, 1874-07-05
HISTORY OF TIE BRIDGE.
Whether or not they will build it," they" b.
g the people Of ST. Louts. and nit" tue colos-


Whether or not they will build II -" they ;" ba.
ing the people Of st. Louts, and VT" tue colos-
sal statue Of
JAMES y. EAps
that It ia proposed to place over tho gates Of th.
hriago,-h1r Eads' fame will take caro- Of itself.
If Lo llas not had "a muse Of fire, lie certainly
has ascondod ''thc brightest heavon Of invonr
tion aud tho groat--it is nothing less-lliinoia
and st. Louis Bridge will stand monument Of
hiB energy and ability, hia
Patient Toll, ucuteness Of invention.
He had boon during tho Var brought boforo the
nation In less pacific capacity, au1-as tho
builder Of tho Thomas u. Bonton, Cincinnati,
and other gunboatB, aud, subsequently, of the
fourteen iron -clads tho inventor Of tue Eads
turrot wherein stoum was successfully applied
to tho operating Of honvy ordnance and tho
originator of many improvements In ord
nance and naval arcbitccture-contrih-
nted his share to putting down tho
Rebellion. After the War he Visited
Europe with Government commission in navel
const. uction. and while there rnado those inqui-
ries into tho building Of bridges Of extraordinary
apau that resulted in the realization Of his p'ans,
long cherished, but not till then p1acedin prao-
tical form, of bridging the MssHsippi at st.
Iouta With permanent structure to accommo-
dato all descriptions Of traTol.
THE NEED OF aUo!1 4 nRzpoE
had beon patent FIR years. No city IA tue Union
oiforoti poorer facilities Of transportation to the
trnYelor, and it's own residents. Every pas.
songor, eyory pound Of freight, ovory bnBhel of
oonj hid to be carried by horses or mules down tht
1ayee to tho ugly forry-boats, across tho narrow
ssreau, and up tue ateop stroets: Aa CONNER.
cial ent opot and ns tho contro OF great frolght
and passenger ronto ut. Louis was placed at So
rioua disadvantage. Some twelse years ago
susrousion bridge waR projected by hteBsrs.
| Elicit, Disaell aud Roobling. and in 1906 Mr..
Homer, tho thcn City Engineer, propo,scd to ap.
| reilly hogan with The Boomer and Eaas Com
| panies.
On tue 5tl, OF February. 1904, tho Ut. Louis %
poraior .vss IT. Boomer, Of cLieago, was organ
izo<, IT. gayo few sisna Of vitality till tho Lit.
1ois T. 81. Louis Bridge Company was chartered
by Congress. July 25 lHCG, md lnoorporatod In
Mtasourt aud Illinois, Feb. 81. 1867. Tho lattor
Company was t,r=t at work, surveys and borings
were nude, location selected, ala plan pub
l1sned. No materlal change, i may 20 aald, nag
boon matlo in these pisnB. Tho site aolaotad
strcot, Of gront width and easy grade, wost ct
Thiul ntraet, and admitting OF counocton with
tho roats ontoring the city through the Valley Of
Mill Crack, without orosafng my stroot On grade.
than either above or bo|ow. md the shorolino
well tlclinod and occurred on elthor Hhoto by auh"
stautial leyces.
THE PLAN or Mn. EADa
contemplated d brlgo OF three spaus,-tWo Of
497 fuot rd ono Of sit, ,-a| the fouudattoua, save
those of tho eastern abut1ne /, to bo laid On tho
bedrock, antt tho bridge to l.yo 60-foot road-
way over a double railroad track. The DoomeE
plan did not require rock fpuulatlons for all tho
piers, and only provided pr Kinglo ratlroatt
track, and 17.foot raadwayuoowlth 8.foot sdcTslk
over tho Same, leyo as tic truck. There were
to bo two Apaua Of .5u feot aud four Of 2sa.
THE ENGINEERING CONTENTION.
On tho 3lst OF Aaguat, 1S17, 4 convention COM
passed ct twenty-elght distinguished enEtneere,
called by tho Boomer Company, solcn'..!y ex.
prosHal their unqualified diHarpruyal OF hpnHa oi
5G0 foot ~ tlduga wholly without engHeeElng
t;noers they could not consclanttoasty rccotrl.
llond to tue parties in interost to venture ulon
the construction Of gr0at length aa tho maxl-
mum Que prescribed by tho law" However,
, e!eveu laya before, Aug. 20. 1857, tho Eat!
Compuny commenced work by broakang ground
gauntlet Of conservative aud doubttog thear,
Was takcn up by prectical soio1co. nc less con
yluccu of tic noundnops Of lts deductions.
: THE FIvAL COMPANIES.
. Ire proceeding further IL may be wsll to oarrg
iorwarrt tho history OF tho rlyal companiea. ri
litigation, md al ansnttar of course tho Ehs Com
pa,,Y fot,!1 tho floating Of ita honds not sny eas
' task, With tho prospect tlat two bridges wou
r DO built maA!lsg 1t certain tint neither brldg
t wnultl pay. Negotiations for consolidation
: were entered into, and finally, March ~, lsd1
! Of the l:ads Company "Tho Illinois i u
!. Iouis Bridge Company" the 1!otmnr Oompan
receiving largo sim for ita privileges.
THE plNEOToNa OF THE Ct'MFANY
werc Mossrs. Charies K. Dickson, William II. II.
II fHaa TxxA1ff11 RM