Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-01-26
OLD WOODEN BRIDGE,
First to Span the Upper Missis.
sippi and How It Was
Built.
HISTORY INVOLVED IN CASUALTIES

Oss:rsssioa Of the Desv Span by Fire
witch Cen nanicssed From the steam.r
Ems Aftoh Will, At.emptipg to Pass
rhrossh Dasing . Gal. - member of
Other Accidents.
The first locomotive ever seen in
Iowa was steamed up for use July
70, 1855. 1t was called the s.An-
tome LIE Claire" The locomotive,
says the Davenport Times. had been
hauled across The ice bridge from
Rock island during the previous
winter. Feb. 2S. 1856. the last span
OF the bridge was completed. Sept.
3 the railroad trsck across the isl aud
was perfected and the first train,
Raily decorated with flags and blnt-
Ing, passed over the new structure.
the work was deemed 8 great sri-
umph OF art.
The c., X. I. & P. road was com
pleted to Davenport Feb. 20, 1854.
thus uniting the Mississippi with the
Atlantic. Then came the PROPOSE.
ton to bridge the Mississi ppi and
wed the Illinois railroad with its
Iowa consort. While Davenport and
Rock Island were en'husiastica'ly 10
favor Of the project. the river in.
terests" antsgouized 1t.
On the 18th day Of January, 1858.
an act was passed by tho general
assembly Of the state o; Illinois en-
titled IAN oct to incorporate bridge
company by the title herein named,
etc. Of which Joseph Z. Sheffield,
after whom an Illinois town has bet o
named, Henry Farnhsm, who gave h:l
name to siding northwest OF Daven.
port, j. A. Maiteson and n. Is Judd
were the sole incorporators. Tie
company was organized for the pur.
pose OF constructing q bridge across
the Mississippi river, connecting II q
c., X. l. & T. railroad in Rock Island
with the NJ. & NJ. railroad In Daven.
port. The capital stock was fixed at
$500. 00O. raised on 400 bridge bonds
OF $1,000 each, the psy ment Of which
was guaranteed by the c., X. I. & P.
aud the N. & NJ. railway corpora.
lions.
The work OF the surveys and con.
ssruction commenced In the spring
OF 1854 under Henry Farnham, chief
engineer; John Il. Jarvis, consulting
engineer, with b. b. Brayton, Sr.,
father OF b. ID. Brayton, Of Daven
port, in charge Of the work as resi-
dent engineer. The corner stone OF
the fret pier OF the bridge was laid
Sept. l, 1854. with appropriate ere.
monies in the presence II a large
number OF the citizens Of Dlveupor,
and Rock Island. Hon. Joseph Knox.
mayor Of Rock Island; Hon. Ebenez sr
Cook. Hon. James Grant, mayor oil
Davenport, and George Z. Habbsl.,
the only Survivor Of the four, and
still in harness) made addresses upo,
the occasion.
Eirst Accident.
The bridge had scarcely been NOR,
than completed when an acciden,
happened which, fortunately, onl,
destroyed the draw span. On Apri!
s, 1856. a large aud splendid s.same,
called the Ellie Alton. while attempt
ing to pass through the draw Of ,hs
bridge in q gale, was thrown agsins
the pier and in rebounding swung
around and crashed into the stone
pier east OF the draw. The smoke
stacks. coming in contact with tn.
supcrstrr cture, were broken of, set
ting fire TO the boat in several plscs g
She stuck fast under the bridge, and
the flames from the burning tos'
soon muaicsted with the wool
work Of the bridge and burned Of
the end Of the draw span. which iel,
into the river and together with th,
hull 81 the boat floated three quar-.
tecs OF . mile down the river. Dur.
ing the summer and fall OF tho yea,
1856 the burnt span was recon
structed.
The case Of the Ellie A!tcn wa:
cited in the courts by the river in
terests" as against the .bridge inter
ests." and some historic parsonage.
were engaged 10 the litigation. The
immortal Abraham Lincoln, then {
Springfield On } lawyer. and fast ap
preaching emiuence, was one of The
legal lights employed By the railroad
aad bridge people. The case OF the
Lille Alton 60, tho river people from
the gulf TO the source Of the Missis
sipPl sn,me with icen zied fury
against the Rock Island railroad
bridge, and thousands upon ,hous-
ands Of dollars were fruitlessiy spsn.
ia the vain enteavor 10 compel it.
removal.
The old bridge was very un.or,u
n.te. Between accident, whether Of
design or p'ovidcntisl. its record i.
su omnious one. June Is. 1857, q
lively encounter between steam boa,
men and the bridge tenders took
place. several persons being 10 jured
sept. IS. 1858. the steamer. Eaunie
Harris. sunk aud two lives were lost
June s. 1859. daring, but unsuccess.
iull attempt to destroy the original
bridge; May 10. 1861, the steamer,
Gray Eagle. collided with the bridge
and sunk a few minutes later. total
Ices 20 boas and cargo $4,000: May
q. 1866. the steiner. Enterprise. col.
.ited with the large draw pier OF tae