Stanley was determined to wal
no longer. Lieut. Ray once more solveC
the problem. He offered to built
bridge and cross the command. Blu
how could he build bridge withou
timber, pontoons, or lumber? We hav
in this expedition over 100 water kegs
Nearly all of them are reformed whisk
kegs.
Ninety six empty kegs were accord
ing y ordered to report at the stream
-Four wagon beds were dismembered O
their covers and wheels. Twenty-Five O
thirty men were then set to work to bum
plug and the kegs. Only those thorough
ly coopered were accepted; the dry an,
unserviceable ones were rejected an
their places supplied by others. Fac
of the wagon-beds just held twenty-fou
kegs placed on their ends side by sid
in three rows. Some timber was, mean
while, cut into poles, and one pol
placed lengthwise over each row of keg
to keep them in place. Ropes an
chains were passed over the poles an
completely around the wagon beds, S
that the booms and kegs were frml
secured. The wagon-bodies were the
dragged down the bank and launche
in the water bottom side up-that il
with the kegs down. Each wagon be
was then floating upside down, uphel
by twentyfour air tight kegs. Thes
extemporized floats were then moore
lengthwise in the stream. The ne7
trouble was to lash them securely sid
by side. This was no easy matter; bl
, Mr.. Ray met it as he did every othc
difficulty in the construction with
ready brain and a ready hand. He ha
,, one man on the first float with him, wit
his coat off and sleeves rolled up, lashe
, them together with his own hands. I'll
shores were lined with officers and me
watching the experiment. Very lit
confidence was expressed in the stru
ture by the wagon master and teamster
3 I" I tell yer" said one, "this here thin
: amt goin' to work no how. Jest
E soon as one of them big wagins gifts {
S that bridge the old thing Il sink a
r wagins and mules will go down" Son
: of the less experienced officers conside
E ed the whole thing as foregone failur
S The bridge, like the boat, was born u,
: der cloud of doubt.
7 By means of some wagon reaches oil
/ plenty of picket rope, the floats we
D. finally fastened together. If we had HI
: some plank now to place across the i
r verified wagon beds, one bridge won
a have been completed. If we had on
= brought one plank to each wagon in O
e train we should have had ten times
g much as we could use. But we had n
a single available plank on board. Y
were compelled to fall back on our ext
wagon tongues and reaches. The
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