The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-11-14
THE CASCADE BRIDGE,
Built by the King Iron Bridge 4 Man
ufacturing Company of Cleve-
land. D.
1t viii Be Thrown Open January
1T Is to BE an Imposing
and Drrable Structure.

In order to learn how work on the
bridge across the Missouri river at Cas-
cade is progressing a TRIBUNE reporter
took a trip to that picturesque town
yesterday in company with the north
western agent of the King Iron Bridge
Manufacturing company, Mr.. NJ. A.
Adams, and spent two hours inspecting
the present stage of the work. County
Commissioner Wegner and NJ. S. Parker.
engineer in charge of bridges for Cas-
cade county, were also Of the party. The
latter gentlemen expressed themselves
IS pleased with the progress already
nade on the work and were of the opin-
ION that when completed it would be tho
ucer Of any similar structure in the
safe. They examined carefully the
work done thus far and it is needless to
say we're favorably impressed with it's
durability and practibility.
! The Cascade bridge when complete
w have a total length of $50 feet, di-
V led as follows: Two 200 and one leo
foot spans with approaches of 100 and
$50 feet, respectively. 1t will be an iron
structure throughout, including the
piers or caissons. There are four sets of
these, two in a set. all Of which are in
their proper position except the set ad-
joining the st. Clair side of the river,
which is being put in now The caissons
or immense tubes stand on an end and
from a distance one would naturally take
them to be the smoke stacks of sunken
steamboats,. They are held in posi-. on
by piling driven on the inside. the
between the piles and the tubes b :
filled with concrete, which fairly roofs
The caissons to the bottom of the river.
To caissons in the middle of the river
nc n,ef eG IN diameter and of the best
nalf-irCll boiler IRON. Those on the two
banks Of the river are four and a half
feet in diameter and one quarter of an
inch thick.
Each set of caissions is fastened to
gether by heavy iron plates making a
solid pier as firm and lasting as masonry.
The bottom of the piers will be sur
rounded with crib work to be filled with
rock, thus protecting tie foundations of
he caissons from being worn away by
The current of the river. The cribs will
project ten feet up stream making an eff
ticient barrieragainst floating timber and
loose ice. The nose of the crib or the
apex of the V shaped part is usually
called an ice-breaker and will heavily
ironed capable of withstanGinC e shock
of heavy cakes of ice.
, The bridge will be what is called a
mel-back ~trestle, taking it's name from
the shape of the trusses. There will be
, three of the latter. two 200 and one 100
. feet in length resting on the top of the
different piers. Most of the material re-
quired for them is already or the ground
/, and if the weather remains reasonably
/, pleasant Mr.. Adams expects to have
t them in position in about a month. The
bridge will be open for travel by the new
| year.
Mr.. Adams has recently received the
contract for building a similar bridge
4 over the Missouri at Toston. He also
built the bridges at Benton and at Red
| Bluff and at a number of other points IN
the state. The company he represents
built two bridges across the Missis-
sippi at Minneapolis and are getting
a good share of the structural iron work
r for the worlds fair buildings. The Cas-
!. cade bridge. built by a company whose
= reputation is as extensive as the plains
Of Montana. bids fair to be a bridge
p. which the citizens of this county and of
Cascade and st. Clair can well be proud.
New Etchings on Satin and En-
cravings at Caikins' Bookstore.
Finest Line of Picture Frames in