The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-07-07
The Great St. Louis Bridge Across
the MIBSinSippI River,

The Great 81. Louis Bridge Across
the Mississippi River. 8
The bridge has three spans, the centre
of6lS feet in the clear, tho side ones each
Of 4s7 feet Each span is composed Of
four ribbed arches oi cast steel. The
double.curved ribs oi members extending
from pier TO pier enable the arch 10 pre-
serve its shape under all circumstances Of
unequal pressure upon its parts, and OBJ
Viates the necessity Of Spaudrel bracing.
A moving load has no effect on tho curve
ofthiS double arch, however unequRlly
distributed itS weight may be.
THE uPPER ROADWAY
for carriages, horse cars and pedestrians,
is 90 feet wide between the rAilings, the
roadway being "a feet and the sidewalks
each oil 8 feet. Railings and lamps are on
either side; automatic turnstiles admit
tand register the number Of passengers
colossal statues are TO be placed on the
piers and 'abutments, emblemAtic ol the
two States, commerce, trade, etc. Below
the carriage.way are the two railway
passages, each 1871 feet wide in the clear,
and 1s feet high, extending through arch.
ed openings Ot equal size 10 the abut-
ments and piers. Five stone arches, each
Of 20 feet, carry the tracks over the levee
on either shore. They are inclosed by
cut.sione srcGdes Of twenty arches, sup
porting the carrisge.ways. On the ST.
Louis side brick arches carry the tracks
to Third street, where the tunnel is enter.
ed conducting 10 the uptown Union
depot, and the carrisge.wsy Is continued
on q level grade over the regular tracks TO
Third street.
ON THE ILLINOIS SHORE
the railways curve of TO the north and
south, Immediately after crossing the last
one Of the stone arches, and with q do.
Scending grade Of one foot 10 hundred,
extending about 5000 feet, and supported
on iron Iestle work part Of the way,
reach the grade Of the railways on the
Illinois side. The carriage road descends
with grade OF five feet In hundred, i'm.
mediatelY after the railway tracks curve
away from the bridge. @ |
~ THR COST. -
II will be long time ere an accurate |
statement Of the cost Of the bridge can be |
given. Col. Fladd gave the following as
approxlmating very nearly 10 tho exact
expenditure Tor the bridge:
Land damages ........................S s TOO, 900
CAttsons and foundations ............ eoo, 90 |
aasonIy ............"......'".l 9e oso |
nnOf0nGh ~
snperstruc ruc.ute............ ......."... 10000
To this total Of $4,700000 he added |
about $l,250000 for miscellaneous, con.
tlpgent and incidental expenses, bringing
the amount up to $4,000, 900. The tun.
mel (which will be completed August 1st)
was placed at 81 200. 600. With an addi.
ton ol $3,000,0 600 for charter, interest,
discount, financial operations, manage.
ment, consolidation, etc, the total cx.
penses will be nearly $40 10000.
The bridge contains 104 900 yards oi
masonry, the tunnel 10000. There have
been employed 1900 tons Of steel and
5000 OF iron. The Victoria Bridge at
Montreal contains $4,000 tons Of stone In |
all; thero are $4,000 tons In the eastern |
abutment pier Of the St. Louis bridge.
TWENTY TWO LIVES WE'RE LOST
during the work, including tho twelve
from. caisson disease. Nine men were
killed on the piers, and one on the super.
structure. All OF these lives were lost
through the carelessness Of their owners,
as nothing connected with the machinery |
or staging broke, gave way, or proved de.
iective. The working force was 1000
strong.
TIE CONTRACTORS
were as follows: Masonry-James An
nrews. Pittsburgh, Pa; superstructure-l
The Keystone Bridge Company, Pitts
burgh, Pa; Eastern Approach-The Bal.
tim0re Bridge Co., Baltimore, Md; tun.
nel-James Andrews, Pittsburgh, Pa,
and 8. Kramka, st. Louis, Mo; iron and
steel-The Midvale Steel Co.
Z TIE FINANCIAL AGENTS
were Messrs. Jameson, Smith & Coltlng,
Of New York, who, after 81. Louis and
New York capitalists had taken large
amount OF stock (lhe latter $1,000, ,00O)
placed the mortgage bonds 10 London
through Messrs. ]. s. Morgan & &c.
THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL INCOME
Of the bridge Is placed at $1,000 600,
which In thirty years should pay of the
bonds, The sources Of revenue beside
the twelve railroads centering OF the city
are the teams from the eastern shore with
coal, -four, produce. ETC., and pleasure and
business traffic. Fifty thousand teams
have hitherto crossed at the ferries annu.
ally, besides coAl,vans carrying 900 900
tons Of coal, so that tho estimate OF in
comes is not considered out oi the way.
| RFFEcr ON NAVIGATION.
The question Of the effect Of the bridge
upon navigation has been 80 recently dis.
cussed as 70 be Iresh In the recollection
Of most readers As to passing under the
bridge there Is little danger 10 be antici-
pated on that account The flooring ot
The bridge is sixty.nine feet above high
water mark, afordlDg ample height Tor
the passsge OF steamers. The location,
ltoo, is such that the levees Tor the boats
engaged In traffic on the Upper Missis-
sippi are all above the bridge, while the
Ohio, Tennessee and Lower Mississippi
boats tie up below 1t. The tendency Of
the great masses Of masonry In the piers,
standing asthey do In the middle Of Q
river running rapidly through q con-
tracted channel, will almost undoubtedly
I be TO promote the formation ot Ice gorges
IN winter, and posBibly.t TO change the d.
rection Of the current, forming here shoals
and there eating away the shore. Upon
this point, however, the only safe opin.
ion will be that expressed BY experience,
for the Missiaippl is the most eapficlouS