History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 21

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358

USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men > Part 21

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In connection with Mr. Kirkwood, he made plans for the water-works of Compton Hill and Bissell's Point, and a large measure of the success of that great improvement is due to his skill. After the completion of this work he filled the office of commissioner of water-works for eight years. At the outbreak of the war he entered the army as a private, but his skill as an engineer soon brought him into prominence, and he rose rapidly to the rank of colonel of engineers.

Col. Flad's name will always be associated with that of Capt.

1076

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

throughout, and brought to the work great practical experience, a ready power of analysis, and mechanical ingenuity of a high order. He was ably seconded by Walter Katte. The theory of the structure was the joint product of Charles Pfeifer and Professor William Chauvenét, of Washington University.

The presidents of the bridge company in order were Charles K. Dickson, William M. McPherson, and Gerard B. Allen. J. C. Cabot was the first scc- retary, J. H. Britton the first treasurer. Dr. William Taussig held the position of chairman of the execu- tive committee through all the administrations.1

All the great foundations of the bridge, two abut- ments and two river piers, stand on the solid rock which underlies the ordinary river-bed. The con- struction of these foundations was the most difficult part of the work. To interfere as little as possible with the navigation of the river, and to diminish the cost of the foundations, the arches were designed with long spans, and the two channel piers were given great stability. The contract for the whole of the masonry work on the bridge was awarded in August, 1867, to James Andrews, of Allegheny, Pa.

The first stone in the western abutment pier was laid on the bed-rock Feb. 25, 1868; the first stone was laid on the caisson of the east channel pier Oct. 25, 1869, and the first stone on the caisson of the west channel pier was laid the 15th of January, 1870.

During the first half of the year 1868 the minutest details of the work were critically examined by the board of engineers. The mathematical calculations and investigations were conducted by Col. Flad and Mr. Pfeifer, and then submitted to Capt. Eads, and by him referred to the analysis and examination of Professor W. Chauvenet, LL.D., chancellor of Washington University. In this way the most won- derful mathematical exactness was secured. By the middle of the year the drawings and all the de- tails of the bridge had been gone through with by the engineers, and the mighty structure was complete in the mind of the chief engineer and his assistants.

Eads in connection with the St. Louis bridge and tunnel. He had charge of all the details of their construction, and it is a matter of history that on every occasion Capt. Eads insisted upon a division of the honors of their united success in this great undertaking. Among other works of Col. Flad may be mentioned the lowering of the track of the Missouri Pacifie Rail- road through the city, and the concentration of tracks at the Union Depot.

1 A " History of the St. Louis Bridge, containing a full ac- count of every step in its construction and ereetion, and in- eluding the theory of the ribbed arch and the tests of mate- rials," written by Professor C. M. Woodward, was published in 1882, by G. I. Jones & Co., of St. Louis.

The foundation of the west abutment was laid in a coffer-dam at a depth of fifty-five feet below extreme high water. The other great piers were " sunk " to much greater depths by the aid of compressed air. The west pier stands on the rock ninety-one feet below high water; the foundation of the east pier is one hundred and twenty-seven feet below high-water mark, and the east abutment extends one hundred and thirty-five feet below the surface of extreme high water. The sinking of these piers was a great feat of engineering and full of interest. The sinking of the east pier is thus described :

The caisson of the east pier was built of iron, and was eighty-two feet long, sixty feet wide, and nine feet deep.

Tlic roof and sides were made of thick iron plates riveted air-tight and strengthened by girders and brackets. A temporary wooden bottom was used until the admission of compressed air from powerful air-pumps kept the interior free from water down to the "cutting edge" of the caisson. The masonry of the pier was laid upon the roof of the caisson, which it completely covered. The weight of the masonry soon caused the caisson to sink decp in the river, ren- dering an increased air-pressure necessary to keep the caisson free of water and to support the load above. On the roof of the caisson a coffer-dani was constructed to exclude the river. The caisson was furnished with bearing-timbers along its walls and under its roof, and when it reached the river bottom they rested evenly upon the sand and gave sufficient support to allow the masonry to be built above the surface of the river. At this point the guides and suspension rods which had been used to control the motion of the caisson were removed, and the further progress of the pier was effected by undermining the bearing-timbers and letting the whole mass go down as additional masonry was laid in the open air above.

The space within the caisson was known as the " air-chamber," and it is evident that workmen were needed inside, and that there must be ready means for passing in and out.

