Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-07-24
A GRIND MorL.

A Grand work
The magnificent bridge across the Miss
Issippi river at st. Louis, which was for
mallv opened on the Fourth, is OF national
importance and may we'll be a matter OF
national pride. Aside from its success as
one of the most brilliant achievements OF |
engineering skill in an age marvellous for |
such, its practical value is inestimable. |
As the great region beyond the Mississippi |
river becomes populated and developed, |
the central position Of st. Louis will make
IL to a great degree the focus of transporia-
ton routes to and from the East. Inc
great natural water channels flowing to-
ward tho South have to be crossed by the
still more important railway tracks, which
can far moro quickly take tho looming
products of the West and throw them into
the markets on both sides Of the Atlantic
Ocean. The structure now opened, how
ever, is no interruption to navigation, so
that it is positive addition to our CONT
mental system of communication and we
may add THAT the time is not far distant
when it will DO occupied night and day TO
It's full capacity in serving the wants Of the
whole nation, and enricling, we trust, its
guardian city and builder.
As has been stated heretofore, the CEN
trail part of the bridge over the main chan
mel of navigation consists OF three spans,
respeciiycly 4g7, 5lj and 4g7 feet in the
clear, springne between ninety and hum
bred feet from the present surface OF the
water. When the plans Of these unprece-
denled arches were. first announced, they
wore received with almost a. much incre-
dulity as the original idea of sending
steamer across the Atlantc-which DR..
Lardner demonstrated scientifically could
not I've done, while the late Lord Derby
promised to eat the first boat that should
he sent over. 50 in this case convention
Of disiingu she'd engineers solemnly re-
solved thqt, "ds practical engineers, they
could not couscientiously recommend par
tics interested to venture on the construc-
ton" Of spans of 500 feet, FOX which there
Was no engineering precedent. Capt. Eads,
! the author Of the plans, however, had then
been al work eleven days, and has never
paused since, TIL he now looks upon the
| completed design, standing in glorious
symmetry and grace, and enduring test
WEIGHT u llNt HNAlhiNu VINO NihhNN' Wv
least sign Of yielding.
The main part of the bridge, it will be
seen, il over fifteen hundred feet in length,
though this is but fraction of the whole
extent OF the structure, since on the eastern
shore alone one OF the approaches Of trestls
work is over 5000 feet long. The bridge it.
self is two story structure the upper
part consisting Of roadway OF thirty-four
ieet in width, with two sidewalks each
eight feet wide, making a total width Of
| fifly feet. This Is for carriages and foot
passengers. Beneath are the railway pas
slges, each 1871 feet wide in the clear, and
eighteen feet high, arched openings Of the
same size being made in the piers. The
foundations of the piers were laid on tho
rock. bed-in the case OF the lowest one
ninety three feet below the water line o
the river; it having been cut down through
the son sand at the bottom OF the river, in
Guiding twelve fnot deposit OF old smok'
stacks, bulls, engines, etc, OF submerged
river Graf. This beginning was made il
1867, so that the bridge has been about sew
en- years in building. Tho cost OF the un
dertaking is not yet accurately known
Capt. Eads estimates the total at about Sll,
900 900. Such ia tho merest outline OF thi
= stupendous enterprise, which certainly re
,, fleets the greatest credit upon its protector
! aud architects, and which will permanent
| ~ contribute to the development and pros
. perity OF the whole country.
Previous 10 the formal opsning OF tn
n bridge il was subjected to the following 81
e we're tcst:-
!, Seven locomotives were placed upon or
= track OF each span. This produced d.
n Election Of q inches on the center span al
% inches on each side span. Seven loc'
: motives were then placed on each track
the west approach, and both trains Of loo
Il motives. fourteen in all, were moved o.
: abreast and simultaneously over each oil
~ of the three spans. The locomotiv
e weighed from 50 10 81 tons, averaging
If tons each, making $50 tons in all. The tv
II trains thus formed wera stopped on ea'
=, span and the effects Of the load careful
+. noted. The detection OF the middle sp;
1t was - inches; OF each side span, 3 incht
"a The two trains moving abreast upon ea'
n arch was the severest possible test to pr
is duce distortion Of the curve of each arc
II Ten locomotives were then coupled togel
vi Ell, and these were run over each track
n. each side of each arch Of the entire birds
m covering the entire track OF each span, al
OF throwing the whole weight of the tra
10 400 tons, ON one side Of each span. I'll
IL test was applied to each side OF the bridi
or and produced the severest twisting stra
" to which each arch can be subjected. f
n.y. vertical detection produced by this test
er the center span was p inches. The lo'
Us motives thus coupled were run al spe
-" of ten miles per hour. The local traffic
all the upper roadway Of the bridge was UNI
IN. terrupted during the progress of the ties
mt Various other observations in detail we
70, made, noting the effects Of the load on
he arches rs it entered upon and left the
lit ferent spans, but this possesses no spec
mt interest to the general public. Tho res
re- of the tesls agreed almost exactly with
vi theoretical computations previously ma
rk and the whole trial proved eminently :
err isfactory. The instruments failed 10
ny tect any side motion Whatever during
,ao tests. The arches are c0mpO
of casi-steel, and the bridge is reall
III double structure, consisting Of two are
Drd | placed side by side. The arches are ms
re- OF steel tubes, each twelve feet in lengtl
Of -
THE Boy MURDERER.-Jcsse r. Poi
roy, the boy murderer, who is now in