Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-12-12
NATIONAL NOTES.
BRIDGE OR TUNNEL.
REPORT OF THE DETROIT RIVER COMMISSION.

REPORT OF THE DETROIT RIVER COMMISSION.
WASHINGTON, Dec. SIN their report to Gen.
eral Sherman the board app ~inted to report as
to the advisability of bridge or tunnel at De-
troit, Mich, to accommodate the commerce Mt
that point, mention the fact that they were di-
rected by Gen. Sherman to inquire into and
report whether for railroad purposes the Detroit
river can be bridged or tunnelled at Detroit, or
whether one mile above or below said city in
snch a manner as to accommodate the large
trade and commerce crossing the river at that
point, and without material injury to the nav
igation of said river, good and sufficient tugs
being always kept by bridge-owners to assist
troit the first Thursday of Oct. 1879, and we're
required by Gen. Sherman to complete and
submit their report and recommendations to
the chief of engineers before December l. The
first five days of the session were occupied in
hearing statements and arguments of persons
favoring or opposing the construction of a
bridge Or tunnel, and then. at the urgent re-
quest of all parties interested, the board ad-
iourned to enable them to collect statistics
bearing upon the subject. On the 18th of No.
vember they reassembled and proceeded to
consider the matters referred to them. The
difficulties that they met with at the start is
thus briefly stated. At Detroit two immense
;5ssH' 0erereDee name2 onto
The problem before the board was to SO ar
range by either bridge or tunnel that these
might cross each other with the least injury to
both and in such q manner as to accommodate
railroad traffic and at the same time do no ma
terial or undue injury to the interests of navi-
CATION. The magnitude of these conflicting
interests at this point may be realized from
the official statements marked in the report,
which show that the number of vessels of va
rious kinds passing Fort Gratiot light house
during the fiscal year ending June 80, 1877, was
22,l59, and that the business of the railroads
crossing the river at Detroit during the year
was az follows: l28, ll3 passengers, II, 758 pas
senger cars, 1878 baggage cars, and l04, 1855
freight cars.
The report of the board of engineers ap-
pointed in 1878 to investigate this same sub
iect, is alluded to: This former board stated
among other things, that no bridge with draws
should be tolerated. The board, in their con.
illusions on this point, say: There is proba'
bly, no difference of opinion about these con-
illusions except as to one, referring to bridge
with draws. The form of the bridge consider
ed inadmissable by the former board had open
ings of l66 feet on each side, the remainder
to be built upon piers of masonry 200 feet
apart, and it was believed that draw openings Of
l66 feet were the greatest then considered
practicable. Draws of more than 200 feet
have been since constructed and it is now pro-
posed by bridge builders of high reputation to
construct them with openings of 800 feet on
each side of pier, or of 400 feet between the
two piers. The board, though unanimously OF
the opinion that tunnel offers the most com
plete solution of the problem, presented no ar
gument in favor of it.