Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-01

summer Of 1853. John Warner & Co.
of Rock Island were the contractors
for the masonry, and Stone Boomer
OF Chicago were contractors for the
superstructure The main bridge over
the river was located between the
ruins Of the old T abutment on the is
land OF Rock island and the center OF
the east end of the embankment OF the
c., R. l. & P. depot grounds at the In
tersection of Fourth and River streets,
Davenport. The structure Of the bridge
consisted of two spans 253 feet in
length, beginning at the eastern end or
shore OF the island; one drawn span
81 feet long, and between 1t and the
Iowa shore three other spans 253 feet
each, about 1000 feet G,575). The
draw span, for additional stability,
was surmounted with gallows frame
which, by braces, and chains or rods,
supported the ends of the draw span
when being turned. The superstruc-
ture was composed Of what were
known In those days as Howe trusses,
and these were reinforced by four
arched trusses on each span-one on
either side of each truss-springing
from the piers about 10 feet below the
bottom chord line, and rising, embrac-
irg the trusses, to the top of the top
chcrds at the center Of the span, TO
which they were bolted. They were
also connected with truss rods to the
lower chords, and thus added to their
strength The timber used in this
bridge was planed smooth on four
sides. and after erection into the
bridge, received two coats of white
lead paint The pier on the east side
OF the draw was provided with a large
DETECTING mirror lamp, and the nose
of the pier was painted white, and
the draw pier had the same provisions,
so that pilots might determine their
location when coming down the river
at night. The draw pier, on its down
stream end, carried green lantern On
a pole, and the upstream end was pro-
vided with white light. The western
end of the span on the eastern side of
the steamboat channel also had white
light. All had powerful lenses. A
boarding house for bridge superintend-
ent and Waterman were built upon the
upstream end of the draw pier-brick,
end of the draw pier was a light build
ing of wood, for sleeping quarters for
the men in hot weather.
The bridges were completed and in
use only short time when the steam
boat Eff1e Alton, passing up, proceeded
SOM 200 feet above the head of the
long draw pier, when one of its wheels
stopped, and, the other being contin-
ued. the boat turned around, against
the tendency of the current, and
brought up against the bridge at the
pier next east of the draw pier. A
stove was overturned by the shock,
burning The boat and the span against
which it struck. The span was rebuilt
and put in use as soon as possible.
In 1858 the St Louis chamber of
commerce, which was against the main
tenance of the bridge, complaining that
1T was an obstruction to navigation and
detrimental to the traffic on the river.
sent civil engineer, ]. w. BisseH by
name, to Rock Island, to make a study
Of the bridge as an obstruction. Dur
ing his stay an attempt was made one
night to burn off the east end of the |
second span from the Iowa shore. |
Planks were laid from chord to chord |
of the arch trusses on the west end of |
the span and the downstream side of |
the bridge. This floor was covered with |
bundles of lath soaked in Greek fire |
or Kerosene, and after this birthstone |
was spread each way from the pier, /.
east and west, upon the sidewalk-to /
prevent by its fumes the approach of |
the guards on the bridge deck.
While the incendiaries were engaged /
In the placing of these materials for |
the fire, Mr.. Fink, now a resident of |
Davenport, passed east to the draw,
and after exchanging halls with the |
man on the draw-drsw bridge was al
ways kept open except during the pas
sage OF trains-was returning west
ward to his Station, when he stepped
on the brimsoone on the walk Know
ing that nothing had been there five
minutes before, he fired his musket to
alarm the watch on the draw. AS the
gun was fired he heard the incendi-
aries drop into their boat, and saw
them row away in the moonlight down
stream. They had not struck a match
when they were alarmed and fed The
were removed to the draw
pier and stored underneath the bunk
house, and afterward were the means
OF the destruction of the draw pier. the
draw span and the boarding house by
fire. ]. II. Preston, bridge master at
the time of the fire, now lives at Des
Moines.
later the Grey Eagle struck the
stone pier on the island side of the
draw opening and was sunk. The hull
forms the nucleus of part Of the pres