MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 47 



Suspension Bridge over the Missouri River. — To Kansas City 

 belongs the honor of building the pioneer bridge over tiio 

 Missouri. On the south or west side of the river the Pacific 

 Railroad (of Missouri) extends from St. Louis to the State 

 line at Kansas City ; the Kansas Pacific Railway, late Union 

 Pacific Eastern Division, is now in operation 405 miles west from 

 the same point of the boundary. The Missouri River Railroad, 

 now operated in connection with the Missouri Pacific, continues 

 that line up the river to Leavenworth; and the Missouri River, 

 Fort Scott, and Gulf Railroad, running at present to Paola, 40 

 miles south, is being pushed rapidly to the Indian Territory, and 

 will become the great route from the North to the South-west. 

 On the opposite river bank the North Missouri Railroad forms a 

 second line to St. Louis; the Missouri Valley Railroad runs north- 

 ward to St. Joseph ; and tlie Kansas City and Cameron Raih'oad, 

 forming part of the Hannibal and St. Josepli Raih'oad line, opens 

 a direct route to Chicago. The bridge, novv completed, was 

 built by the last-named road, and will enable the seven roads to 

 unite at common points witliin the city. 



The location of the bridge is opposite the town, and immedi- 

 ately below a bend in the river. It was begun in January, 18G7. 

 In February, Mr. Chanute, the chief engineer, took charge of the 

 works. In the spring the enterprise was interrupted by a high 

 flood, and it was not until August that work could be resumed. 

 The south abutment of the bridge was placed 80 feet back from 

 the face of the bluflf, and from it a 66-foot span extends over a 

 street and the track of the Missouri Pacific Railroad to a pair of 

 pillars standing near the edge of the rock face ; a span of 133 

 feet reaches from them to pier No. 1, the first river pier. A pivot- 

 draw of two spans, each 160 feet in the clear, and 363 feet long 

 over all, from centre to centre of piers Nos. 1 and 3, turns upon 

 pier No. 2, which is placed as nearly as possible in the centre of 

 the channel. Pier No. 4 was located 250 feet beyond No. 3; 

 No. 5, 200 feet further north, on the edge of the sand-bar; and 

 two spans, 200 and 177 feet respectively, cover the distance re- 

 maining to pier No. 7, which stands on the edge of the wooded 

 shore, taking the place of a north abutment. The railroad is 

 then carried over the bottom land on 2,360 feet of trestle-work, 

 descending one foot in 100 to an embankment. The carriage- 

 way is carried down on a heavier grade by a side trestle. 



The difficulties attending the building of this bridge were 

 wholly in the foundations. The length of the structure is one 

 mile. 



The masonry of all the piers is of limestone, quarried in the 

 neighborhood, the facing being of ashlar, and the backing of 

 heavy rubble. The ashhir of the upper courses, above the ice- 

 breaker, is of a good blue-stone, of uniform color, and the stones 

 used below are of a grayish tint. The piers finish 11 feet higher 

 than the great flood of 1844, and 48 feet above the lowest water 

 observed. The total height of pier No. 4, from rock to coping, is 

 89 feet. The pivot pier is circular in form, and 29 feet in diam- 

 eter, finishing 32 feet on top. 



