The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-05-18


Structure.
MEMPHIS, May 12-At high noon today,
with impressive ceremonies, the great
steel bridge across the Mississippi river at
this point was formally declared open for
traffic. All yesterday, last night and this
morning railroads and steamboats, have
been bringing people to Memphis, and the
crowd of visitors which today thronged
the city and congregated about the great
bridge is estimated at thirty thousand.
The city never presented such a gala APP
pearance. The decoration of business
houses was never so elaborate, and the
star spangled banner floats from every
cornice and window Of the down
town buildings. Distinguished visitors
In the person OF eminent statesmen,
senators, congressman, governors, su-
preme court judges and prominentrailroad
officials crowd the hotels and are here to
join in celebrating the grandest event in
the history of Memphis. The wholesale
business of the city has made the day a
holiday and the freight departments Of
all railroads are closed for business, ex-
cepting for the delivery of perishable
freight. The man-of-war Concord, gayly
bedecked with stars and stripes and the
union jack from stem to stern, raised her
anchors and steamed slowly down stream
toward the bridge amid tremendous din of
whistles from the shipping at the levee.
All river craft had been handsomely
decorated, excepting perhaps the NAM
moth transfer boats, whose vocation will
soon be known as q thing OF the past.
The weather is delightful The
festivities OF the day began with an
imposing street pageant, which started
from down town at 10 o'clock. detach-
ment OF mounted police cleared the way,
and the procession which followed was
most imposing. The visiting and city
militia, acting as escort to the distin-
gushed guests OF the day in carriages, led
the way. Following these were the fire
department of Memphis with engine and
carts gayly decorated and 100 floats illus
trative of the products and manufactures
OF the Mississippi valley and many other
beautiful and striking features the whole
literally interspersed with bands OF music.
Tess Of Strength.
The procession was about two hours in
passing, and, after traversing the business
portion of the city, proceeded to the
bridge. arriving shortly before o'clock.
Mr.. George W. Morrison of Chicago, chief
engineer of the great structure, began the
ceremonies by motioning to an engineer
seated within his engine, and in a minute
procession OF eighteen ponderous loco
motives, amid tremendous cheering.
started on to the bridge as the supreme
test.
The bridge which was opened for traffic
was built by the Kansas City, Memphis &
Birmingham railroad company, which will
at once commence using it. the 6rst regular
train TO cross over being their Kansas City
fast express, arriving at o'clock tonight.
The bridge is located on the exact spot
where Ferdinand De Soto crossed the Mis-
sissippi In l54l, and in excavating for the
shore pier on the Tennessee side, some
Spanish halberds supposed to have
been used by him were found. 1t is
the third largest of its kind in
the world and stands as a magnificent
memorial to the engineering genius of the
DultQcI, WI. OcOIkc .. MOITlcOH. IL W AZ
his conception, the practical work being
under the direction of Mr.. Alfred s. No
BILE, assisted by Messrs. w. +. Angler, ID.
A. Malitor and ]. NJ. Heiskell, all of whom
have lent efficient assistance to the under
taking. The practical labor at this point
began in the fall of 1888, when the first
caissons were sunk. 1t has gone on
steadily since that time, and now finds
ompletion soc ething less than four years
later.
Description of the Great Ridge.
There are five spans and six piers in
GLIDING the anchorage pier. The east
shore or cantilever span is 225.83 feet; the
main span consisting of two cantilever
arms and one intermediate span is 794. AZ
feet; one continuous span 62l. O6 and one
deck span $3.50 feet, making a total
length Of 2,597l2 feet in the bridge proper
The structure lie extended west of the main
bridge by an iron viaduct $500 feet in
length, followed by 100 foot timber
trestle and nearly mile OF snbaukment
TO a junction with the existing track of
the Kansas City, FtScOtt & Memphis rail-
road q few hundred feet west Of Sibley,
ARK. This embarkment crosses the 81.
Louis, Iron Mountain * Southern railroad
and the Little Rock & Memphis railroad,
and has a connecting track to both roads.
The river piers are sunk TO depths varying
rom 70 to 13l feet below high ter mark.
All were sunk by the pneumatic caisson
process, and are Of masonry from the
saissons to the bridge seats. The material
,f the main bridge is steel. Some idea
Of the innmensity OF the steel
parts used may be obtained
BY knowing that the main posts are
eighty feet high and weigh twenty Gig t
IONS. Many Of the pieces weigh ten,
twelve and sixteen tons. The main pin OF
the cantilever truss is fourteen inches in