The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-18
NORTH SIDE NEWS
Melan Bridge Ready for Traffic
in Few Days.
Extension Work Begun a Year
Ago in April.
CHANGE. CONTRACTORS
Abandoned by JOhnsOns-Car-
michaels Will Finish.
High Diver at Fair Practiced
Feat in Navy.
CHANGE.CONTRACTOR'

Within a few days, probably by tne
END of this week. the extension on the
south end of Melan bridge Will pe
finished SO that the approaches WIN De
ready for traffic after the CITY nos Ii
clared the work safe Tor tne ~ q
conveyances. This is according u
statement made by T. C. Hamilton in
charge of the work for the Carnllc nae
people of Kansas City who nave DeeN
making the extension. Inc c 'o..oha,
tors started operations IN NoVeLiipI 20
Since that time the old approach heo
been out and a temporary roau"a
was constructed on the west sue. -
is rather narrow, with just room,
enough for two wagons 10 pass e. 45,
necessarily some congestion III
has ofent resulted ..- T.. haine
However, the brick paving IS nelns
laid after which the extension Will DC
practically completed. - q
The extension was voted on at
general election two years ago. IN
April, a wear ago, the Johnson peopIe
of Kansas City took the contract 10
finish the extension by October. how
ever, because of bad luck and oIher
. reasons. they abandoned the under
taxing last September. The bids were
soon afterwards readvertised for the
work and the contract relet to OCon-
nor & Son of Kansas City:
On occount of legal nav tnIs -I pIu
once more let, this time to the Car,
michaeIs of Kansas City. Their DID
was $2S,S60.
Comparatively little actual progress
had been made by the Johnson p SEQ
cubic feet of earth to remove and the
two spans to make, requiring ABOUT
3,2OS cubic yards of cement. con-
crete cofferdam for the foundation OF
the pier was one of the features OF the
undertaking and is said to be the only
one of its kind west of the MISSISSIPPI
river. 1t was sunk several feet with
out a crack contrary to the eXpecta-
ton of engineers.
said that the extension was needless,
although the idea was to add the TWO
spans to give sufficient room Tor an
amount of water equal to that OF the
flood of 1903 to pass under the bridge
without flooding the North side. The
amount of excavation required was
estimated and the bridge ordered
heightened some ITS feet in accord
ance. The Santa Fe and Rock Island
bridges are to also be either raised or
heightened to make an equal amount
of waterway.
AS to the Melan bridge itself: In
answer to the people who think the
work needless, II is stated that even
with the present extension, on account
of the piers taking up so much water
way, the amount of waterway under
the entire bridge is really less than
the waterway between the north bank
and the south bank at the Wolff pack
ing house; hence 1t is reasoned, with
out the additional spans. how much
less waterway was afforded.
1--WE act. then think" This is the
way in which Capt. F. La Won, who
dives from Y foot ladder into a net
for the Cosmopolitan shows, giving a
street fair at Garfield park this week,
spoke regarding his work.
"Our actions in the air are like cat
sometimes" continued the acrobat,
as he sat in the shadow Of his tall
ladder. I'VE make motions instructive
ly. When I reach the top Of the ladder
I set myself with a small handkerchief
in the net. That is fix my eyes on
that. When about ten feet from the
net I turn over so as to light on my
feet and make another turn with the
rebound of the net.
Eyes, 1 have plenty of time in the
air to get ready to make the turn. That
is to an acrobat who has full control
of his muscles the time is long enough,
and the fall seems to take considerable
time. but to person unaccustomed
to It. he would strike before he knew
he had begun to fall
Served in Navy.
"Where did 1 learn to make the dive?
In the navy. I had been an acrobat
with circus as a boy, but from 1904
to 1908 I was with the battleship Illi-
nois, as a first-class seaman, a copper
smith, in the engineer corps. With
others on the ship 1 practiced diving
from the masts into the ocean, which
is now a part of training on board q
battleshiD.
AFTER leaving the navy I toured
Argentine, S. A., Independently book.
ing my own act for a season or two
was also with carnival companies in
America.
'Did ever get hurt? Oh, no, moi
much Last year at Tirrell, Tex
broke a few ribs and breast bone ant
sprained my wrist, when a runaway
team ran against the ladder after I HAD
started to fall and knocked the net on
of place. I landed on the edge of tn,
net and fell to the ground, sustaininl
the injuries mentioned. No, 1 WASH
unconscious.
Eyes. like a great many other aero
bats I have been a balloonist and air
shin man. Was with Stroebels air
shin at Chicago, also with McDon.
AIDS. AS a balloonist 1 do what il
known as the cannon act. With a 4
foot balloon, went up in the air in
side Of a galvanized iron tube. abou
fen by four feet. Back of me were thre
parachutes rolled inside of each other
BY working clutch the first parachute
Is released. and the other two are ar
ranged so that use both Of them rid
ing the third one down, but of cours
I have to get over 10000 feet in tn
air to do this"
A house on wheels, strictly moder,
and up-to-date, with all conveniences,