Entrance to and cxit from the air-chamber was through " air-locks," seven in number. These air- locks were in form vertical cylinders, made of one- half inch plate-iron. The central lock, which was six feet in diameter and six feet high, was wholly within the air-chamber. In fact, the roof of the caisson formed its upper base. Adjoining this lock was a second iron cylinder five feet in diameter and five feet deep, sunk through the roof of the cais- son and entirely open at the top. The air-lock had two strong, tight-fitting doors, one communicating

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.

1077

with the open air-eylinder just mentioned and swing- ing into the loek, the other opening into the air- chamber and swinging from the loek. Workmen generally passed in and out through the central lock.

The method of going in or out was very simple. The outer door of the air-loek being open, and the inner one, of course, elosed, the party of visitors, for example, deseended into the open cylinder near the eentral lock, erawled through the opening into the loek, and closed the door. A cock was then opened which allowed Extreme High Water. the compressed air from the chamber to enter the loek. When City Directrix. A, Air Locks. the air-pressure within the loek B, Air Chamber. C, Timber Girder. equaled that in the chamber, the D, Discharge of Sand Pump. other door readily swung open E, Sand Pumps. and the party entered the air- Ordinary Water Line chamber. The time required in entering depended upon the pressure in the chamber and Extreme Low Water the ability of the persons in the lock to endure the change. If Upper Line of Sand.Bed the air was let on rapidly, and the pressure was considerable, the sensation produced was very disagreeable. The compression of the air in the lock was at- tended by the evolution of heat, and though the air was saturated with moisture as well as warm, there was no difficulty connected with one's breathing. The only serious difficulty to a visitor was felt in his ears. The pressure upon the exterior of the drum was very painful unless soon bal- anced by internal pressure. This could generally be produced by vigorously blowing the nose, thus foreing air into the interior eavity of the ear. Capt. Eads found that the aet of swallowing would often give relief, and had a pail of water and a eup placed in the lock. In some cases, however, these simple remedies were of no avail, and intense pain was the result. In that event the air was admitted very slowly.

In returning from the chamber the operation was equally simple. The party entered the loek, closed the inner door, and opened a eoek which allowed the air of the loek to escape to the outside. As soon as the air-pressure was reduced to that of the atmos- phere, the outer door was readily opened. The phys-

ieal effects of reducing the pressure were very different from those experienced when going in. The expand- ing air absorbed heat, and one literally felt the ehill to the very marrow. So much vital heat was lost that in some cases the effeet was very disastrous. There was much in the habit of undergoing these changes. Certain air-lock men, whose duty it was to take visitors, engineers, and workmen in and out, beeame so used to sudden changes that they eould,

+7'58

SOFEET

METRES.

F. Main

Entrance

Shaft.

G, Side Shafts.

H, Iron Envelope.

1, Bracing for Shell.

O, Strengthening

Brackets,

_20

33 81

BEDROCK

SECTION OF EAST PIER AND CAISSON.

without apparent injury or even inconvenience, endure surprisingly rapid ehanges of pressure.

As the caisson continued to sink it was necessary to remove the sand from the air-chamber. This was done by means of the "sand-pumps," an exceedingly ingenious device invented by Capt. Eads. The sand mixed with water was thrown out in jets with great rapidity. A three-inch pump was capable of diseharg- ing sand at the rate of three hundred cubie yards in

1078

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

twenty-four hours. The pier settled on the average about fifteen inches per day.

No difficulty was experienced in causing the caisson to settle evenly and gently. The sand was trenched beside the bearing-tim bers, thus allowing a slight lateral motion of the sand as it yiclded to the pressure. It was soon learned that the admission of water into the air-chamber, consequent upon a slight reduction in the air-pressure, had the effect of increasing the mobility of the sand so as to bring the caisson down with an exceedingly gradual motion.

The progress of the east pier down through the sand is clearly shown in the illustration on the pre- ceding page. It gives a cross-section of the pier through the main stairway, a circular well through which the workmen descended to the air-chamber. A sand-pump is represented as at work within the caisson, and men are supplying it with sand.

The intensity of the air-pressure in the air-chamber of the east pier reached a maximum of about sixty- five pounds per square inch, or about fifty pounds above the normal. The physiological effects of long exposure to this pressure and of sudden release from it were at times very severe. During the construc- tion of the deep piers over one hundred men were violently attacked with cramps and chills, and thirteen died from them.

The caissons were constructed at Carondelet, under the direction of the chief engineer and Capt. William L. Nelson and H. G. McComas, the great caisson for the last of the channel piers being completed and launched Oct. 18, 1869.

The whole time occupied in sinking the east pier to the rock was one hundred and twenty-six days, during several of which it was too cold to lay ma- sonry, and at other times it was impossible to furnish stone on account of the ice.

