The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-07
THE MISSISSIPPI SPAWNED.
THE MONSTER BRIDGE.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ST. LOUIS BRIDGE
THE VISITORS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE GEL
EBRATIoN-THE GIGANTIC PROCESSION AND
ITS CoMPosITIoN-THE CHRISTENING AND
THE ATTENDANT CEREMONIES - CAPTAIN
EADs THE HERO OF THE HoUR-THE FIRST
TRAIN ACROSs-THE FIRE WORKS.
The st. Louis Daily Journal of the 4th
inst, gives full account of the ceremonies
attending the celebration OF the completion
of the new st. Louis bridge across
the Mississippi river. In speaking of
the history of the bridge it says:
The city of ST. Louis, notwithstanding her
excellent situation, has long suffered from
the lack of through rail communications
with the East. The Mississippi river, rising
in the far northwest, flows southwark
through the Gulf of Mexico; round the
peninsula OF Florida, where it veers to the
northeast, ard taking the name of the Gulf
Stream, rolls. .resistlessly onward until it Is
lost in the impenetrable fogs that lower
about the banks of Newfoundland. From
the earliest recollection of the oldest inhabi-
tant this mighty stream has washed the
eastern shores of this municipality present
ing an apparently impossible barrier to
the further progress of the locomo-
tives, which of late wears have been in
the habit Of running down upon its banks
and venting their spite in little, angry puffs
and snorts. The time came however, when
the project of throwing a bridge across the
river, was seriously advocated. At first
people laughed at the idea of an iron bridge
| of five hundred foot arches at a.height suffi-
cient to allow the passage of steamers under
meath, and strength adequate to the support
of heavy trains above. But at length the
genius of JAS. B. Eads presented the subject
in so strong and plausible light that the
capitalists of the old world and the new
''saw money" in the enterprise, and in the
tl,af
dations of the structure which was destined
| to practically shorten the distances
between the remote regions of the world.
From that time the work has advanced
steadily to completion. Accidents have un-
avoidably occurred; difficulties, the most
perplexing and discouraging, have presented
themselves only to be trampled under foot
/ by the skill and perseverance of the practi-
cal engineer, and through the long period of
seven years. progress has never ceased. The
masonry was completed in 1872. On the 24th
day OF May Of the present year the bridge
was opened to foot passengers and eleven
days later teams were allowed to pass. The
| first locomotive crossed on the ninth of
| June, the final tests-were applied during the
present week and the bridge is now COM
| plete. The tunnel, which forms an impor-
tant part of the whole enterprise, is so far ad-
vanced as to admit of the passage of trains.
THE VISITORS.
Since the beginning of the week the popu-
lation of the city has been daily augmented
by the influx of strangers who designed
taking their holiday in town and were de-
termined to secure the b7st possible accom-
odations for the coming event. AS the days
passed the streets assumed buster appear
ance and the in pouring crowds grew dens
er and denser. Yesterday aud this morn
| ing the hotels have been besieged by thou
sands of tired and anxious wayfarers vainly
seeking for quiet quarters wherein to catch
little repose, preparatory TO the fatigues OF
the day. For the past twenty-four hours
! excursion parties have been con-
stantly arriving from every quar-
ter and all transportation lines
have been pressed to the utmost to provide
for the unwonted pressure of travel so sud
denly thrust upon them. The railroads
have been fully prepared for the rush, and
in No ost instances have been equal TO the
emergency. As train after train came in,
and the long line of coaches disgorged their
hordes of dusty countrymen and perspirlng
dignitaries of high and low degree, the vicin-
ity of the depots became momentarily black
with the unwonted throDgs, and in turn
were comparatively deserted as the count
less herds of humanity gradually dispersed
themselves through the city. All the rail.
roads centering in East St. Louis deposited
such crowds of people ON Bloody Island as
gave that sparssly settled neighborhood the
from which every body seemed
frantic to depart as soon as
he could possibly find the way
thence. All day yesterday and up to late
hour last night the ceaseless tide poured
over the great bridge and the population o
the surrounding country swarmed along the
numerous highways that center in the Flu
ture Great. 1t had been announced that th'
} procession would start promptly at 9 o'clock
. and long before that hour had arrived th