The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-04-07

must go on despite the lack Of q
bridge.
Work was begun in the winter Of
1878-79 by the transportation OF ties,
iron and other material across the
Missouri river on the ice. A track
was laid upon the frozen surface Of
the river under the direction Of Gen.
eral Rosser, engineer Of construction.
For several weeks trains were run
from one bank to the other on the
ice-a daring innovation In railway
roadbeds.
In regard to this "ice BRIDGE" the
Bismarck Tribune OF Feb. Is, 1879,
reports:
"A party Of about 20 of Bismarck's
prominent business men, inspired with
q greed for fame and relish for
notoriety. jumped aboard Chief En-
gineer Rosser's car Wednesday noon
and started westward to make the
first trip across the Missouri river on
Northern Pacific train.
with all the modesty appertain-
Ing to the rules of etiquette, the en-
CINE backed upon the ice with two
flat cars Of railroad iron in the rear,
and as she left the bank the frozen
earth on either side smiled grimly as
| it thought Of the feasibility Of such
q performance two months hence.
The dense ice, three feet in thickness,
wore q look Of satisfaction as 1t pond
cred over its creation and its useful
ness, Man had worked years on the
big bridge at st. Louis, but nature
had made q bridge at Bismarck IN
two months, which stands unrivaled
in the history of bridge building. The
flat cars having been unloaded, the
engine returned for the observation
car and in q few minutes q train OF
six cars was gliding over the Missouri
despite the raging water underneath.
The train reached the sand bar on
the west side Of the river and the
party descended from the car. Then
1t was that each became conscious
that Bismarck could not longer boast
Of the termination Of the Northern
Pacific"
Was Confederate Veteran
General Rosser, who directed the
famous ice bridge" operation, was
a prominent chieftain in the Confed-
crate cavalry during the Civil war.
While he was helping to give the
northwest its first railroad, General
Custer. his opponent in the Civil war.
was giving him every assistance at
Bismarck, for the soldiers Of his COM
mand at Fort Abraham Lincoln pro-
tected the railroad builders from In
dian attack.
In connection with tho construc-
ton Of the bridge over the Missouri
river, and to improve the channel for
the operation Of the transfer steamer,
and also to improve conditions for
the temporary bridges which were
built to carry the traffic across the
river in the winters Of l880-8l and
188l-82, q dixie was built from the
west shore for narrowing the river.
The width Of the river was $500
feet: the main channel was on the
east shore, and was said to have been
there quite q number Of years. Two
thirdE Of the whole width Of the river
was occupied except ct extreme high
water, by sand bars.
Work for narrowing the river was
a dixie from the west shore terminal.
ing 1000 feet from the east shore.
Construction Of the dixie was begun
in tho autumn Of 1880, and before It
was completed the main channel Of
the river shifted to the west side.
leaving on the east only . small
channel, too small for navigation.
During the winter. Of l880-Sl It be-
came necessary to make . strong ef-
fort to prevent the destruction. BY
breaking up Of the ice, Of the work
already done. March 30, 1881, the
ice moved out with unusual violence,
the river rising Is feet above ordinary
summer floods. The dixie was com.
paratively uninjured: the channel.
however, remained near the west
shore, and the action Of the current
during spring floods wore away about
200 feet Of the dixie. On May 10.
1881, work was begun on driving piles
for . bridge to connect the west end
OF the dixie with the west shore, IN
an attempt to close the west cham
mel. BY June II nearly Ill Of this
pile work was destroyed. On July
Is, after summer floods had subsidized.
. second attempt was made. this
successful. Track was laid TO-
The end Of the dixie, work being com.
pIeted AUG. Is, 1851. RipraD for
strengthening tho die which had up