St. Paul daily globe., 1886-01-01
0vER THE RIvEH.
n6Beru Street Brsagc--The work uT
40 Date.

EuD-cOuEfrucbi0n OF bhe hODeIb otlcol ~ Llth1
across the Mississippi river Very few o.
che thousands Of people. Old and young
who have passed up and down the streets
Of ST. Paul during the past eight OF nine
months bul have had their attention called
to the fact tnat some great work was in
progress under their immediate observation,
the nature Of which they did not under
stand and about which they did not give
more Than q passing thought. Yet tals
work. which has been going on quietly and
surely, IS destined 20 play an important
part IN the history Of the city and thOse
who will live b see the completion OF the
entire WOrz will wake up some bright morn
Ing and think that the wand Of the ma
glcian must have passed over the land and
created new highway for the children OF
men. IL IS within the memory OF those WhO
have scarcely set reached tie full neasure
Of .anhood when the mighty Mississippi
rolled down to the SCI without q single
plank To span its bosom from its
source in the North 10 the delta
IN the South. FrOW the time
when it was first enunciated that westward
tnG star OF empire tales It's way the
mighty Mississippi was considered as the
stopping place OF empire. Beyond lts
waters was the great unknown, and as IT'S
UlAl5obls illflA tDiiSiA DH III EhChe EA@hN"et
is seemed to say 10 the incoming tide OF
humanity, Thus far shalt thon come and
no further" Bot time IS a great icon0ciast
and breaks not only the images Of thought,
but also, with the energy CT man, ueiies the
apparently iusurmountabc barriers OF
nature. IL was reserved for our sister city
Of Minneapolis 10 have the honor OF build
ing the FIST bridge that ever spanned the
waters OF the longest river n the world.
This was the suspension bridge, built above
the falls OF ST. Anthony IN 1886 Follow
ing Gloss upon this came the building " the
first pier bridge ever built across the river,
which is known rs the Wabasha street
bridge at st. Paul 10 is not necessary 70
give IN detail the history OF this n0W his
tOrcal structure Suffice II to say that by
an act OF the territorial Legislature Of 1854
the ST. Paul Blidge company was formed,
it's incorp0rators being Lyman Dayton, j.
{. Ramsey j. Il Irvine. J. W. Bau. w.
G. I.e Duc, w. r.. Marshall. J r.. Brown.
George - Becker w. J.. Ames, Nathan
Mynck. A. J.. Lrpenteur j. W. Simpson,
G. H. Oakes 81. J.. Ames and Louis
Roberta Although the company was
formed in S54 work upon the bridge did
not commence until isjB, and was not com-
peted and thrown open 90 the public Until
1888. II was toll bridge, but 50 far as the
stock was concerned it was a terribly poor
investment and la 1869 tlie city purchased
the bridge at o 1.-THE Of what 1t cost The
stockholders and made 10 free bridge
which 10 has remained ever since. Other
bridges. both wagon and railroad, have
been built across the Mississippi river but
20 ST. Pau belongs the honor Of building
tbe iifst pier bridge that ever spanned the
Father of Waters"
So much for past history, and now we
come down 10 the present II goes for the
saving that Witt die marvellous growth of
81 Paul during the past i've years. il be-
came su absolute necessity that more bridges
Should he built 10 connect ST. Paul proper
viii, what is known as West ST. Paul
For several wears past the matter was agi
tated and finally eliminated in a legislative
elictmeht authorizing the city 10
issue bonds for building a bridge
across the Mississippi river at
Robert street An the preliminary
steps were taken ana on the 9Th of January
last the bids were opened tor It's cOnstruc-
ton, the bids being divided between
the sub-cOnstrnction and the superstrncture.
The contract for the sub-cnnstructi0n, on
stone work was awarded to Michael
O'Brien q Sons. whose bid was something
like Sl4, 600 lower than any oiher bidders
Sl50.000. After the contract was bet there
was number OF obstacles thrown .u the
way OK he contractors. principa! among
which aside from high water were obitc-
tons made ny the government on account
OF obstrncting navigation, and Hon. c. -.
0'Buen had To visit Washington TO
straighten matters out This he succeeded
in doing and about the latter part oi April
or the first Of May last the Messrs O'BuoR
commenced work upon their herculean Job
and Notwithstanding The delays thrown in
their way they are to-day able To turn over
their contract fulfilled to the letter. In or
der that the readers 0f the GLOBE may have
some idea Of the magnitude of this work a
brief description of j "7y not be out of
place. In tine FIRST there were ten
piers to he builE Am .it distance 20 be
spanned from Pies 80, ! to Pier 40. 10 is
1850 feet. The principal piers are num-
bered 8, Z, ;, 6, and 5,
piles driven ranging in length
FROM - 10 81 feet. ON the top Of these
piles is built platform feet thick. OF oak
and pine wood, and on this rests the super
structure OF stone which Is granite for l6
feet ineheight and above that is stone from
the Red Wing quarry. Piers No. and 4
are the principal ones. and are 26 feet wide
at the base by G5 feet IN length with an al
titude of s. feet of solid stone. MANY of
the blocks of granite in these piers weigh
ing So tons. measuring 20 cubic feet. The
other principal piers being 3. 8. z and s.
are all built IN the same substantial manner.
the only difference being in their height.
The bridge starts on a gentle incline from
Third street and towers above the railroad
bridge at A distance OF nearly four feet IN
the clear In carrying on this stupendous
work the contractors have employed little
over 500 men, of which number some 300
were 1T work in the Quanies at ST. Cloud
and Red Wing and the balance on the
work ~ ST. Paul. They have had seven
Steam delricks at work and number of
ilat-b0ttoned boats for use IN driving
piles. cubing, etc. Their monthly pay ron
amounted up into the thousands and not a
man employed 0y them. either al the quar-
ries or on tie work here, received less than
Sl.60 Der day. As a specimen of the enter
prise shown 5y the contractors. it may be
stated that ille first stone On the principal
pier was LAID on the 18th day Of September.
at 10 O'Clock in the forenoon. aud the
massive pier with its coping ready for the
ilgn. supewtructure was completed yes,er-
day in view Of large number of interested
spectators 5y TIE hoiStihg of granite blocks
weighing FIVE and half tons 10 the ton Of
thise iglty-hYe-f0Ot pier.
As stated above. this work viii be turned
c9ar TO the city to-day and Mr. Michael
O'Brien, who helped to build the Wsbasha
street bridge. the FIRST pier bridge ever built
over the Mississippi river, can well be ex-
cased for indulging in little pafdonabla
pride IN the completion 0f a work which
win forever identify his name with the
city.
'lhe contractors for the superstructuue
are the Morse Bridge company OF Youngs-