Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-04
ST. LOUIS.
Visit bya Memphis Lady to the Great
Bridge-The GrandeSt Structure
of Modern Times.

From an Occasional Correspondent.l
ST. LOUIS, July %, 1871 did rathe
| think that Memphis could not be beat
that Court square and Main street al
most "got away" with Central park anC
Broadway. But that conceit has gone
out Of my head since / came here, for
have been fully month trying to ''do'
this village, and have not yet succeeded
But the great thing is the bridge acros:
the river. The first question l was asked
on my arrival was, "Have you seen the
bridge?" "NOI what bTidge?" was my
reply. "What bridget" in tones of ag-
grieved amaZement, "why, the railroad
bridge across the river, the bridge of all
bridges, the wonder of the age; never
was the like heard of before" ''Is it a
suspension bridge?" L ask. "Well, /
should say not. Suspension bridger
(sneer indescribable), but whether at my
ignorance or the suspension bridge is
hard TO tell; take it for granted it is
the latter, and let it pass. Feeling my
Importance, and knowing it would
give still more ecidt to " the
bridge" when it was known that I had
visited it, / went on a tour of
The first thing was to get a
permit from the chief-engineer, Captain
Eads. l had no fears about that; | was
sure be would feel honored by my visit,
and think he did, though he didn't ex-
actly say so. We went on TO Third
street, and from there down to the river
is a fright smart'' decline, so by the
time we reached Main, or First street, we
were on a level with the fourth story of
The houses, and felt myself considera-
bly, elevated, and much above common
mortals in the street below. We walked
along on top of the wonderful bridge,
where carriages are to cross, till we
we came to the river. There we went
lOWn a flight of stairs some thirty feet,
very steep, and with few nails protru-
ling, suppose for the purpose of catch
ng in the skirts of lady visitors, as tri- |
Il Of courage and temper. The steps are
IbOUt four inches wide, and it requires |
iOme skill to turn around and ''unhitchu |
he rutfies. We got down at last, one
night say right into the heart of the |
ridge, where the cars will run: and /
here you are surrounded by solid ma
Onry, grand and massive. Looking |
iOwn the dim vista till it is lost to sight |
IS it enters the tunnel at Fourth Street,
-Ou might almost imagine yourself in |
he aisle of some vast old cathedral,
i'm and solemn, with nothing but
stone-archeS on every side. /
vas getting romantic, when my friend
my sleeve, bringing me at
nee TO a sense of my surroundings. Ifl
here is anything 1 do hate, it is to have
ny one pull my sleeve as though they
'ished to see if it was sewed in strong'1
Well" said my guide, "you may look
but you don't vet know the
lost wonderful part" l wondered. but
eld my peace, and waited with the pa
ence of Job. "Do you know how these
iers were built?n was the query
lat came next. Mon ami"
nd l, ~ am not a fool.
hey first put down one rock, and
len put another on top Of it, and so on
Il 1t was complete" mot exactly" !
as the reply, "they started from the
'p and built down, holding the rocks up
7 means of compressed air. [ gazed
lietly into the face of my kindly in
rmant, brushed some dust off his
eeve, and said gently, "Do you know
y friend, they have discovered new
ay of making eannon?' He looked
me to find a smile, but as l looked
ther sad, he said simply, "No, how is
," "Just take hole and run iron
ound it! quite as simple, when you
now how, as the new way of building
bridge" My friend caught my hand !
Id tenderly squeezed it II did not OBJ :
ct), rs he remarked, "Well, you are
Om Memphis, but you'll dO.n l felt !
y Importance, and appreciated the !
'licate p fiatteIy. We next looked at !
e steel cylinders, forming the arches, :
lmense things they are, springing ou', :
ght of them, nom the solid rock be-
,ath us and from the piers in the river,
Id forming an immense arch. The la
II of building the framework, and ad-
sting the iron cables to hold them up {
all of which will be taken away when
e arch is cOmplete-is almost as great {
building the bridge; and it is fearful to i
e the men at wOtk, lifting heavy 9
eights and walking about as unconcern- 8
-ly, with only narrow plank between /
EN- and the river, two or three thou 8
nd feet, more or less, below. We clam '
red up the steps again, and wandered @
und prOmiscuOusly, walking planks
ross places not floored over, where l i
ing on TO my companion for dear life, S
I'd crossed with the rapidity of a snail. b
fter awhile we went back to Captain | i
ld's office. l congratulated him on t
: happy idea of building from the L
p down, and thought he looked rather |.
ink, but | attributed that to his en- +
rrassment at being cOmplimented by d
eh an important parsonage as myself;
L took pity on him, said tSGOod eve
lg, "and at last found myselfon Fourth q
eet, with only the loss of a rufile off e
dress. And now, old friends, good h
e! am going to "UrigO.n / sup 5,
Sc you'll want to know what that is. II
you do, let me know, and III tell you. q
MT forget me, for have been your q
end since ! was "wee lassie." p
STELLA. | -