The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-13
MEMPHIS BRIDGE OPENED
Tennessee and Arkansas United by
Bands of Iron Across the Mississippi.
Third Largest Structure Of the Kind in the
World-Tested by Eighteen Locomotives in
String-Speech by Senator Voorhees,.

point was formally declared opened for
traffic at noon to-day.
All yesterday, last night and this morn.
ing railroads and steamboats, have been
bringing people to Memphis and the crowd
of visitors which to-day thronged the city
and congreRated about tho great bridge to
witness the ceremonies is estima ted at 80.
600. The city never before presented such
o gala appearance.
The decoration of business houses was
never so elaborate. and the star
spangled banner foated from every
cornice and window of tho down.
town buildings Distinguished visitors
in the pereon Of eminent statesmen. Sena-
tors. Congressman. Governors, Supreme
Court judges and prominent railroad off,
Gals crowded tho hotels. They were here
to join In celebrating the grandest event in
the history of Memphis. The man-Of-wsr
Concord, gaily 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 a tremendous. din of whistles from
the shipping at the levee. All river craft
had been handsomely decorated, excepting.
perhaps. the mammoth transfer boats
whose vocation will soon be known as q
thing of the past. The weather was de-
lghtful
The exercises of the day began with an
imposing street pageant " hch started from
down town at 10 o'clock. A detachment of
mounted police cleared the way and the
procession which followed was most i'm
posing. The visiting and city militia, act
ing as escort to the distin guished guests OF
the day In carriages, led the way. Follow
ing these were the fire department. of Men,
phis with engines and carts gaily decorated.
and nno hn rad 70 lt,rce ttUS Of q ha
products and manufactures of the MIssis-
sippi valley, and many other beautiful sand
striking features. the whole literally inter-
spersed with bands of music. The process
after traversing the business portion of the
city proceeded to the bridge, arriving
shortly before o'clock.
where q stand had been erected for the
speakers and distinguished visitors.
THE BRIDGE TESTED.
At 1890 o'clock eighteen monster loco
motives from the ten different railroads OF
tho city. newly painted. with the brass
parts shining like gold and beautifully
decorated. pulled slowly across the bridge
and stood twSjhrles away on the Arkansas
approaches. The boom of o cannon fired
from the center of the bridge. was the
signal for the trip across. Come ahead"
cried superintendent John II. Sullivan. of
of the first engine. A whistliDg signal
from the first engine was answered down
the long line In q jitfy. and $780,
eco pounds of motive power. with
shrossies. Wess soon os In motion Th eS
were two miles away from the bridge. and
each moment increased their speed. BY
the time they were within one-quarter of q
seemed from q height of sixty feet above
ground. was terrific. On they came. the
whistles letting forth demoniacal shriaks.
to which was added the footing of the ves-
sells which clustered around the bridge.
ThIrty-five miles an hour was the speed as
the train reached the bridge, and on to it
they came. with no shutting Off of steam.
1t took one minute and eighteen seconds
for the immense mass of iron. moving at
this rate. 20 cross the great structure. At
12:45 precisely the engines rushed on to
Tennessee soil amid an indescribable din.
After the hubbub had subsidized Governor
Eagle. Of Arkansas. and party were placed
on q gaily-decorated tlat-car and taken to
the Arkansas side of the bridge. In few
minutes Governor Buchanan, of Tennessee.
and party were taken out in similar
train. and In the center of the bridge. with
the cars coupled. the Governor of Tonnes
see joined hands with the Governor of
Arkansas. with President Clapp of the
city of Memphis, standing over them with
hands outctretched. and the ceremony of
the bridge was over. AT quarter after !
before leavjnni the train Governor Bn-
chanan welcomed the distinguished guests
of the day to Tennessee and Memphis. He
was replied to by Governor Stone. of Mis-
remarks were received with enthusiastic
cheering. The party now dIsem cd and
took seats in the grand
Hon. w. L. Clapp. next introduced. for
Memphis. in a speech which brought forth
round after round of applause. Several
other short speeches were then made.
SENATOR Voorhees, ADDRESS.
G. c. Matthews. editor of tho Memphis
AppealAvalanche. then introduced Hon.
Daniel w. Voorhees,. of Indiana, in q few
apt remarks. as the orator of the day. Mr..
Voorhees, was rendered an ovation. He
bowed repeatedly in Acknowledgement of
the cheers. and. when quiet was restored,
began his addrcsa The Scnator first
referred TO the acquisition of the Ter
ritory of Louisiana, and paid o tribute
TO the wisdom. patriotism and foresight of
Jefferson In securing stretch of country
that has added so much TO the wealth of
the Nation. Continuing. he said: Let
the honors of history be paid to whom they
belong. let giant statue of Thomas JEFF
ferson stand at the west end OF the bridge,
his face TO the setting sun; let him look out,
as il were. upon the domain he secured for
his countrymen. There will rise up before
him an abode for future generations moro
numerous than the inhabitants of all
Europe combined: and it will there remain
O monument 10 his wisdom and statesman
ship as eternal as tho mountains that tower
mp from its place. In no other quarter
OF the globe was there ever before dIsplaye ed
the high Christian courage. the sublime
devotion to duty. the steady nerve and the
recuDeratlve energy and strength which
have guided this Southern people from the
depths of adversely and ruin to the assured
and glowing prosperity of the present
hour.
The world is looking on these closing
years of the nineteenth century in the
American Republic. The enemies of the
free government have made loud predic-
dlctlons that one section of the Union had
been ruined by the other; that chronic
aversion. strained rela tons and ill., g isguised
hostility between the United States and the
people of the States would follow the close
of the war-never TO be suppressed by
mutual esteem, affection and a common
reconciliation. Their predictions have al
ready been proven false; and. 1t the bar of
history and before the bar of God, the
South can claim with truth that she has
done. and Is still doing. her part faithfully
for that perfect reconciliation and full de-
velopment OF y united country. which con-
stituto the highest honor. and value, and
glory OF American citizenship.
The triumphs OF science which we cele-
brate this bright happy day havo placed
the people of rho United States. and more
ing distance but as next-door neighbors.
Let us gratefully accept our places in the
grand brotherhood which embraces our
homes, our united destiny and our poster-
~. The dazzling and tempting possibil-
ties of the future we may not dwell on