New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-13
MEMPHIS IN HOLIDAY Y ATTIRE.
OPENING OF THE GREAT RAILROAD BRIDGE
TO TRAFFIC.
THIRTY THOUSAND VISITORS WITNESS THE cELE-
BRATION- SPANNING THE MISSISSIPPI
WHERE DE SOTO CROSSED IN 15i17

WHERE DE SOTO CROSSED IN 1H1.7
Memphis, Tenn, May 12.-M noon today, with
impressive ceremonies, the great steel bridge across
The Mississippi River at this point was form rly de-
carcd open tor traffic All yesterday, last night and
this morning, railroads and steamboats, have been
cmptyng people into Memphis ana tho crowd OF
visitors which to-day throngcd the city and congre-
gated about the great bridge Is estimated at 3o,oco
The decoration of business houses never so eiab
oratc and the starspanged banner floats from every
cornicc and window Of the downtown buildings. The
visitors included eminent staesmen-SeratorS, con-
gle.sInen, GovernOrs-Supreme Court Judges ana
prominent railroad officials crowd the hotels. The
wholesale business OF the city made the day holiday
and the freight departments OF all railroads were
closed for business excepting for the delivery OF
pc:4s liable freight. The man-ofwar Concord. gaily
bedealed from to stern raised her anchors ana
steamed slowly down stream toward the bridge anna
a tremendous din Of whistles FROM the shipping ana
from the evee The liver craft had been Handsomely
decorated excepting the mammoth transfer boats whose
vocation will soon BE- kEown as thing OF the past
The weather delightful.
The festivities OF the day began with street
pagcant n feature Of which 100 floats illustrative
Of the products and manufactures Of the Mississippi
Valley The procession. after traversng the business
NORTON Of the city, proceeded to the bridge, arriving
there shortly before > o'clock George W. Morrison
OF Chicago chief engineer OF the great structure began
the ceremonies by mOtioning to an engineer, sea'eu
within his engine and In a minute procession vi
eighteen pondcrous locomotives amid tremendous cheer
ing started on to the bridge a the supreme test
After their opening Of the bridge senator voorhees,
~ Indiona delivered a speech Opening with an
ooucnt reference 10 the Importance Of the affair." the
speech dealt chiefly with the subjects natural 10 such
an occaslon-thc wisdom, PATRIOTISM ana foresight Vi
Jefferson In acquiring Louisiana, the glorious results
which II had accomplished, the growth oi 'he 'o"'"
within the last thirty years Its stili brighter Iu'u'
and anollv prdiced that the time was not far distant
when the barrier TO the naVieauoh VI '"e '"' Wv
would be removed.
o a., ,,n,,onse sneakers, stand at the entrance OF
c Ii,,o he.ides senator voorhees, were Governors
ruchauon of Tennessee Eagle OF Arkansas, ana
e+or. of Mississippi: the supreme Court OF Ich-
uo.se.: Senators Harris, OF tennessee 'ohee
and Berry Of Arkansas, ana buuer' VI
south Carolina Private John Allen, OF MISSISSIPPI :
Hoprcsontativcs " G. blanchard. Of louisiana JONI
rrs,cv. Of Missouri; Patterson, Of Tennessee storer
~ ohio and General Henderson, OF ILLINOIS, "ehe''li
Gcor,. H. Nettlefon president, and J. f. LOCKWOOD
,epcroI messenger agent OF The Memphis koute
George : Morrison. chief engineer of the Dr1use'
J. r. Stackpolc, OF Boston, and Others
The bridge was built by the Kansas City, Memphis
and birmingham Railroad Company, VINO VIII al ONCE
be.in using 1t, the first regular trah 10 ctoS' oo
Lonr their Kansas City fast express arriving NJ
O'Clock tonlght The bridge is located on the exact
sro, where Ferdinand De soto crossed the MISSISSIPPI
in lJ4l and in cxCavatng for the shore pier on the
Tennessee side some spanish halberls, supposed 10
have been used by him. found. This bridge Is the
hud largest o it, Lind in the world. In the ia!i OF
lass the first casSons sunk. There are hvc
spans and six piers including the anchorage pier Inc
east shore or csntevcr span, Is 22oS3 fcet the MAIN
suan consisting OF two cantilever arms and one In
ermediae span, Is 70442 feet; one continuous span
6aI O6 feet and one dcckspan 3381o Feet making
. total length Of 250I.l2 feet In the bridge proper.
The structure Is extended west OF the main Drdee py
an iron viaduct $500 feet in length, followed by
AGO. foot timber trestc and nearly mile f embank
ment TO n junction with the existing track OF the
Kansas CITY, Fort scott and Memphis Railroad, a lew
hundred feet west Of s.bey, Ark. This embankncne
cruises the IT. Louis. Iron Mountain and southeri
R.llroad and the Little Rock and Memphis Eallrod'
and Mas "A connecting track to both roads. IHe river
l.r, are sunk depths varying from seventN-hvc 20
IN feet below hsl-watrr mark. The material OK tue
m,u bridge f. steel. some idea OF the immensely OF
he steel parts used be obtained by knowing thaS
he main posts are eighty feet high ana welgh twenty
,l,ht tons The man-pin Of the cantcvcr truss Is
nurfecn inche, in diameter and weighs 100 pOuhis
.,.,l plate resting the first pier rom the Menl.
rhs side and coming ont at the top Is the largest stcei
ulat, ever made In the United states. rms pla,e
renchc, from the supports under the brdgc 10 me
&r,ne top and from side to side. being open NJ the
centre and through this aperture traffic passes.