Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-02


COMMUNICATIONS.
From His Honor the Mayor-Call Tor the
meeting
To The Hon. John DoTlan, aclinS mayor oi
The Cry of st. Paul:
OrAR SIR: Will YOU please call special
meeting of the Common Council for to-mof-
row evening, Thursday, at $50 p. ~. receive
I.report of the COMMISSIONERS appointed oy thc
mayor to INQUIRE iato aud report as 10 the
proper location OF bridge at or below Mime
soft. street in said city. Respectfully,
THOMAS GRACE,
JOSEPH ROBERT,
JOHN O'CoNNoR.
Noreh 90 1882 Aldermen.
Thos. A. Prendergsst, ESQ City Clerk
Please call meeting as requested and oolIge
john DowLAN, Acting Mayor.
Accepted. zssssss9@ So :.
CITY Engineer Rundlett submitted and
read the following as report OF the ma
jorltv of the Commissioners referred to In
the foregoing:
tn the Honorable Common Council of the
City of ST. Paul;
GENTLEMEN: We offer the following, with
the accompanying plans, as the report Oh Inc
Engineers, appointed by the Mayor and APP
proved by your Honorable BODY 10 inquire IN
IN and re1Eort on the location OF a bridge,
from point al or below Minnesota street, IN
said city, 10 point in the Sixth ward OF SAID
city, as nearly opposite Thereto rs praetica-
ble,'' in accordance with an act OF the Legis-
lature OF the State of Minnesota, authorizing
the Common Council of the .ity of st Paui,
TO issue bonds of said city, for the construct
ion of free bridge across the MISSISSIPPI
river.
la determining this location we have made
the neces sary surveys OF the river and the
connecting streets, examined the requirements
of the United States Government for bridging
the Mississippi river, aud considered several
important questions, with conh ctlng inter-
ests, in connection with the bridge, such as
The danger Of obsiructing navigation and in
iurIng our harbor, the utility of draw or
liked high bridge. the probable future of the
fats in the Sixth ward, and the best accOmmo-
dation Of the traffic; and we are unauim ously
in favor of high fixed bridge, and the ma
;orIty Of your Engineers recommend loca-
uon on Robert street, commencing at Third
street ard extending to the levee line at Lucas
street in she Sixth ward, as best suited 10 ac
commodtte The diversified interests.
Bat, while we report in favor OF a bridge at
Robert street, We also send plans for high
bridge az Jackson street, as the arguments in
favor of tbs two points are So evenly balanced
that minority Of Your Engineers viii report
in favor of that location.
That cur position may be more readily IN
derstood, we give 0rl fly our reasons for pre-
ferriug this location to other points that were
examined.
Broadway appeared or many accounts the
best location for uniting the eastern portions OF
city; but bridge 81 this point must COM
mence al Fourth street to obtain sufficient
headroop over the net work Of railroad
tracks between Third street and the river;
The reby considerably increasing the length OF
The bridge; it must be z drawbridge, because
the necessary height of fifty feet above high.
water mark, as required by the United States
government, cannot be Obtained without too
steep gradients, and it would require piers at
point 50 near the levee, that would the
opinion OF your engineers, seriously lnJure
our harbOr.
ANY bridge at Sibley street must cross over
the railro,d tracks, both on account OF the
danger and delay of grade crossing, and the
requirement of the United States government
that the lower chord Of draw bridge must be
thirty feet above low water, which would
place the road way about ten feet above the
level Of The tracks, and further, bridge
placed at the proper height above The tracks,
and extended toward Third street would SER
iously interfere with the immense business
traffic of the street to the Union depot, the
the freight depot of the Chicago, milwaukee,
& St. Paul railroad, and the steamboat docks,
which objections preclude the idea of bridge
ct this point.
AtJacksun street the same conditions exist
in regard to the railroad tracks, besides the
imprActicabIlty of landing bridge On
ctr, ct grade of eleven feet per humid ed.
Your engineers are of the opinion that a
draw bridt is impracica5le at any of the
sites NAMED, for, In addition to the reasons
above stated, the first cost is greater than that
of q high bridge; its maintenance Is source
of constant expense; the draw is a piece of
machinery liable 10 arrangement, and during
the passage of boats o serious annoyance and
interruption TO traffic, while the short length
of span Zone hundred and sixty feet in the
clear) presents great obstruction to naviga-
tioG.
minnesota street is practical location for q
high bridge, Us far as the structure alone is
concerned; but it would be necessary to start
from Second street, where it would connect
with an ely hG foot grade IN Second street, and
niue foot grade On Minnesota street, besides,
heing nearer the present bridge than the loca-
ton decided on.
Robert street and Jackson street both have
facilities for high fixed bridge. The cost
OF constr uction at either place is practically
the same: the difference in length twenty feet,
being in favor of Robert street.
A bridge at Robert street, commencing at
Third street, and extending to the levte line
at Lucas streer, has the advantage OF nearly
level grade from Third street To the end of
the charnel span, distance of seven hundred
feet, OF being at right angles with the currents
OF the river, and oil less damage to property.
A bridge at jackson street commencing at
THIRD street and ey tending to the levee line
at Eva street, has the advantage Of being at q
greater distance from the present bridge, and
nearer the business center and the railroad de-
pots.
We give the following general description
for the better understanding the plans sub
mitted
Commencing at Third street on the center
Of Robert street, an approach OF masonry
nineteen feet wide EXTENDS towards the river,
for distance of one hundred feet, at which
point sufficient head room is obtained to start
the bridge proper, the sidewalks, for this part
of the bridge, to be carried along the property
line until sufficient head room
is obtained 70 cross to the
bridge; on each side of the masonry q
space of thirteen feet is left for sidewalks and
roadway to accommodate the travel on Robert
street. From the end of the masonry the
structure is OF wrought iron, being trestle
bridge to the south line OF Second street, and
a succession OF truss spans, supported by
stone peers, on pile foundations, ending with
a stone abutment on Lucas street, at the south
| line of the levee. The width Of the roadway
of the bridge is eighteen feet in the clear,
| with sidewalks eight feet vide on trestle and
d. OK spans, and six feet on the through spans.
| TIE elevation at Third street will be ffty-two
feet above high wstsv mark, and will run
nearly level to the end of the channel span,