The west pier was sunk in seventy-seven days.

The east abutment, the largest and deepest of all, was sunk in one hundred and thirty-four days. The caisson of the latter contained many improvements over the others. All the large piers are faced with gray granite down to low water. All the piers had reached the rock-bed by the beginning of 1872, and before the close of that year the masonry was com- pleted, including the approach arches across the lovees in St. Louis and East St. Louis.

The size of the foundations is shown as follows:

Extreme height from Cubic yards base to top of cornice. of masonry.

West abutment ..

112 feet 82 inches.

12,643

West pier ..

172 1

14,170

East pier.

197

17,820

East abutment.

192 9

24,093

The plan of the superstructure of the great bridge (which was contracted for Feb. 26, 1870) is as bold as the foundations and even more original. It con- sists of three magnificent steel arches, supporting two railway tracks, and a broad paved causeway for high- way traffic on the top of the structurc.

The spans of the side arches are each five hundred and two feet in the clear, and the central arch stretches five hundred and twenty feet over decp water. Each arch consists of four equal ribs placed side by side at intervals of sixteen and half feet, twelve feet, and sixtcen and a half feet, these distances being between centres.

Each rib consists of two parallel members or sys- tems of tubes, twelve feet apart, connected by a single system of bracketing, in appearance like a curved tri- angular truss. Each tube is eighteen inches in ex- ternal diameter and about twelve feet long, and is per- fectly straight, with slightly beveled ends. The tubes of each member arc securely coupled together by two enveloping half-cylinders, and the steel pins which re -. ceive the brace-bars on their ends pass through both couplings and tubes. A tube consists of six bars of steel, rolled in the shape of straight staves, from one and three-sixtcenths to two and one-eighth inches in thickness, and snugly inserted in an envelope of steel one-quarter of an inch thick.

The tubes are exquisitely made, and the arches as beautiful as works of art.

The lateral or wind. bracing consists of a serics of diagonal steel ties and wrought-iron tubular struts be- tween the ribs, and an upper truss between the two roadways. The latter truss for the centre span is of iron, forty-nine feet wide and five hundred and forty feet in extreme length.

The erection of the arches was effected by a method entirely new and of a most interesting character, in- vented by Col. Henry Flad. Only the bricfcst ac- count of its successful execution can be given here.

The end tubes of each rib screw into massive wrought-iron " skew-backs," which are bolted to the masonry by long steel bolts six inches in diameter. In the case of the channel piers the anchor-bolts are over thirty feet long, passing quite through the ma- sonry and securing the skew-backs on both faces. In this way the ribs were made self-supporting, as they were built out from the masonry. In some instances nearly a hundred feet was thus built without addi- tional support. The weight of the unfinished ribs, however, caused the outer ends to fall below their normal positions, and it was necessary to draw them up by cables passing over towers erected on the ma- sonry. These cables were strained, as occasion re-

1079

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.

quired, by powerful hydraulic jacks, which lifted the towers. The cables lifted the deflected arches to their normal position (and even above it), and allowed the ribs to be built still farther out. The deflected ends of these second extensions were supported by secondary cables, which passed over masts standing on the ribs at the joints, supported directly by the primary cables, and thence down to the pins in the skew-back tubes.

By such means semi-ribs, stretching two hundred and fifty fcet over the Mississippi, were fully sup- ported until they were successfully " closed" at the crown. The minute details of the operation of closing the ribs form an interesting feature in the history of the bridge. The influence of temperature and elas- ticity was strikingly shown. The magnitude of the main cables may be estimated from the fact that they were made of the best rolled iron, and each had a cross-section of forty-two squarc inches.

The total weight of one naked rib of the centre span is four hundred and eighty-eight thousand two hundred and two pounds. The total amount of steel in the threc arches is four million seven hundred and eighty thousand pounds. Of wrought iron there are six million three hundred and thirteen thousand pounds.

The superstructure of the bridge was constructed by the Keystone Bridge Company, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and its cost was $2,122,781.65. The approaches were built by the Baltimore Bridge Company. The total cost of the entire bridge, including the approachcs, was $6,536,729.99. If to this we add interest, land damages, commissions for charters and financial agents, hospital expenses, etc., the sum total is swelled to nearly ten million dollars. The bridge was completed and opened to public travel ou the 23d of May, 1874.1

1 " The long-looked-for opening of the bridge to public travel," said the Republican of May 24th, " took place yesterday morn- ing, as previously announced. Six o'clock was the hour fixed for the opening, but long before that time a great multitude of people had gathered around the office, each anxious to get the first ticket. The pressure on the ticket-sellers continued for two or three hours, and during the entire day they were kept reasonably busy. Many more tickets were sold than were used, as many persons, for economy's sake, purchased packages. It is understood that the recipts for the day were about one thou- sand dollars."

