The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-09-21
The Only Pontoon Bridge i'll Mis-
u

inOSL turbulent JlNGTS Ill lHe WOTlt) was ne
cessary. The ACCESSIBILITY of building u rail-
road and wagon bridge was often argued and
at one time the advocates of this plan. feeling
so confident that their plans would be carried
out, went so far AZ TO form II company and
secure IL charter, which charter IL still in the
possession of the company. After much work
TO induce capitalists and railroads TO take an
interest in the matter the plan was almost
given up, for those in charge of the business
fOrGSew that it was useless for IA city Of our
size TO undertake and carry out such a gIgan-
tie scheme. The amount OF capital needed
was lowly estimated at $500, 000.
After the matter had rested quietly for a
year or more the fact became known that the
Ferry CO., deemed il necessary TO buy a new
boat for this place and in commenting upon
the action of the board Of directors the editor
Of this paper wrote an article suggesting that
instead of buying IA new boat immediately
that they take the matter of building a pom
toon bridge into consideration From this
time on The matter was discussed with no
little interest and the plan was warmly adj.
v"cated by this paper. The ferry company
would not build the bridge that was almost
a fOregone conclusion, and this spring a hand
full of business men of the city took the mat
ter in hand and after many discouraging at
tempts to induce the property holders in
general to take a hold, they succeeded in
forming a company, and selected a commit
tee to go to Nebraska City, Neb., u examine
the bridge that was built at that place In the
time we were trying to get up a public meet
inA. The committed, Messrs. Frank Kriehn
and EeB Vaughan Two men who are Uery care
ful IN business transactions, went to that city,
examined into every detail o! the workings
OF the bridge and came back and made an
encouraging report. Upon the hearing of
their report Il committee was selected to
solicit subscriptions to Il capital stock, which
WIS placed at $4,000 With a FOOD deal of
hard work the necessary amount was raised.
Col. S. N. Stewart, called by the Austrians,
the River King" the builder of tho Ne
braska City bridge and a man who has gained
fame and fortune by overcoming the difficult
ties met with in the swift current of the
mighty Missouri river by the introduction of
his patent V shaped draw and other pontOOn
bridge inventions, was then sent for and q
~ w "''fu ~ ~ We ~ olSC ulhNh up
About the first of July the building Of the
boats for the bridge was commenced, and on
the 18th day of September. 1889, the arrange
ments for the safe. speedy and cheap trans
pOrtati0n that our merchants had wished
for so long were completed, for then 1t was
that the draw was closed for the first time
and travel commenced, and the city OF Lex
inQton, which has been ridiculed for her
inactivity showed herself to be ahead OF her
sister towns by having built and placed In
successful operation
THE FIRST AMI ONLY PONToON BRIDGE IN
MISSOURI.
The bridge, in fact, is not a bridge, but
it is II lot OF decked scows. On the
swift SIDE of the river these scows
are IA feet long AMI I6 feet wide
and are placed side by side. On the slack
side of the river the boats are "a feet long
and 3 feet wide. End are placed . feet apart,
the intervals being bridgcd over . Tit draw
Is composed Of 2 leaves. or assemblages Of
boats, eich 2G0 feet long which meet and form
a V. When The draw is open Il clear passage
way of 1874 feet is left for passing boats. This
IL more. than twice the width OF any opening
al any pier bridge d"uw on any bridge in the
world, and is next in size 20 the Nebraska
City draw which Is by 30 per cent the largest
ever bnIlt.The Lexington draw is the only one
in The world that is entirely closed rs well ne
opened by the power Of the river itself (as
when he built the Nebraska CITY bridge Col,
Stewart had not yet completed that inven-
ton. This closing Is accomplished by the
current acting upon rudders. which when
the draw Is closed, or entirely open. lay along
side OF the draw boats. When II is desired to
close the draw these rudders are drawn out
by u Jack" and placed In such a position
that the current striking them forces the ends
OF the two draws together. The roadway Is
nine feet wide which only allows the passage
OF one wagon AT II time, but at Intervals along
the bridge there are places sufficiently wide to
place four wagons and allow another to 20 In
between them.
Floating trees, 1t has been freely argued,
would bs likely to damage the bridge, nut
this Is not the case. A tree will 20 under the
bridge with a great deal less trouble than il
Will under Il ste tmboat. and who ever heard
OF a being damaged by a floating
tree? But In case anything should float down
that would be liksly to damage the boat, il
will be seen by the man in charge of the
bridge, who will Immediately open the draw,
touch a match to the naptha I'm a little tug run
by the gas created by the burning OF this
liquid, and run out, attach to the floating OBJ
jet and take it through Il c draw. The tug is
to be loaned to the bridge company for an
indefihite time by Col Stewart, but it Is not
likely to often be called into use.
There BIAS also been a great deal of talk
about floating ice damaging the bridge. 1t
will take the heaviest Ice ever known in this
to break the bridge, but, as a precau-
ton, when the ice gets very heavy II will be |
taken our and placed on The river bank. This !
cnn be done and the bridge replaced at a cost
about 800. Even II IL is necessary to keep
1t on the bank two months of every winter, |
how much better are we off when the ferry !
boat has 10 hunt winter quarters and there
remain for that length of timer But the
bridge will stand IN ice that no boat that ever
piled the waters of the Missouri river would
ever dare to try to run through.
The briGge is there ana there to STAY; the |
have, come down to a rate that any man
G IN afford to pay. We built 1t to gain tie /.
t"adf of she people Of Ray county and it is
Y ling TO be gained, too, or we are badly mis-
taken.
A tomb, stone with the following epitaph
stands near the Lafayette side and Il person
does not have to draw very hard on his I'm
aginatiOn'to understand its full meaning
e 800 -. $3.50.
10 the memory nP