Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-09-03
by steel re-enforcing.

ny Ateei re-cniorcink.
In order 70 carry trafIic while the
bridge was under construction heavN
steel butiresses were built around
each pier These buttresses support
cd false wood work that not only carr
ried the trains. but also the spans OF
tho bridge. The false work rested on
pillng driven In the bottom az the
river. One span was taken out and
tho new one built and set In place be-.
fore any work was done on the other
spans, so that al no time was there
any great portion OF the bridge out Of
commission. and az soon as the new
spans were set In place the trains
were operated over them. Trains had
10 run at very low speed over tho
bridge and especially over the false
work. but there never vas time
when the false work showed the least
sign OF giving away.
The contract for building the bridge
Was let IN september. 1871. to the
Mississippi valley Bridge company of
I.cavenworlh. Work began tho fol-
lowing month and the entire bridge
IL complete now. Some additional
vladuct work Is being done al the
north end OF the bridge to take tho
place OF the filed grade that formerly
made the approach 10 the birds
proper 4
Threatened by Ice and Hood.
In the spring of 1879 tho engineers
had their first trouble In constructing
the blk bridge. The Missouri rivcIl
was very high al the time and II waa
frozen clear across with ice Vt unusna
thickness The work continued right
along during the winter peculiar
weather phenomena appeared that
year In that the ice broke up above
! Kansas city before u broke up around
= tho bridge. But the engineers knew
! all about this. They had stationed re-
liable men along the river M far north
as Omaha To tell about water condi-
lions which might be expected at the
bridge. The watchers reported the
I ice breaking up 50 the engineers had
/ plenty Of time 10 prepare for Il be-
/ fore the big ice jam came down.
Thousands OF feet Of lumber and hum
/ dreds OF feet of the false work for tho
/ bridge were carried away by the fee
! But the warnings that had come from
/ above had been ln sufficient time "a
/ let the engineers get the false work.
( clear 81 the actual bridge and not even
steel bar or bolt " the bridge Was
] lost or injured when the falsowork
( was carried away. II Is said that
when the falsework went out with tho
ice that Il hardly Jared the steel
structure as the fnlscwork had been
/ cut away from the steel work
Not a Idfe Lost In the Work.
one Of the remarkable points In the
! construction OF this bridge rs the fact
! that not man lost his life on 4 dur
/ ing any Of the time the bridge WAS
under construction. None was even
seriously Injured. one man WAS kill
ed on "A supply train for the bridge.
/ He climbed TO the top Of carload
| OF piles 90 be- used In supporting tha
/ false work and was riding the bridge.
/ The piles were loaded loosely on the
/ car and the jarring Of the train caused
some OF them 90 roll about. This roll
/ Ing Of the plies threw the man on Ind
car and he was killed In the faii ~
tho ground.
The plans for the new bridge ana
for tearing Qua the old bridge AZ the
same time not impeding traffic either
while taking out the old spans or put.
ting In the new bridge were made By
A. y. Robinson. bridge engineer for
the entire santa We system r. ".
| Eraily, Assistant bridge engineer. was
The man In active charee Of Che cen-
ssructi0n work. He stayed on the
bridao every minute and watched