St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-01
OyEB THE mIvEn.
mebert street Brfdge--The work ur
10 Date.

euD-cOfifffucbiOH OF TIE hOD5It oLltcl Ditusc
across The Mississippi river. Very few Of
Che thousands OF people. Old and young.
who have passed up and down the streets
of st. Paul during the past eight or nine
months but have had their attention called
TO the fact that some great work was IN
progress under tleirimmediate observation,
the nature OF which they did not under
stand and about which they did not give
more than a passing thought. Yet this
work, which has been going on quietly and
surely, IS destined to play an important
part ii the history Of the city and those
who viii live 10 see the completion Of the
entire work win wake up some bright morn
Ing and think that the wand Of the ma
gIc;an must have passed over the land and
created new highway FOR the children Of
7nea. II IS within the memory Oi those who
have scarcely vet reached tie full measure
cf Manhood when ''the mighty Mississippi
rolled down TO the SCI" without o single
plank to span its bosom from its
source in the North TO the delta
III the South. From the time
when It was first enunciated that westward
the star Of empire takes Its way the
mighty Mississippi was considered as the
stopping place OF empire. Beyond It's
waters was the great unknown, and as its
majestic flood rolled on in silent granduer
il seemed TO say 10 the incoming tide OF
humanity, Thus far shalt thou come and
no further" But time is a great iconoclast
aud breaks not only tie images Of thought
but also, with the energy Of man, dehes the
apparently insurmountable barriers OF
nature. IL was reserved for our sister city
Of Minneapolis to have the honor Of build
ing the first bridge that ever spanned the
waters OF the longest river in the world
This was the suspension bridge, built above
tiie falls OF st. Anthony IN 1856. Follow
ing Gloss upon this came the building Uf the
first pier bridge ever built across the river
which Is known as the Wabasha street
bridge at st. Paul. It's not necessary 10
give in detail the history of this now his
f0Fical structure. Suffice it 10 say that BY
an act OF the territorial Legislature Of 1854
the ST. Paul Bridge company was formed,
its ihcorporators being Lyman Dayton, }.
&. Ramsey. j. r Irvine. j. W. Barr w.
G.. lie DIE, w. r. Marshall J r. Brown.
George l.. Becker, w. /. Ames, Nathan
Mylick. A. J.. Larpenteur. j. W. Simpson,
G. H. Cakes, ~ L. Anes and Louis
Roberts. Although the company was
formed in 1854 work upon the bridge did
not commerce. until 1856, and WAS not culn-
pleted AMI thrown open 20 the public until
1888 II was a toll bridge. but so far as the
stock was concerned il was q terribly poor
investment. and in 1863 the city purchased
the bridge at 1.-THE Of what it cost the
stockholders and made il a free bridge
which il has remained ever since. Other
bridges both wagon and railroad. have
been built across the Mississippi river. but
20 81 Paul belongs the'honor Of building
the inst pier bridge that ever spanned the
FEATHER of Waters.
So much fur past history, and now we
come down 10 the present II goes for the
saving thar Will tie marvellous growth Of
ST. Paul during the past five years. II be-
came ~ absolute necessity that more bridges
should be built 70 connect 81. Paul proper
With what IS known as West ST. Paul.
F0l several wears. past the matter was agi-i
tated and finally eliminated in q legislative
enactment authorizing the city to
issue bonds for building bridge
across the Mississippi river at
Robert street. All the preliminary
steps were taken and on the 9Th Of January
last the bids were opened for It's cOnstruc-
ton, the bids being divided between
the sslb-cOnstrnction and the snperstrncture.
The contract for the sub-c0nstruction, or
stone work. was awarded to Michael
0'Brien & Sons. whose bid was something
like S14 GOO lower than any other bidders.
and IN the aggregate amounted to about
$3.50. 600. After the contract was let there
was a number OF obstacles thrown in the
way of the contractors, principa! among
which. aside from high water, were obiec-
tons made by the government on account
Of obstructing navigation, and Hon. c. ID.
O'Bricn had to visit Washington to
straighten matters out This ne succeeded
in doing. and about the latter part of April
or the tirst Of May last the Messrs. OiBrien
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 NAV have
some idea Of the magnitude Of this work
brief description OF Il nay not be out of
place In the first there were ten
piers 10 be built. sUla lie distance 10 be
spanned from Pie. 40. 10 Pier No. 10 Is
1,55o feet The principal piers are mum
bered 3 4, 5, q, z and S,
and under all of these are
piles driven ranging in length
from 20 To 81 feet. On the top of these
piles Is built platform 2 feet thick. of oak
end pine wood, and on this rests the super
structure OF stone. which Is granite for 10
feet insheight. and above that is stone from
the Red Wing quarry. Piers No and
are the principal ones. and are % feet wide
al the base by IS feet In length. with an al
titude OF So feet of solid stone. Many of
the blocks OF granite in these piers weigh
ing 80 tons neasuuing 10 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 gentle incline from
Third street and towers above the railroad
bridge at distance OF nearly four feet in
tue clear. 10 carrying on this stupendous
work the contractors have employed a little
OVER 500 men, OF which number some 300
were at work ia the qaarries at 81. Cloud
and Red Wing, and the balance on the
work Ia ST. Paul. They have had seven
stream delTicks at work and a number OF
i.at.b0itoned boats for use IN driving
pilss cuibing. etc. Their monthly pay roll
amounted up into the thousands and not
man eihpiuyed by them. either at the quar-
Iiea o. en- TIE work hcre. received less than
Sl-bo per day. As specimen of the enter
prise shows oy the contractors. it may be
stated that the first stone Oh the principal
pier was laid on the nth day of September.
at 10 O'Clock in the forenoon. and the
massive pier with It's coping ready for the
iron superstructnre was completed yesfer-
day in view OF large number of interested
spectators By the hosting OF granite blocks
weighing FIVE and half tons 10 the TOD Of
thise iglity-ilYe-foot pier
As stated above. this work win be turned
oyer to the city to-day and Mr Michael
o'Brien. who helped to build the Wabasha
street bridge. the first pier bridge ever built
oser the Mississippi river. CAN we'll be ex-
esssed for induginE In q little pafdonable
Pride in the completion OF a work which
VIII forever identify his name with tbe
city.
The contractors for the superstructllFe
are the Morse Bridge company of Youngs-