The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-22
DEEP IN THE RIVER BED
Ruins Of an Old Bridge Found
That Had Been Built
In the Fifties and Long Since
Forgotten.
1t Makes Hard Work for the New
Bridge Contractors Much of
the Filings Still Valuable

The bridge contractors have encoun-
tered an unexpected obstacle which has
greatly interfered with the construction
Of the Golfer dam for the first pier. The
Golfer dam is the water tight box made
Of piles in which the work on the pier
viii be carried on.
In driving the piles the timbers came
in contact with a solid substance which
was buried some distance under the
bed of the river. An investigation reveal
ed the fact that the bed of the river was
covered with a solid mass Of piles, drift
wood and iron. Some of the piles were
drawn out by the aid Of machinery and
they We're found to be Of oak logs
sharpened and IS feet long
For more than a week the worSmen
have been busy trying to clear away
the piles and debris that has collected
around them but they have not yet
completed the work.
The obstruction is the result of a dis
aster which has been forgotten by near
" every one now living in Topeka. Late
in the hfties when steamboats, some
times came up the Kansas river
then little village. The south span
was built so that it might swing to al
low steam boats to pass.
The bride had hardly been construct
ed before it fell into the river and
much of the wreck was never removed
The piers were built of piles and the
piles found by the WOrkmen who VIII
build the NIelan bridge were those that
the south span turned to admit the
passage of boats.
The pier was about 20 feet in circum-
ference and it caught much driftwoOd
and the whole was then covered with
sand by the current in the river and
the wreck of the old bridge was for
gotten. Some of the iron rods used IN
the bridge have been taken from the
pile of debris in the bottom OF the river
and other material used in the con
structiOn of the bridge
The oak piles are in an excellent state
of preservation. They were complete
~ submerged and consequently have
not been subject to decay. They have
been carefully piled up on the bank and
the piles viii be again put in the Dot
tom of the river by the contractors OF
the new bridge. Oak piles are seldom
used now because they are too e1pen-
The old piles have been pulled out by
the aid of engines and it has been less
difficult to draw them out of their bed
in the sand than it has been TO IaSten
the chain on them because they are so
far under the water Mr.. Keepers
thinks that the work of removing the
obstruction viii be completed in few
days.
1T was a great surprise to me" said
Mr.. Keepers, in speaking of the matter
to a Journal reporter. and 1t has great
ly delayed our work. No one had
warned me against the ruins of the old
bridge and did not expect it. No one
can imagine what a task It has been to
clear away the Debris consisting of
stumps and logs and brush but we
have the bulk of the work done
I'VE found one place which resisted
all our efforts and we are now building
a Golfer dam around 1T so that the wa
ter may be pumped out and we viii
then be able to work The wood which
has been in the water all these years is
we'll preserved but it is very heavy be-
cause it is water soaked.