The first person who purchased tickets on May 23d, accord- ing to the same authority, was Charles Gallagher, night clerk in the office of the Republican. In announcing this fact that paper added, " He was present waiting for the office to open, and has the following certificate to show the facts :

"'Charles Gallagher bought first one dollar's worth of tickets and crossed the bridge.

(Signed) ' F. W. GEISEKER.

" ' May 23, 1874.'

On the 9th of June the first train of three passen- ger-coaches, in which was seated a select party of about fifty invited guests, connected with the track of the bridge-approach from the St. Louis and Vandalia Railway and crossed the river, running as far into the tunnel as Seventh Street.

At the suggestion of Sylvester H. Laflin, an im- posing celebration in honor of the completion of the bridge was held on the Fourth of July, 1874. Bar- ton Able, George Bain, and other leading citizens of St. Louis promptly seconded Mr. Laflin's proposition, and a meeting to take preliminary action was held at the Merchants' Exchange on the 13th of June. Capt. Barton Able presided, and George H. Morgan acted as secretary. A committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements, and on the 13th a com- mittee on programme, Chauncey I. Filley, chairnian ; a finance committee, Sylvester H. Laflin, chairman ; and a committee on transportation, Capt. John N. Bofin- ger, chairman, were selected. On the 16th a committee on printing was appointed, with George H. Morgan as chairman, and Arthur B. Barret, afterwards mayor of the city, was made grand marshal of the day. Mr. Barret subsequently appointed Col. C. Maguire as- sistant marshal, and G. O. Kalb and Henry Benecke as adjutants. The committees as finally completed were composed of the following persons :

Committee of Arrangements .- Barton Able (chairman), George H. Morgan (secretary.), S. H. Laflin, George Bain, John S. Cav- ender, W. H. Maurice, M. J. Lippman, Web. M. Samuel, D. P. Rowland, John B. Maude, R. M. Scruggs, C. O. Dutcher, John N. Bofinger, John W. Carroll, Chauncey I. Filley, L. L. Ash- brook, C. Maguire, John O. Farrar, Arthur B. Barret, J. O. Broadhead, S. E. Hoffman, L. S. Metcalf, C. M. Woodward, Charles Osborne, Henry Benecke, George D. Capen, C. L. Thompson, Henry T. Blow, Charles Speck, Isaac M. Mason, John Riggin, Jr., Robert A. Campbell, J. B. C. Lucas, H. Clay Sexton, L. Dorshimer, R. P. Tansey, Daniel G. Taylor, George Knapp, G. W. Fishback, William McKee, Charles A. Mantz, Stilson Hutchins, W. V. Wolcott, Emil Preetorius, A. J. Spaun- horst, Carl Daenzer, Henry Gambs, Daniel Able, W. A. Braw- ner, H. M. Blossom, M. L. Cohn, D. R. Risley, John McDonald, Abram Nave, Thomas Kennard, G. W. Chadbourne, E. A. Carr, George I. Barnett, B. M. Chambers, W. H. Scudder, Daniel Cat- lin, Joseph Brown, L. A. Moffett, J. T. Howenstein, C. B. Bray, Miles Sells, Gen. Grierson, Capt. Babbitt, Maj. E. B. Grimes, Gen. John Turner, Col. C. C. Penrose, Capt. William Hawley, James Doyle, John H. Beach, Charles Parsons, R. J. Lack- land, J. G. Chapman, R. C. Clowry, John HI. McCluney, G. O. Kalb, Wallace Delafield, HI. W. Hough, W. A. Hargadine, John Cantwell, R. M. Renick, J. C. Cabot, George Minch, Charles P. Warner, James M. Brawner, W. H. Pulsifer, E. S. Walton, A. W. Slayback, H. H. Wernse, John G. Prather, A. B. Pendle-

" It has been stated, as we understand, that Mr. McMahon, a superintendent of the bridge, was the first man to cross. This is incorrect. Mr. McMahon purchased his ticket the night previous, and was not legitimately a passenger, being an employé of the company. Mr. Gallagher is clearly entitled to the honor."

1080

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

ton, James B. Clemens, William H. Smith, Nicholas Wall, Fred. Von Phul, W. B. Thompson, Forester Dolhonde, Edmund Froehlich, N. Stevens, M. M. Buck, Herman Rechtien, Robert A. Betts, N. M. Bell, Goodman King, Joseph Franklin, C. N. Hohlitzell, J. L. D. Morrison, Joseph A. Wherry, E. S. Mira- goli.

