Page images
PDF
EPUB

Attention being called to the fact that the act of Congress did not authorize such a structure as was being built, the matter was presented to Congress by the bridge company, and an act of Congress, approved February 21, 1887, authorized the "Dubuque Ponton Bridge Company," the company holding the franchise of the "East Dubuque Bridge Com. pany," to construct in lieu of the pontoon bridge a high wagon bridge, and it is under this act that the existing high bridge at Dubuque was completed. By the act of February 21, 1887, the acts referring to a pontoon bridge were virtually repealed, and there now exists no authority for the further construction of bridges under the acts of Congress herein referred to.

I would therefore reply that the high bridge across the Mississipp: River at Dubuque, Iowa, is the one referred to in the act of Congress approved February 21, 1887, and the bridge is built on the location and according to the plans originally forwarded with my letter of January 13, 1887.

This high bridge is located immediately below the existing railroad bridge, with piers in same line. So far as widths of spans are concerned, the bridge satisfies all demands of navigation. From measurements taken since the bridge was completed, it appears that the clear heights given are very slightly in excess of those indicated on the plans submitted. The clear headway above high water of 1880 given by the bridge are as follows:

At a point 20 feet east of west chanuel pier

At a point 50 feet west of draw protection of railroad bridge...
At a point 30 feet west of draw protection of railroad bridge.....

Feet.

51.0

54.8

55.00

The available height may therefore be considered at 54.8 feet above the high water of 1880, the highest of which we have authentic record. The largest boats now navigating the Upper Mississippi River are the Saint Paul and War Eagle, of the Saint Louis and Saint Paul Packet Company, and the managers of the line report that they consider the Saint Paul a model boat for the upper-river trade, and would follow her dimensions in the construction of new boats. The chimneys and pilothouses of these boats are higher than those of any of the Diamond Jo Line steamers.

The heights for the Saint Paul above water-line are: Top of chimneys, 61.6 feet; top of pilot-house, 48 feet; and these are the heights to be taken in connection with a consideration of the Dubuque High Bridge as a substantial obstruction to navigation. On the Ohio River, where high bridges are common, it is customary to consider the height of the pilot-house only, it being practicable to lower chimneys, and an excess of 3 feet above pilot-house is usually given.

Considering the heights, it appears that all boats now used on the Upper Mississippi, even when light, would, so far as tops of pilot-houses are concerned, pass under the Dubuque High Bridge at extreme high water, and their chimneys would also pass under without lowering whenever stage was less than 7 feet below extreme high water. A higher stage than 7 feet below extreme high water is not common, and is of comparatively short duration.

During high water it has happened that the larger class of steamers from the Ohio or the Lower Mississippi have been sent for an occasional trip through to Saint Paul. Such a class of boats could not in all cases pass under the Dubuque High Bridge; but as such class is not adapted to the Upper Mississippi River, and do not properly belong there, they they have not been considered.

Some navigators think a height of 60 feet above high water should be given, and of course such height would be better than 55; but to call for a greater height than is absolutely necessary is somewhat unreason. able.

Certain booms, connecting the piers of the high bridge with the corresponding piers of the railroad bridge, are required, and the owners of the high bridge express a willingness to put them in as soon as practicable. If this is not done, as promised, the booms can be called for under section 8 of the river and harbor act of July 5, 1884.

As it appears that the height given the Dubuque High Bridge furnishes reasonable accommodation to the steam boats now navigating the Upper Mississippi River, I am of the opinion that the bridge is "no substantial obstruction to navigation of said river." The height given is greater than is required by the rules laid down by General Warren in his report on "Bridging the Upper Mississippi River from Saint Paul to Saint Louis."

One copy of plans of bridge as proposed accompanied the original papers. These plans show the bridge as built, and duplicate copies have been procured as requested.

The construction of the Dubuque High Bridge will make necessary arrangements for lowering the chimneys of some of the steam-boats now navigating the Upper Mississippi River. It has been claimed that the expense of such work is a fair charge against the bridge company; but on this point I do not feel it my province to express any opinion. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The Chief of ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

A. MACKENZIE,
Major of Engineers.

W W 19.

