Articles courtesy of St. Johns Review, Portland, Oregon
DEDICATION PROGRAM, June 12, 1931
Saturday, June 13
2 p.m.-Dedication of St. Johns Suspension Bridge Ceremonies will be held in the St. Johns Civic Center.
Music by the Roosevelt High School Band.
Greeting by E. F. Doyle, President of Committee.
Address by Major General Charles H. Martin, representing the Rose Festival Association.
Address by Stanhope S. Pier, Acting Mayor of Portland.
Address by Dr. D. B. Steinman (of Robinson & Steinman, Designers and Supervisors of Construction of St. Johns Bridge.)
Address by Representative of the Bridge Contrators, Major G. B. Herrington, Executive Secretary, Asso. Contractors of America.
Address by Fred W. German, Chairman of Board of County Commissioners.
Opening of the Bridge by the Queen of Rosaria (Rachel Florence Atkinson.)
Continuation of Dedication Parade across the Bridge.
READY FOR ITS BIGGEST DAY
Pageant Over Classic Span Will Be Pageant of Progress
GATES SWUNG WIDE
A dream of years doubly realized will be the happy lot of St Johns tomorrow.
Fortune smiled on us when the great suspension bridge was assured us, and its construction seemed attended by every favoring circumstance.
Now that it has come to completion and will be dedicated on the morrow, a vast additional largess is apparent in the magnificent parade that will course much of the East Side and cross the span. All this as a part of the Portland Rose Festival.
Both east side and west side are giving their best to make the Festival a success.
The wonderful cooperation of thirty East Side communities in providing floats, bands and other forms of representation for the Bridge Dedication parade is epochal; and so is the wholehearted support of the Rose Festival Association evidenced by the beautiful floats held over from the floral parade and in so many other ways.
St. Johns is grateful to the thousands of friends who come for the “bridge warming” and we would repeat the reminder given by the General Chairman and every citizen should consider himself a committee of one in giving information or doing things for the accommodation of our guests.
As previously announce, the procession will follow the line of Union, Killingsworth and Albina avenues and Lombard street. Its start will be timed so that it will reach St. Johns at 2 p.m.
The dedication ceremonies will be brief. Upon their conclusion, after Queen Rachel has cut the ribbon, the parade will continue across the span which by the queenly act will be opened to the traffic of the world.
Gay with festoons and banners is St. Johns, and we are all up on our toes ready for tomorrow-the biggest day in our history.
CONDENSED FACTS ABOUT THE ST. JOHNS BRIDGE
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ST. JOHNS SUSPENSION BRIDGE, PORTLAND, OREGON
Compiled by R. Boblow, Resident Engineer for Robinson & Steinman, Consulting Engineers.
1. Total length of bridge, exclusive of roads, up to west abutment………………………. 3,833.6 feet
2. Length of Suspension Bridge: Main Span…………………………………………………… 1,207 feet
2 side spans, each 430 feet 3 inches
Total……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2,067 feet
3. Length of east approach………………………………………………………………………… 1,511 feet
4. Length of west approach, exclusive of roads……………………………………………… 255.0 feet
5. Length of west approach roads: North arm……………………………………………….. 2,215 feet
South arm………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2,950 feet
Total……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5,165 feet
6. Clearance of bridge above mean low water: At center of main span……………….. 205.0 feet
7. Width of roadway between curbs……………………………………………………………. 194.0 feet
8. Width of sidewalks………………………………………………………………………………… 40.0 feet
9. Height of roadway at center of main span above mean low water………………….. 213.3 feet
10. Height of roadway at main towers above mean low water………………………….. 202.7 feet
11. Height of top of concrete river piers above mean low water…………………………. 60.0 feet
12. Height of main steel towers above concrete piers, to points of support of main cables, 289 feet
13. Height of spires on tower tops………………………………………………………………… 50.0 feet
14. Height of beacon lights on tops of spires above mean low water………………….. 401.0 feet
15. Height of beacon lights above roadway at main towers…………………………………..190 feet
16. Number of main cables…………………………………………………………………………… 2
17. Diameter of main cables…………………………………………………………………….16 3/4 inches
18. Each cable is composed of 91-1 1/2 inch diameter twisted strands
19. Length of cable between end fastenings…………………………………………………… 2,720 feet
20. Maximum tension in one cable………………………………………………………………. 4,250 tons
21. Breaking strength of cable……………………………………………………………………12,750 tons
22. Maximum load on one tower from both cables………………………………………… 6,700 tons
23. Maximum load on one main pier…………………………………………………………… 7,950 tons
24. Depth of base of east main pier below mean low water…………………………………. 50 feet
25. Depth of base of west main pier below mean low water………………………………… 25 feet
26. Weight of east anchorage……………………………………………………………………29,000 tons
27. Depth of tunnels for west anchorage………………………………………………………….. 80 feet
28. Maximum pull of cables on each ancorage……………………………………………… 8,500 tons
29. The highest concrete pier is the viaduct pier at the east end of the suspension bridge and is known as No. 10
30. Height of pier 10 above the ground…………………………………………………………. 150 feet
