The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-18
a THRILLING STORY.
Related By G. 6. Gage Of His
Wild Ride
Down the Kansas River on the
Bridges Wreck.
"Reminiscences Recalled by the Recent
Finding Of the Remains of the
Ancient Bridge.

U. q. cage well remembers LAlc oA-
bridge across the Kaw built in the sos
It stood but short time, for in less
than two months from the time OF its
completion a flood took it out.
1t has been brought to light a piece at
a time by the workmen on the new
bridge who have struck some of the old
oak pilings in the course Of the work on
the new. and they are just as hard as
they were when put in.
You must remember" said Mr. cage
TO a Journal reporter. that in those
days there was no railroad here. nor
had we even any thought of any There
weren't many anywhere in America and
particularly not in the west. All
freighting was done by wagon trains
through here for the west. Some Of the
local work was done by light draft Mis-
souri, river boats that even ran as tar
up the Kansas river as Ft. Riley. One
large Missouri river boat was burned
there once. There was only one place to
get across the Kansas river, and that
was at Topeka, and the only means was
a rope ferry. There was no North To-
peka. Everything was a wilderness
there, and there wasn't much of a town
on this side of the river.
1.-THE stream of wagon trains bound
for the mountains was almost continu-
GUS and ferying was nightly SLOW so
the bridge agitation began
1T was some months before the work
began. That was in '56. Dr. s. L. Crane
for whom I was then working by the
month, took most of the stock. Col. O.
X. Holiday and f. w. Giles were large
ly interested, and q good many of the
tOWnspeOple held a 800 share or two.
LeaVenWOrth, also. was largely inter
ested. for it was to her benefit as a trad
ing point.
""The bridge cost in the neighborhOod
of So, 600 and was built by a firm Of
contractors named Jones & Kidney of
Cleveland, o.
1T was simply a matter of enterprise
and necessity, and was made free. No
tolls were charged.
lit was an atwood bridge, most of
the heavy beams being hewed timber
The spans We're but l6 feet. -Four piles
were driven up and down stream and
on these were laid the hewed timbers
lengthWise of the bridge. The plank
floor was then nailed in crOsswise.
There was one turn span at the south
end OF the bridge. The main pier for
this was built on a solid foundation of
piles, and it is this one that is causing
so much trouble to the present bridge
builders. This span swung for the pas
sage of boats.
II think the bridge was completed in
June of 81. We were very proud of it,
and we had a right to be- 1t was the
biggest and finest bridge in the west.
There were none across the Missouri
river at that time that remember now.
-'Ine bridge did not stay more than
two months I think it went out in July
or August. It was the biggest food
Kansas had ever seen before since the
WnlLeS came ana she mas never seen one
like it since For days and nights and
nights and days it rained.- the heaviest
part OF ii falling in the Solomon and
Smoky Hill valleys and flooding the
Kaw until at Topeka the water was
four feet higher than any record before
or since. Tn places it ran over the floor
of the bridge, and you could swim
/ horse from where the Rock Island depot
now stands to the river.
Drift wood began piling in above and
[ against the bridge until there were
/ acres of it. Hundreds of dead buffalo
| hOated down the river and lodged with
l the drift wood.
| But we had no time to think of buff
/ falo- Drift wood was piled against our
/ beloved bridge higher than those build
! ings there, and we knew what that
/ meant.
/ "It seemed as though every man in
I the country about was there at work on
! that drift wood, to save the bridge. with
/ axes and poles and boat hooks
/ we worked day and night for sew
] eral days. but it came too fast for US
/ Il remember that James Hickey and
| myself were at work with poles on the
/ north side OF the bridge when it went
/ out. 1t was about o'clock one Satur-
day evening. I was about tired to death
| and so was Hickey
Suddenly there was snap and 'creak
/ and a shout from the crowd, and we
/ knew the bridge was going Hickey
/ was near the north end of the bridge.
I and made desperate run and jump.
] lie landed safely on the north bank of
the river just as the north end of the
/ bridge swung off was not so fortu-
/ nate. and was carried away
'AIl OF the bridge from the island
/ north-400 feet of it-went at once. The
/ rest of the bridge followed, piece at
a time. but I didn't stay to see it. My
wishes weren't consulted.
The bridge. or SO much of it as 7 was
on. went over on its side, forced by the
drift The piles chung to the bridge
They were actually pulled up by the
roots, if that might be said of piles
1T was death to get off, and it looked
like death to stay on I could swim
but I had no notion of trying it in that
frothlng sea of muddy water and
pounding, grinding drift wood
Nobody dared venture out in boat
TO my rescue of course, and SO, like
Lawrence, I decided that would stay
by the bridge since hadn't any ship.
THAT was ride down the river
don't care TO repeat The bridge had
righted itself somewhat and was float
I ing and swinging down the river with
the floor fiat like a raft Every few
minutes one of the piles that swung be-
I low would strike a sandbar in the bot
tom and tear UP through the floor. per
/ never knew whether it was the partic-
ular span was on that was going to
| pieces next or not, and several times il
was the one next to me
BY mere luck, it may have been, that
/ escaped. Tor II my span had been STRUCK
it would have been all day with me.
changed spans occasionally, though
I had just left went
IT was not a pleasant situation.
THE river ran like mad. DriftWoOt
plunged about me. The bridge woult
stick tear loose, swing and start anc
ground and start again, SO that in spite
Of the terrific current progress was slow
Messengers went ahead Of me bS
wagon road to Lawrence to stop me if
should reach there alive
AT Tecumseh there was a sawmin ant
I prepared TO do some of the Iusties
shouting man ever did Before
reached the mill I could see men on it,
roof by the flashes Of lightning. for i
had become dark by this time and wa