BRIDGE OF THE OHIO CONNECTING RAILWAY COMPANY ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER NEAR THE MOUTH OF CORK'S RUN, IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AUTHORIZED BY ACT OF CONGRESS APPROVED MAY 14, 1888.

PITTSBURGH, CINCINNATI AND ST. LOUIS RAILWAY CO.,

CHIEF ENGINEER'S OFFICE, Columbus, Ohio, May 24, 1887. DEAR SIR: I am directed by the Ohio Connecting Railway Company, a corporation chartered by the State of Pennsylvania, to present to you, in accordance with the law governing the construction of bridges. over the Ohio River, plans for the erection of a bridge across the Ohio River about 1 mile below the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at Pittsburgh, Pa. The plans herewith submitted consist of

(1) A map of the Ohio River on a scale of 200 feet per inch, showing high and low water marks and the shore topography and the river bottom contour lines.

(2) A map of the Ohio River showing the current lines and velocities of the river above and below the proposed bridge site on a scale of 200 feet per inch.

(3) A plan of the masonry piers Nos. 4 and 6, being the two shore piers, on a scale of one-eighth of an inch per foot.

ENG 88--157

(4) Plan of Pier No. 5, being the middle pier, on a scale of one-eighth of an inch per foot.

(5) The profile and plan of bridge across the Ohio River on a scale of 40 feet per inch.

Very respectfully, yours,

M. J. BECKER,

Chief Engineer Ohio Connecting Railway Company.

Hon. WILLIAM C. ENDICOTT,

Secretary of War.

[blocks in formation]

Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. The maps required by section 4 of "An act supplementary to an act approved December 17, 1872, entitled, ‘An act to authorize the construe tion of the bridges across the Ohio River, and to prescribe the dimen sions of the same,'" approved February 14, 1883 (copy herewith), submitted by the Ohio Connecting Railway Company, under the provisions of that section "shall be referred to a Board of Engineers for examina tion and report, which Board shall personally examine the site of the proposed bridge, and shall hold a public session at some convenient point to hear all objections thereto, of which public session due notice and invitation to be present shall be given to all interested parties," etc. It is accordingly recommended that a Board of Officers of the Corps of Engineers be constituted, to meet at Pittsburgh, Pa., upon the call of the senior member, and at such time as the other duties of the members will permit, to consider and report upon the plans in question. The Board to consist of Lieutenant-Colonels W. E. Merrill and J. W. Barlow, and Maj. Amos Stickney, with Lieut. E. J. Spencer as recorder. If approved by the Secretary of War, the Board will be convened by orders from this office.

It is suggested that the attention of the railroad authorities be called to the requirements of the "rule to be observed when application is made, pursuant to an act of Congress, for the approval by the Secretary of War of plans for a bridge," etc., dated July 31, 1886, and also to the fact that there is no evidence contained in the paper submitted by them that the first part of section 4, before referred to, in regard to publica tion, has been complied with.

J. C. DUANE,

Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers.

[Second indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, May 26, 1887.

The recommendation of the Chief of Engineers in regard to the Board of Engineers is approved.

Mr. Becker's attention was called to the rule of the Department dated July 31, 1886, and to the requirements of section 4 of the act approved December 17, 1872, on the 25th instant.

By order of the Secretary of War.

JOHN TWEEDALE,
Chief Clerk,

[Third indorsement.]

OFFICE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,

U. S. ARMY,

June 28, 1887.

Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War, inviting attention to the accompanying report of the Board of Engineers, appointed with nis sanction by Special Orders No. 60, current series, from this office, to consider and report upon the plans submitted by the Ohio Connecting Railroad Company for their proposed bridge across the Ohio River at about 1 mile below the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at Pittsburgh, Pa. The report of the Board is concise in terms, and shows that the subject has received the careful consideration which the importance of the interests involved demands. The Board states "that, after careful study of the drawings and of the ground, the Board have concluded that the site selected by the bridge company is unusually unfavorable to the river interests." They "also find that the line of the proposed bridge is not normal to the current at all stages, as required by law, but departs from such a line by an angle of 130. *

"After mature deliberation the Board feel constrained to state that, in their best judgment, any bridge at the locality selected by the Ohio Connecting Railway Company, except one spanning the whole width of the river, would be objectionable, but they believe that with a change in axis, as recommended, and a clear opening of 800 feet, measured on the low-water line, a bridge at the site selected would be admissible. The increase in channel space should be given by moving the south channel pier nearer to the south shore."