31. Cubic yards of concrete in Pier 10……………………………………………………………. 3,934
32. Weight of reinforcing steel in Pier 10……………………………………………………….. 100 tons
33. Total weight of Pier 10………………………………………………………………………. 7,968 tons
34. Weight of one main steel tower……………………………………………………………. 1,250 tons
35. Total weight of structural steel, railings and miscellaneous castings for entire bridge, 7630tons
36. Total weight of cables, suspenders and cable bands…………………………………. 1,410 tons
37. Total number of cubic yards of concrete for all contracts……………………………….. 70,000
CONSTRUCTION CHRONOLOGY
Work begun……………………………………………………………………………………………September 3, 1929
Pouring for main river piers completed………………………………………………………….April 8, 1930
Main tower erection completed…………………………………………………………………..September 1, 1930
Cable and suspender rope erection completed……………………………………………….January 2, 1931
Suspended steel erection completed, floor stringers and side span trusses riveted….March 24, 1931
Pouring of roadway slab completed……………………………………………………………..April 18, 1931
Pouring of sidewalk slab completed……………………………………………………………..April 29, 1931
Paving of west approach road completed……………………………………………………..May 15, 1931
Bridge dedicated and opened to traffic…………………………………………………………June 13, 1931
Total period of construction……………………………………………………………………….21 1/2 months
St. Johns Review, June 26, 1931
BRIDGE SUBJECT TO FIRE HAZARD
Proximity of Frame Industrial Buildings Held Menace
BUSINESS MEN URGE ACTION
Noting that the East Side Commercial Club had already taken action on what it deems a fire hazard to the bridge, the Business Men’s Association at their meeting Thursday went deeply into the subject, which they also have had under consideration for some time.
Several weeks [ago] a fire occurred on the waterfront, that showed serious possibilities of damage to the bridge, especially if the building that was destroyed had been located a little closer to it. And inasmuch, as there are several large frame structures of industrial plants that are in close proximity to the bridge, the Business Men decided that here was a matter of vital interest for the County Commissioners to investigate. For it is conjectured that a big fire in one of these plants, especially at night, might do extensive damage to the cables and hence jeopardize entire structure.
The matter was made the subject of resolution addressed to the Commissioners along the lines already followed by the East Side Commercial Club. The feeling of the Business Men, that no fire hazards jeopardizing the safety of the bridge should be permitted to stand, will doubtless be shared by the community at large.
Dean Knowles reported for the traffic committee that the new parking regulations in the central business district are temporary, and that in the main revisions will be main revisions will be made to establish twenty-minute parking limits, with the exception of the blind corner at Jersey and Philadelphia.
The meeting also decided to ask the County Commissioners to level and park the corridor defined by the bridge piers and to ask Commissioner Barbur to redress Burlington street from Ivanhoe to the foot of the hill.
St. Johns Review, July 3, 1931
“BRIDGE CONNECTIONS NOW THE BIG ISSUE”
Market Roads from West, Wider
East Side Arteries the Need
ADVANTAGES IN PROSPECT
A monumental task confronts St. Johns in its duty to make the bridge yield a maximum of advantages to the community and city. It demands the best of our united energies locally, as well as full cooperation with Linnton and the Tualatin valley.
Fuller Improvement of both the Germantown and the Cornelius Pass roads stands out prominently in the picture of prospects to be capitalized. A vast amount of Tualatin valley produce and fruit could be brought through these two gateways to Portland, making profitable traffic and business for all concerned. With two good market roads thus provided the results would soon show for themselves.
On the east side, the large amount of traffic already passing over the bridge shows also what could be accomplished by good, wide arterial connections. The present narrow avenues to the bridge must show their inadequacy to accommodate the increasing volume that will undoubtedly come and would come all the quicker were the proper widening done.
The council has finally approved the opening and improvement of East Lombard street from E. Ninth street to intersection with Columbia boulevard. This means that when this project is completed Lombard street will be a part of the Columbia highway system and large volume of the highway traffic bound for the coast will route itself via Lombard and the bridge.
Willamette boulevard must also be straightened widened and improved and the St. Johns end a direct connection with the bridge must be made, from a point not farther west than the Charleston street intersection with the boulevard as has been suggested. Eastward connection via Burlington street and Smith avenue with Columbia Slough road is also desirable.
As we become more accustomed to the bridge and realize that it is not a novelty, but an immense, practical utility, the more will sober thought be taken for making it yield a maximum of service and benefit in every way. Certainly the necessity of realizing any and all industrial prospects are never remote from the St. Johns consciousness, be more recognition of residential advantages that are emphasized by the magnificence of both the bridge and the general river view.
