The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-07-11

number, are in the water. Super
intendent Sethne reports that up
to date $4,000 feet of lumber have
as the necessary permit arrives,
it will be a short matter to lay
the bridgeway across. No accident
occurred during construction"
Petitions asking permission for
the Wolf Point Bridge and Devel-
opment company to operate a pom
toon bridge across the Missouri
at this point were freely signed
by citizens of Wolf Point and res
idents of Richland and Dawson
counties and were forwarded to
the war department at Washing
ton. 1t was not until Sept, IA, 1915,
that the bridge was ready for
use.
Lincoln Loses Life
During the placing of the
bridge, Robert Lincoln, who lived
80 miles south of Wolf Point, with
another man was crossing in a
row boat. The boat was caught
in the current and swept against
the bridge timbers, capsizing. An
attempt was made to save Lin
coin, but he was caught in the
undertow. The body was never
recovered. In the succeeding years
the Missouri has taken a toll Of
a dozen or more lives in this
vicinity.
With the opening of the pom
toon bridge, operation of the fer
ry boat "Invincible" was discon-
tinued by Capt. John Pipal. 1t
was a toll bridge with rates rang
ing from so cents for a four
horse team and wagon down to 1
cent a head for sheep. Women
and children were given free pas
sage but other foot passengers
were charged 10 cents apiece.
Autos were cautioned to slow
down to six miles an hour. 1t was
estimated that the tolls would
pay for the upkeep Of the bridge
and eventually would pay for the
original cost of the structure. But
the bridge company reckoned
without considering the Missouri
river, as will be seen later.
Standard Describes rontoon
A description of this bridge was
given in the Poplar Standard Of
June, 1916, just after the editor
had visited the structure during
the high water of June, 1916. He
said:
1.-THE visit to the bridge was a
revelation to us and we sincerely
hope that Poplar may have a
similar structure built this sea-
son. The water in the Missouri
was unusually high and the cur
rent very swift, but the effect OF
the bridge was not noticed. The
boats were anchored from the
shore instead of from dead men"
in the channel. The result is that
drift wood is given free passage
and the bridge offers less resist
ance to the current. In construct
ing the bridge, instead of build
ing a snub nosed pontoon that
deeply and offers a straight
to the current, the front of
each boat is given a gradual slope :,
and the water pressure OF the /,
n0nfc &c rndrnnd IN tho m i'm inn nm
To get the desired drawbridge eff /,
'ect and permit of navigation, ,
TWO boats are set together with 7
hinges and the bridge is opened ,
With ease. r
"The pontoons are sturdily built +
md are coupled together with +
wo crossed cables, or rods. The =
driveway is Of sufficient width +
md the railing on either side is r
veil braced by steel rods. Alto 6
the bridge is very well p
,uilt and the uccess of it is !
than the builders hoped. r
The cost was not great as com n
with the benefits derived y
nd we believe the day is not h
ar distant when every town on
he Missouri in Sheridan county
I'LL have one or more of these =
ridges" n
Pontoons Washed Out Y
Two weeks after this was writ D
en-, rs feet of the bridge was D.
-ashed out. Four boats were total tt
wrecked. Eight others were 81
down the river. Five of 81
lese were located at Macon and J,
at Brockton. The accident 1!
as caused by a jam OF drift IL
God, trees and logs, which had M
Dated against the bridge. 1t cost pl
lot Of money to tow those err til
INT p~ontoons back, build four a
ew pontoons and get the bridge in
working order, and it was two to
before it was in place. b,
the ferry boat, Cres- be
ent, captained by William Hold S,
man, did a thriving business. of
The Bridge and Development 20
,mpany was to know more trou- DIR
e. On Nov. 2, 1916, after the ne
yer had frozen over, "the pom M
on bridge went out taking with
about IL or IA boats, the cause M
the sudden rise of the river Oh
hich raised three feet in a very ed
tort time, allowing the ice in tn
e river to move. The river had of
~, Frn7op en1i5 uac+ of hero -