The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-05-20
OPENING or THE MElfP lis
BRIDGE.

orator oi The day. Speaking of the
Lsnisiana purchase, the speaker said:
inlay we not now, with a proud and CRATE
fnl feeling, look at The lines Of the map
wberein It lay2 Its immense extent and 10 ,
finite resources were practically unknown at
the Time 81 its purchase. In the light Of the
present day, however, with the banners Of
civilization fail high, advanced aud stream
ing throughout al It's borders, what reyelA.
ton rises 70 our view. What 3 constellation
q states We see blazing across our whole
western sky. tr0m The mouth Of the Missis-
eippi river 10 the Straits OF Fuea, and from
y. Louis 20 The Pacile Ocean, the American
/ Tag was planted on the Both of April, 1903.
Under its ample folds are clustered the states
OF Lonii lana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, MIN
nesota, Aeoraska. kanBasi Oregon, Washing
ton, MoDtena, North Dakota, South Dakota,
! Idaho, Wyoming, portions OF Colorado and
Nevada, and the territory Of Utah, iii secured
70 the United States BY the treaty With
France But the influence arising from this
act Of eonEumnals sbaEeBmanship did not
cease nor perish BY the Wayslde upon It's
completion, They grew rapidly In force and
N tar-fesehing aud marvellous consequence
Onty iOfly years later the lone star VI Texas
was Illuminating the horizon Of the Ronth gust
e revolt aRalnst Mexico, guided toward the
United States by the example and precedent
Of the Louisiana acquisition. The policy OF
JrfiereOn's administration 10 1903 was the
herald, the fOFsrnnneF, Of the annexation Of
Irxas' aud Of Az the gigantic and glorious
results which fOllowpdH
Let the hOnOFB Of history be maid TO whom
sbey belong; let q giant Statue Of Thomas
Jefferson stand at the west end OF the bridge,
ms lace 70 The settinE sun; let him look ont
- II were, upon the domain be secured for
bis e0nnitymen. There Will rise up before
nm - aevqe l9r iutnrs generations more
numerous than the lnhabitants Of all Europe
combined, and u VIII there remain a nlonu-
ment to his wisdom and statesinAnshlp as
its plains.
'sBut, Mr.. PfesIdent there remains another
Lesson Tor cur recognition aud profit In con-
necticn with the present occasion; We are
y the southland 81 the republic. History
salutes Us here, and more especially the his
tory 81 the last thirty years. In no other
quarter or the habltable globe was this ever
before displayed. The high christian coar-
age, the sublime devotion 10 duty, the steady
nerve and the Feeuperatise energy aud
strength which have guarded the southern
people from the pFOfoundest dspths Of adyeT-
sity and ruin TO the asGnred and glowing
prosperity Of the present hour. Aided 81
the hand Of an overwhelming providence
you have caused the ealamlties and curses az
war 10 beeone the foremost nlesslngs OF
peace. You have removed lhe rubbsh left
by the most destructive tornado that ever
swept Inc earth, and on their old f0unda
lions you have rebuilt states, now more DOW
eriui, progressive aud full OF present and
future greatness than ever before. You have
risen superior 10 the most unjust and iuinri-
Gus system OF national legislation that ever
cursed . people, mot excepting English lave
i0r Ireland and that system has totally per-
isaed. leaving only its memory desplsed alike
IA u
south. 10 is not anew south It Is the old
soutn moving W connection with the Tev0lu-
tion that has taken place. The old blood
aud brain power OF the south, Transmitted
from generation TO generation, is now aroused
aud working out the problem of her destiny.
lhe OF south y DOW young again. She has
revived her mighty youth, aud hencsforth
che viii tower In her p ide Of place regard
Less Of the mousiug oWls that may hawk at
aud seek to destroy her,"
This bridge has the longest span Of
any bridge in the United States, which,
il over 100 feet longer than the next
largest one. There are five spans and
zig Piers, including the anchorage pier
The east shore, or ecanlileser span, is
225 SO feet; the main epan, consisting
of Two eaqtileyer arms and one inter.
mediate span, - 7944 AZ feet; one con
tinnons span 62l.og, and one deck
span 1895 feet, making q total
length Of 2,597 ~ feet 10 the bridge
proper the structure is extended
vest Of The main bridge by an iron
Viaduet $500 feet in length, followed
by . 3lO0foot timber trestle, and
nearly mile Of embankment 10 o
junction with the existing track Of The
Kansas City, Fl. Scott and Memphis
railway, few hundred feet west Of
Slbley, Ark. Thlssmbankment crosses
the st. Louis, Iron Mountain ard
Southern railway and the Little Rock
and Memphis railmay and has . con.
meeting track 70 both roads. 0n tb,
Tennessee aide The track Is tipished ~
connect the Kansas City, Fort Scott
and Memphis railway with the ST..
Louis, Iron Mountsin and Southern
railway in this city.
The following is q statement Of The
dimensions Of The caissons:
Perl, caisson no feet long, soaeet
wide, and 81 feet high. Pier q, Gals
son % festllpng, Al feet wide, and 90
Ieei high. Pier s, caiason % feel
opg, a fest vide, and 40 feet high.
Rier a caisspn go feet long, 20 feel
Fide, 50 feet high. Pier s. caiAson 40 h
est lopg, 22 feet vide. and 90 teet
iigh.
The piers are numbered from she
iasleFn side, and u numbering them
he anchor pier u not included. n
many tespects these caissans are The
post Femafkabls ever pul down.
'shile aae above fiAaFes Indicate tie
the asissong, ihsy az Bgi (
paleate fhe depth % which lhey are
.nalg bsleN The sRafaee Of The riser (
be eaiaeans ale sank "a 20 into ths
nag " leh npaqFilaa The Bod 81 iha
ifsf and surrounding country. lhe
'a,ne atraiam fg9m below hicb Mem
.Ass ealA boz ataasias Nel supply
he 9eepes fonnaaiion S 100 0s fset
'elpw hlgA wster alH she ieeas daptlA
iees he fallpHipg liable gives
2 ares d ihs lenglb % ka bFidge
fia8e proper f8sIfss 88
e! sssf 9fsst It4sfss
lsqh i3ae las09
1ad n