Committee on Finance .- S. H. Laffin (chairman), John B. Maude, Chauncey I. Filley, George Bain, C. O. Dutcher, J. T. Howenstein, S. Metcalf, Arthur B. Barret, George I. Barnett, D. P. Rowland, W. A. Hargadine, John H. McCluney, Wallace Delafield, George D. Capen, C. L. Thompson, H. H. Wernse, L. L. Ashbrook, John Cantwell, W. A. Brawner, H. M. Blossom, M. L. Cohn, Thomas Kennard, Charles Speck, S. M. Dodd, H. W. Hough, A. W. Slayhack, John Kennard, C. B. Bray, E. S. Walton, James S. Brawner, W. B. Thompson, Robert A. Betts, Goodman King, Joseph Franklin, C. J. L. Hohlitzell.

Committee on Fireworks .- S. H. Laffin (chairman), W. H. Maurice, John B. Maude, R. M. Scruggs, D. P. Rowland.

Committee on Programmes and Invitations .- Chauncey I. Filley (chairman), D. P. Rowland, John B. Maude, Arthur B. Barret, John W. Carroll, Barton Able.

Committee on Transportation .- Arthur B. Barret (chairman), John N. Bofinger, S. H. Laffin, R. P. Tansey.

Committee on Printing .- George H. Morgan (chairman), Leslie A. Moffett, J. T. Howenstein.

Committee on Decorations .- George I. Barnett (chairman), Dr. J. O. Farrar, Maj. E. B. Grimes, E. S. Miragoli, Charles Speck, Daniel Ahle, D. R. Risley, J. H. McCluney, C. B. Bray, G. O. Kalh.

Committee on Ordnance .- Capt. Bahhitt (chairman), S. H. Laffin, F. W. Fuchs, John B. Gray, John S. Cavender.

Committee on Music .- George Bain (chairman), G. H. Mor- gan, C. O. Dutcher, Rich. J. Compton.

Committee on Harbor and Police .- L. Dorsheimer (chairman), James Doyle, H. Rechtien.

Committee on Fire Department .- H. Clay Sexton.

Press Committee .- George W. Gilson, Democrat ; George Mills, Times ; C. Winter, Westliche Post ; W. B. Stevens, Dis- patch ; J. G. Dill, Republican; T. Mitchell, Globe ; C. D. .Kargau, Anzeiger ; Lewis Willich, Amerika; F. Haarson, Courier ; Thomas J. Meek, Journal ; Charles J. Oshorn, agent Associated Press.

The programme determined on comprised a pro- cession, addresses, display of fireworks, etc. The east and west approaches to the bridge were elabo- rately decorated, and at the Third Street entrance a gigantic portrait of Capt. James B. Eads was dis- played. Immediately underneath the portrait were exhibited two large symbolical figures, which repre- sented Missouri and Illinois clasping hands. At the east end of the bridge, and just at the point where the two roadways separate and begin the descent to the Illinois shore, a great triumphal arch was erected, extending from side to side of the bridge, and sur- mounting a pavilion which separated the two passage- ways of the arch was a colossal statue of the Goddess of Liberty. To the left of the Third Street entrance- gate a platform was erected for the accommodation of the invited guests. Farther on, on the same side of the roadway, a series of elevated seats was provided on one of the buildings adjoining the bridge for the

families of the bridge officials. The decorations were of an elaborate and tasteful character, and on the morning of the Fourth of July, beneath a cloudless sky, presented a beautiful and imposing spectacle. Many buildings in the city were also decorated, and at Washington Avenue and Ninth Street a handsome triumphal arch was erected by St. Xavier's College.

On the wings of the east front the heraldic arms of the States of Illinois and Missouri were painted, with the legend above, " A link of steel unites the East and West;" and on the western front of the arch, tastefully decorated with evergreens and fifty feet high, a medallion portrait of Capt. Eads. On the wings were the following: " The Mississippi dis- covered by Marquette, 1673 ; spanned by Capt. Eads, 1874." "St. Louis founded by Laclede, 1764; crowned Queen of the West, 1874."

Salutes in honor of the bridge and the day were fired by Simpson Battery, under the direction of Lieut .- Col. F. W. Fuchs, inspecting and mustering officer for St. Louis City and County, who was placed in charge of the ordnance and firing for the occasion.

The battery consisted of four guns, four caissons, and fifty-six men, commanded by First Lieut. Charles Hiltwein and Second Lieut. A. B. Bayer.

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History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 21

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1358

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358