Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-27
FORT SMELLING BRIDGE.
Important Meeting of the Commission
Plans to be Submitted to Gen. Terry and

important Meeting OF the Commission
Plans to be Submitted to Gen. Terry and
the Secretary of War.
The Fort Smelling bridge commission met at
the Office of Cochran & Walsh, No. IL Waba-
shaw street, yesterday afternoon. There were
present Messrs. Dawson, Cochran, Lindeke,
and Thornton, of the commission, City Engi-
neer Sewall, Representative Stewart, and the
GLOBE reporter, there being as usual, no other
newspaper man present. DIR. Stew
art, in informal way gave history
of the passage of the bill and the efforts put
fol tn to save it. He also stated the results
of his call upon the secretary of war and Gen.
Humphreys, and as the result he had brought
copy of a letter which Gen. Humphreys had
sent to Gen. McCrary. AS that letter maps
out the first work for the commission the sec
retary read it for the information Of the board
1t is as follows
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
No. W " II sa1y .: C., June re ~ = 1873.
SIR: In reply to the inquiries Of the Hon. J.
Il. Stewart concerning the submission to the
honorable the secretary Of war, of the location,
plan, specifications and estimates of the bridge
across the Mississippi river at Fort Smelling,
for which an appropriation of $65, 900 has been
made, beg leave to recommend that the plan
su omitted should show the precise location of
the bridge in accordance with the recommended
ton of Gen. Terry and the requirements Of
navigation as described in the report of Gen.
Warren; should show the position of the piers
and abutments their plan in detail, as we'll as
that of the foundations and the detailed plans
of the superstructure.
The terms of the act of appropriation de-
scribe the bridge as wagon bridge with stone
abutments on shore and iron super
structure; that the height of the
bridge shall be at least sixty-eight feet above
high water mark, and that span of at least
two hundred feet in the clear shall be provided
from the ght or Fort Smelling bank of said
river toward the left bank thereof;
That the location of said bridge and the
plans, specifications and estimates for the con-
struction and compl: ton thereof shall be ap-
proved by the secretary Of war.
The act further authorizes the construction
of the abutment of the bridge upon the Fort
Smelling military reservation, and the opening
and maintaining public roads from said bridge
through the reservation.
A drawing exhibiting the location of such
road or roads should be submitted at the same
time with the plan of the bridge for the ap-
proval of the secretary Of war, as required by
the act. Very respectfully, your obedient SER
want. A. A. HUMPHREY,
Brig. Gen. and Chief of Engineers.
After the letter had been read, general con-
versation ensued relative to the first movement
to be made. Mr.. Sewall thought it would be
best to submit the plans for the piers and abut-
ments to the secretary of war for his approval,
and leave the superstructure for further consid-
Grafton. In response to a question from Mr..
Dawson, Mr.. Sewall said he could have the
plans of piers and abutmeuts ready forward
on Saturday.
It was decided to prepare t Us and
forward them to Gen. Terry at int for
his approval, and also secure Fl Terry
his approval of the location ucnts
then to be forwarded to the sc=rctas, wal
for his approval.
The very general sentiment of the commits
sion was in favor of bringing the cost of the
bridge within Sl00, 900, if suitable structure
can be erected for that price. In other words,
because the commission have $l65, 900 at theil
disposal, they do not propose to expend any
more than is absolutely essential to do the work
| in a proper manner.
| While the engineer is preparing the plans il
question, the commission will definitely decide
upon the location which they wish, and have
drawings of the roadways ready to forward tt
| Gen. Terry with the other documents.