The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-01-26
BRIDGE MAY BE
TRIBUTE TO DEAD
Main Street Bridge May be
Made Memorial to Our
Dead Soldiers.
TO LAST A CENTURY
Facts and Figures Given Out
as City Formally Accepts
the Completed Structure.

the Completed Structure.
The suggestion that the new Main
t1eet bridge which has just been built
the city at the cost Of more than
half million dollars should be named
fter one of Kenosha's soldier dead as
memorial to the courage and patri-
tism of the lads who served In the
,reat War did not @en on stony
round when it was made to city OFF,
ials this morning. A prominent citi-
en- has suggested that this would be
tting tribute to our honored dead and
ity officials who were approached with
he suggestion today declared that
ONE such steps might be taken in the
ear future.
ut has been quite common for COM
lunities to designate some imposing
zee of new construction as a me-
.orial to their fallen soldiers of the
ar" it was suggested. "Kenosha's
ewest Improvement Main street
RIDGES monumental and inspiring
nd it seems proper to suggest that
lie bridge be dedicated to the memory
those valiant heroes Of Kenosha who
re sleeping in the hills and valleys
f far away France, or whose broken
odies have been brought home to be
laced in their final resting places
ere"
A Lesson in Patriotism.
"Such a monument in the heart of
he community would serve to keep
ways fresh the memory Of the deeds
# Kenosha's heroic dead, and it would
Je an inspiration to the coming gem
arations. To further carry out the
purpose of a memorial, the bridge
could be named after the first Keno
han who gave his life on the fields of
France. Then when children viewing
he bridge were impressed with its
grandeur, they would be given les
son in patriotism if they knew the
magnificent structure had been named
in honor of one who had given his all
for his country"
In connection with this suggestion
and also with the completion and ac-
ceptance of the bridge as acknowledged
early this week when the structure was
accepted by the city council, it is not
improper that statement be made as
to the history and the size of this
bridge. The great improvement is i'm
pressed on any pedestrian now cross
ing the bridge if he looks to the east
and sees the old bridge now placed on
temporary bulwarks waiting either to
be sent to the junk pile or to be taken
elsewhere to be used.
Statistics Show Size.
The city of Kenosha may we'll be
proud of the bridge for according to
reports of engineers who have visited
it, it has completed a bridge which is
well worthy of the high rank which
Kenosha holds among the cities of
Wisconsin, 1t is structure which has
been built for the future as well as
the present and is indeed strong and
fitting link in the chain Of Kenoshas
development.
The bridge is sos feet long; it has
45-foot roadway with two ten-foot
sidewalks on either side. 1t has double
track lines across it, providing amply
for the transportation needs of the
city. Eight hundred tons of steel were
used in its construction and carloads
upon carloads of cement.
The bridge can be opened or closed
in one minute and half and this
leaves large enough opening to pro-
vide for any harbor needs which might
arise.
Need Realized Years Ago.
Need for a wider and stronger
bridge at Main street became evident
number of years ago. The need was
realized and bridge was planned of
such size that it would serve for many
years. Two serious problems became
apparent when actual preparations
were started. These were the elimina-
ton of the grade crossing at the Sim
mons company switch track on the
south side of the river, and the meet
ing of the war department position
that the river was navigable for some
distance west of the bridge site. The
Wisconsin Railroad commission con-
trolled the elimination Of the grade
crossing, and after an investigation OF
the project, this commission decided
on the height of the bridge and the
limit to which the Simmons company
switch track could be lowered. The
city Of Kenosha appealed from the
decision of the commission bat were
unsuccessful in having the ruling
changed.
Because it considered the river west
of the bridge site navigable, the War
department demanded a movable span
over the channel. and clear channel
of eighty feet. 1t also fixed the mini
mum height Of the steel span above the
water surface.
Council Chose Type.
When the governing conditions were
laid down by the Railroad commission
and the War department, the city pro-
ceeded to select the type of bridge
and to prepare plans and specifications
The Strauss Bascule Bridge company,
and the Westrott Engineering com
pany, both of Chicago, were selected to
design the structure for the city. The
Strauss company prepared plans for