, 1882-11-11
The Bismarck Bridge.

The business men Of Manaan never
felt happier ttan to-day, after the un9uA-
fed success of the great Missouri bridge
had been clearly and practically demon
stra,ed. Promptly at 9 o'clock this morn
ing the crowd began to assemble at the
depot TO start for the river. The four
engines which were to 90 on from the
west end we're weighed about this time,
under the supervision of Superintendent
Taylor and Master Mechanic Dorsn- The
engines were Of the Mogul build and
named by Engineers P j. Speers, C. I.
Polk, F. Foote and Ed Garlick respect
ively. Their total weight was 50o, 600
ponnds, an average of over s;1ty-one tons
each. After being weighed the engines
moved down to the tank house, where
they took on a fresh supply of water, and
then proceeded TO the river. These was
saily decorated with flags, and presented
a decidedly gala appearance Arriving at
the river they were met by four Bismarck
locomotives, and, after being coupled to-
gether, the great test was proceeded with.
As the iron column moved slowly over the
sixty -feet-high trestle work, thousands OF
anxious eyes eagerly watched their move
ments, not without sincere fear OF the
ultimate outcome. Chief Engineer Mori-
son, whose confident countenance was at
all times visible on the foremost engine,
halted the train OF locomotives Just west OF
pier 4, 10 test the trestle. The sight at
this juncture was most imposing one,
and Was viewed with admiration by the
multitude below. Fully twenty minutes
elapsed before the signal was given TO
move on to The bridge proper, where the
test committee, consisting OF Prof VIM.
Watson of New York; Col Clough, chief
of the engineer corps, of Billings; Capt.
\. J. Marratt of St. Paul; G. W. Gilbert
Il Brainerd and L. l. Buck of Brooklyn,
\. Y, were in waiting The eight en-
gines Just covered one span and rested
their Colossal weight on each fully ten
minutes. At 1I:4O !. NJ the test was
completed, and when the constant shrill
shrek of the iron horses waited the
glad tidings to the Nandan shore, the
Joy and excitement ran high.
THE BRIDGE PROPER
consists Of three through spans, each
measuring 100 feet between centers of
end pins, and two approach spans each
lI3 feet. 1t Is a high bridge, the bottom
chc,d of the three main spans being
placed fifty feet absve the level of the
highest summer food, thus giving head
room TO pass steamboats, at all nayigable
stages Of the river. The head room above
the extreme high water of 1881 is forty
tao feet, but this water Vas an excep-
tional result Of an ice gorge which neces
sarily put stop to all navigation. Prac-
Iically the bridge gives four feet more
head room than many of the bridges on
the lower river. The east end Of the east
approach span is supported by a small
abutment Of granite masonry founded on
the natural ground of the bluff The
west end of the west approach span Is
supported by all iron bent, resting on two
Cushing cylinders which are supported by
piles driven into the sand bar. The three
long spans are supported on four granite
piers. Pier l, the easterly pier, rests on
A concrete foundation, the base of which
is twenty feet below ordinary low water
and sixteen feet below the estimated ex-
treme low water due to ice gorges. Piers
, and 3, which are in the channel of the
river, are founded on pneumatic caissons
sunk into the underlying clay 10 a depth
Of about fifty feet below ordinary low
water, and ten feet below the surface OF
the clay. Per 4 is situated on the sand
bar On he west side of the river below
the protection of the dyke, and rests on a
foundation of 100 piles, which were driv-
en- with a Nasmyth steam hammer