THE KANSAS CITY BRIDGE.

way should be connected with the bridge, and in order to secure this they were
prepared to make some concessions. As it would have been desirable to
carry both roads at the same level, the cost of both the masonry and super-
structure would have been considerably increased thereby ; it was, however,
considered that as the bridge was but 1,400 feet long, and could be crossed
in five minutes by a team, or in two minutes by a train, no very great
trouble need be apprehended, with proper police regulations at the ends, in
admitting each traffic alternately upon one floor, and it was accordingly
decided to lay down a Nicholson pavement upon the bridge, which was in con-
sequence made 18 feet wide in the clear, and to throw it open to carriages at all
times, except when trains were to pass. All the foundations were, moreover,
put in for a double-track bridge, so that it can be widened whenever the traffic
becomes so great as to require it. This arrangement, which was not adopted
without some misgivings, has thus far been found to work perfectly well. Not
the slightest accident has occurred in consequence ; and the delay to trains or
teams, from finding the bridge occupied upon approaching it by each other, has
proved trifling and unimportant. Some idea of the large business done over the
bridge, from the very beginning, will be formed by examining the abstract of its
traffic for the first seven and a-half months, given in Appendix D.

The chief anxiety of all parties concerned in this work was so to locate and
build the bridge that it should form the least possible obstruction to the naviga-
tion of the river, and prove as little objectionable as possible to the steamboat
interests. It was felt that, whatever other mistakes might be made, the channel
must be kept clear, and boats be enabled to pass and repass at all times, with-
out danger or difficulty. This was the intention. It is hoped and believed that
it has been fulfilled, for thus far not the slightest accident has occurred to any |
boat in passing the bridge. or two years steamers of all sizes havé gone up
and down, at all stages of the water, passing the piers and works in progress.
After the completion of the bridge, at the suggestion of some gentlemen con-
nected with the steamboat interests, a timber dock or shore was provided above
the bridge, by swinging a series of pontoons above and in line with the southern
pier, to enable boats to drop down along their sides in very dark or windy

weather; but although this was only completed and put in place late in the
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