In conclusion, the Board recommends "that the site selected by the bridge company be accepted on the condition that the axis of the bridge be changed as recommended, and that the channel space be increased to 800 feet, but that otherwise the site be rejected. They also recommend that the company be notified that the location which crosses Brunot's Island, as indicated above, will be acceptable to the United States, and that they are at liberty to bring up other sites for examination in case neither of the two named is accepted under the conditions herein imposed."

The views of the Board are concurred in by this office, and it is recommended that a copy of their report be furnished the Ohio Connecting Railway Company for their information.

It may be proper to invite attention to the letter of Lieut. Col. William E. Merrill, in which it is stated that the duplicates of maps and papers required by the rule of the War Department will be sent by the company direct to this office.

J. C. DUANE,

Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers.

FIRST REPORT OF BOARD OF ENGINEERS.

JUNE 25, 1887.

The Board of officers of the Corps of Engineers appointed by Special Orders, No. 60, dated Headquarters Corps of Engineers, Washington, D. C., May 27, 1887, to "consider and report upon the plans of the proposed bridge across the Ohio River about 1 mile below the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, submitted by the Ohio Con

necting Railway Company," would respectfully submit the following report:

The Board met at Pittsburgh on the 14th of June, in accordance with the call of the senior member, and held a public session in the Monon. gahela House, of which public session due notice and invitation to be present was given to all interested persons by advertisement in two newspapers in the city of Pittsburgh and in two newspapers in the city of Cincinnati.

At this session the Ohio Connecting Railway Company was repre sented by the chief engineer and by the general manager of the lines of the Pennsylvania Company west of Pittsburgh, and the river interests. were represented by a number of leading coal operators.

The orders convening the Board were duly read, and the maps were examined and informally discussed by those present. Meanwhile the coal operators had arranged to take a tow of empty barges down to the site of the proposed bridge in order to illustrate, as far as practicable. the method of navigating that part of the river by coal tows, and the bridge engineers had marked by buoys the location of the proposed channel-piers.

In the afternoon the members of the Board and the representatives of river and rail transportation met, by invitation, on a tow-boat belonging to Mr. Simpson Horner, to which a tow of nine empty barges had been attached, and proceeded down the river to the head of Brunot's Island. As the river was about 3 feet below a barge stage, causing a slack current in the natural pool above Brunot's Island, and as an up stream wind was blowing, it was not practicable to handle a tow of empty barges as would have been done with a loaded tow; but the method of navigating this piece of river was very clearly pointed out. Owing to the swiftness of the current through the Glasshouse Channel it was considered unadvisable to take the fleet below the head of Brunot's Island, and accordingly it was dropped at Brown's Landing. and the tow-boat, with its passengers, proceeded to a point near the foot of the island, where an examination was made of a bridge site which was considered by river men as the least objectionable of any i this section of the river; from this point the party returned to Pittsburgh.

[ocr errors]

After careful study of the drawings and of the ground the Board have concluded that the site selected by the bridge company is unusually unfavorable to the river interests. From the Smithfield Street Bridge to Brunot's Island is the natural pool in which coal boats and barges are held until a rise in the river permits their passage to southern markets. The whole length of the southwest banks of the Mononga hela and Ohio rivers, within the length named, is usually lined with loaded coal boats and barges, and a few are held against the right bank. When a rise comes these barges and boats are rapidly tied up into fleets and pushed down the river. The channels on either side of Brunot's Island are difficult and dangerous to run. The regular or right-hand channel has a very abrupt turn at its head, into what is known as the Glasshouse Channel; but after making this turn there is no further trouble, as the channel is nearly straight for many miles. The left-hand or back channel is easy and straight at the head, but it is very crooked at the foot, especially at McKee's Rocks, where it is necessary to make an abrupt turn through more than a right angle. Moreover, this channel is impassable in low water on account of a low riprap dam just below the mouth of Chartier's Creek, and as a rule it is never used except in cases of necessity. As matters now stand the

« PreviousContinue »