Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-01
BUILDING BRIDGES.
Plans Devised by n Board OF Army En-
gineers--.Maj. Maekenzie's Ideas---
An Important Bill Drafted

gtneefs--.MnJ. Mackebztes hdeas---
An Important Bill Drafted
Maj. Mackenzie has returned from st.
upon meeting of a board of army engi-
neers appointed for the purpose of draft
ing a general bridge bill for the Missls
sippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers The
work Of the board is of great importance
to all the cities on the rivers named.
which, like Rock Island and Davenport,
have charters for new bridges which
must be built in accordance with the
terms Of this hill. The board was com.
posed of Lieut.. Col. Suter, st. Louis,
president; Maj, A Mackenzie, engineer
in charge of Mississippi river improve
ments between st. Paul and the mouth
of the Illinois river; Maj. A. NJ. Miller, in
charge of Mississippi river improvements
between st. Louis and Cairo and Mai
Thomas II. Handbury, in charge of the
Missouri and Illinois improvements. with
Lieut.. Bingham, recorder of the Missis-
sppi river commission, acting in like
capacity for the board.
For nearly two weeks the board has
held daily sessions, giving the subject the
most exhaustive attention and called be-
fore it many practical men, civil engi-
neers, business men aud others and from
them gained much valuable information
Tho unnpral hriIun hin 10 10 Go
granting the right to build bridges across
the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois
rivers, and to do away with all special
bills for that purpose. 1t will be similar
to the general bill governing the bridging
of the Ohio river, but will, it is believed,
throw still stronger safeguards about the
river interests while not encroachiug upon
other business involved. Under the Ohio
river general bill when company desires
to construct a bridge all that Is necessary
is to select the site and notify the secre
tary of war, who appoints commission
or board to investigate and report on the
matter and if the proposed bridge is not
deemed detrimental to navigation, the
right to build is granted by the war de,
partment, thus doing away with all the
red tape, and the necessity of getting a
special bill through congress,
In a conversation with a press repre>
sentative concerning the new bill, Mai.
Mackenzie said:
THE Mississippi is a great artery
which should never be ligatured with low
bridges where they can possibly be
avoided The new bill has been pre-
pared with the utmost care, and after long
and exhaustive investigation of the subs
ject. While | am not at liberty to give
the details of the new bill, can say that
it will not only provide for the protection
of navigation as it has never been pro.
tected before, but has been drafted with
a view to harmonzing all opinions and
wiping out the possibility of disaster
being brought upon the river and bust
ness interests involved by mere specula,
tors. There are probably dozen special
bridge bills before congress now, and
charters have been granted to dozens of
others, which have never been utilized
and are now held for purely speculative
purposes The passage of special
bridge bills has been perpet>
ual menace. and nothing but eter,
nal vigilance on the part OIL
the war department has averted disaster
to Mississippi river navigation. Under
the general bill no one is debarred from
building a bridge, but the war department
has the deciding voice as to whether the
site and plans are practicable. | believe
that the new bill will meet with general
approval, and consider it the most i'm
portant movement in internal navigation |
lnaugurated in recent years.
Speaking of the speculative feature
of this bridge question, | could name at
least half dozen important bridge char
tiers now held at price by spectators
who never had the remotest idea of build
ing bridge, but secured the passage of
a special bill for the profit there was 10
it. There is one charter for a bridge
across the Mississippi which is held at
the princely figure of S250,000. When |
that special bill was passed it was shown
and almost conclusively, that the parties
seeking the charter had no idea of build
ing bridge, but were aiming to make
something out of the franchise. Where
bridge is desirable there should be every
facility afforded the projectors to build it, |
and this IS what the new general bill aims
to do and has been the point kept in view
while it was being drafted"