Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1881-01-07
BISMARCK D. =, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1881.
/ lex HIGH BRIDGE.
u Isa isa-ly : Vile IN Length at
Il 90 y Over o. 600, OO0-Ths
lk1aa a1Ganagement Of Gen.
II. =. Sargent.
GIGANTIC ENTERPRISE.

I. Azao olGanagomento Of Gen.
ii. =. Sargent
CIGANTIC ENTERPRISE.
TnE TkrDUNE is enabled this week to
seive It's readers the most important piece
sof news which it has been its privilege to
-chrenicle ~ several months. Perhaps
there is no enterprise of such importance
to Bismarck and Burleigh county Is the
building Of the great iron bridge across
the Missouri river ct this point. It is the
foundation Of st. Paul and Minneapolis.
II establishes beyond the question of .
doubt the future of two cities, Bismarck
and handan. Where is there man 50
blind as not to zee that the crossing Of one
of the largest and most important rivers
in the world BY the greatest trans-conti.
mental railroad in the country, will make
Q point Of universal importance. Is it
possible that Bismarck will not become a
great city, surrounded as it il on all sides
by rich and inexhaustabl : country, and
situated at the end Of one Of the longest
and most gigantic iron bridges in the
world. spanning . river, navigabls dis
lance of twelve hundred miles northwest,
and south three thousand miles to the
Gulf of Mexico! There can be no doubt
of the citY's future. It now has the ad.
vantage of river competition and other
railroads are active in their preparations
to reach the Missouri river at Bismarck
at an early day.
THE GREAT IRON BRIDGE
at Bismarck, is a fixed fact. The plan has
been adopted and the contract let. The
will be after the style ofthe
Plattgmouth bridge ana George Morrison,
who so successful lilly engineered the build
ine ut bride, has seen appointed 10
take charge Of the North Pacific bridge.
III. lforriso will arrive in Bismarck
next week toA begin operations. Granite
fpr tie piers is be,ng quarried at Sauk
R4pids, bEinn., and viii be rushed through
3aseiast as possible. Tia dyke is near "
completed, which COZ the channel VI
the rsser 70 WIDTH 81 hoo feet. The
-read Has motives u building the
dyke First, it saves oae espah Of iron and
gives the fohnd dation for restle work; and
second, itAgives the. transfer boat ! good
channel in which 70 operatte, 4 Turing next
season, while the building ofthe bridge
continues. This dyke will also have .
tendency to change the channel and cur
rent of the river 80 that next spring tits
not improbable that the ground where
the warehouses ard new located, thesways
and large portion Of the bottom land
southwest of town will disappear and
steam boatswill be enabled to load and
unload their cargos within half a mile Of
the business portion Of the city. The
bridge will be nearly as long as the great
bridge at St. Louis, and cost over $1,000,.
900. 1t will consist of
THREE SPANS Ssf
400 feet long each, and two short spans,
.150 feet each, one at each end. 1t will be
seventy feet high, above low water mark,
and the foundation of the piers will be
the blue clay and sandstone rock forty
five feet below the bottom of the river.
The present road as. far as First street,
will remain about the same as at present,
and the curve to the bridge will cross
Main street just west of the Catholic
church. The bridge will be located just
north of the present river warehouses, the
level ofthe bridge being but thirty feet
below the top of the bluffs overlooking
the river. Some idea Of the height of the
bridge and length can be gained by o
glance at the eastern approach. The
bridge and trestle work will be nearly one
mile in length, the western end being in
the streets of Mandan. 1t is the inten-
tion Of the company to have the bridge
completed ndready for use year from
next spring. Next summer work on the
extension will be unusually lively and to
meet the requirements two transfer boats
will be used IN crossing supplies, ma
terial, ETC., at this point. Fifty-one thous.
and tons Of rails, of which 10000 tons are
steel, have already been purchased, to be
delivered during the year; also ], $50 adj
ditional freight cars, thirty-two ]ocomo-
tiyes and new passenger coaches. It IS
expected the road will be running from
Glendive up the Yellowstone to Miles
City next July, distance Of 769 miles.
Passengers will be carried 10 Yellowstone
park in July Of the succeeding ng year.
& THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT.
Probably more TO the general manager
is Bismarck and Mandan indebted for the
early. commencement of work upon the
bridge than to any other man. He is the
general in the field who has the. personal
knowledge Of the necessities and demands
of the great railway and upon his reports
and reeomm ndations these magnificent
iRprovemenissa are started. To his liberal: