14 THE KANSAS CITY BRIDGE.

This was done by Mr. James F. Joy, himself, who as president or chief
manager of the Michigan Central, Chicago Burlington and Quincy, Hannibal
and St. Joseph, and other roads, was at that time preparing to have bridges
built across the Mississippi River both at Burlington and at Quincy. He visited
personally Leavenworth and Kansas City, decided that the latter was the best
point to reach, and that a bridge must also be built to make the road of value,
Arrangements were therefore entered into between the Kansas City and Came-
ron and the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad companies, by which the capital
interested in the latter and connecting lines of railroads, agreed to furnish the
iron and equivalent for the new line, and to build the bridge at Kansas City.
The entire property of the Kansas City and Cameron Railroad was assigned to
Messrs. James F. Joy, Nathaniel Thayer, and Sidney Bartlett, as trustees, and
the work was carried on to completion under the fiduciary charge of these
gentlemen, Mr. Joy remaining throughout the chief manager of the enterprise.

On the 30th of November, 1867, the railroad was completed from Cameron
to the north bank of the river opposite Kansas City, and from that date until
the completion of the bridge in July, 1869, the road was operated, as a branch
of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, freight and passengers being trans-
ferred by ferry.

A preliminary survey and report on the bridge site had been made in
August, 1866, by Mr. M. Hjortsberg, Chief Engineer of the Chicago, Burling-
ton, and Quincy Railroad, and on the 7th day of February following, Mr.
Chanute took charge of the work as chief engineer of the bridge, under an ap-
pointment from Mr. Joy, and from that time until its completion the work was
steadily prosecuted. Owing to the novelty of the work, and the difficult nature
_ of the foundations, no trustworthy contracts could be let for them at that time,
and it was determined that the company should do the subaqueous part of the
work itself. Pile-driving was begun on the north ‘bank of the river on the 27th
of February, but early in April, operations at the bridge site were interrupted
by high water, and could not be resumed before the 1st of August.

These spring and summer months were not wasted, but used to advantage
in the preparation of a suitable outfit, and in building upon the shores the
caissons and cribs afterwards used in the construction of Piers 1 and 2.