Picturing the Bridge. The story of the Cooper river bridge as told in the special editions of the Charleston newspapers was rendered vivid by the wealth of illustrations in those publications, showing progress of the work on the great structure from the beginning to the moment of opening. These pictures will make interesting history and will doubtless be shown in years to come by many of those who participated in the jubilation of yesterday and will be keen to tell of the celebration to the youngsters who will take it all for granted that there is a driveway across the Cooper for their cars. The engineers and builders of the bridge, as, indeed, all of the officers of the corporation which owns and of the contractors who built it, cooperated in every possible way with the newspapers in the making of the special editions complete records of the work and of the occasion celebrated at the opening, and to them The Evening Post expresses its appreciation and thanks. Especially is it under obligations to Mr. E. L. Durkee, engineer of the McClintic-Marshall Company, for putting at its disposal his extensive collection of photographs of the work during the various stages of its progress. The pictures tell the story of the bridge as no verbal description could and there are virtually no significant phases of the work which escaped Mr. Durkee's camera. To have had access to this collection was the good fortune of The Evening Post and of the public to whom it was enabled to present them.
A Photographic Record of the Construction of the Cooper River Bridge; Charleston, South Carolina - 1928-29; Volume II; Showing the erection of the Cooper River Cantilever Span, 1050 feet center to center of main piers, and being at the time of its completion the fifth longest cantilever, or truss span of any kind in the world. Steel furnished by McClintic-Marshall Co. and erected by the Pottstown Erection Dep't. Small photos by E.L. Durkee. 5" x 7" Photos by James Smyth ("Irish"). Larger photos as noted.
Image #289 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-3-29. Erecting first bent of falsework at L2, East anchor arm."; Image #290 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-3-29. Erecting first bottom chord of west anchor arm, Span 7, at Pier 7. Town Creek span in distance."; Image #292 (2.75" x 4.5"): "Same as 290."
Image #291 (4.5" x 2.75"): "5-3-29. East Approach nearing completion."; Image #294 (4.5" x 2.75"): "5-5-29. First panel of truss erected - west anchor arm."; Image #295 (4.5" x 2.75"): "5-6-29. Erecting first panel of floor - east anchor arm."; Image #297 (4.5" x 2.75"): "5-6-29. Progress in Cooper River."
Image #298 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-6-29. Our tank lighter and coal barge."; Image #299 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-6-29. Traveler "B" moved out to L2. West anchor arm."; Image #300 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-8-29. Second panel--west anchor arm complete. Traveler Bat L3, erecting portal bracing."; Image #301 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-9-29. Traveler B erecting third falsework bent at L6, west anchor arm."
Unnumbered Image (5" x 7"): "Airplane view of the Cooper River Bridge - looking east. May 9, 1929. West approach, in foreground, completely paved. Town Creek in foreground, then Drum Island, Cooper River, and Mt. Pleasant. Charleston in lower right."
Image #302 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-9-29. Traveler B at L2, ready to move out to L3. East anchor arm."; Image #304 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-9-29. Field office on bottom chord of deck span 10 - at anchor pier 10."; Image #305 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-9-29. Looking west from traveler B toward traveler A. Town Creek span at left."; Image # 307 (2.75" x 4.5"): " 5-9-29. Erecting falsework bent at L6 - west anchor arm."
Image #308 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-9-29. Progress at noon."; Image #309 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-9-29. Falsework bent #29, L6 - west anchor arm. Low tide, 25 ft. of water. 16 plumb piles & 8 batter piles under each column. Max. load = 20 1/2 tons per pile."; Image #310 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-10-29. Traveler A, east side, at L4."; Image #311 (2.75" x 4.5"): " 5-10-29. Looking west from traveler on Cooper River Span, west anchor arm."
Unnumbered Image (5" x 7"): "Progress in Cooper River, May 10, 1929, at 4:30 P.M. East viaduct (right) has been completed and viaduct traveler removed."
Image #312 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-16-29. Progress in Cooper River."; Image #313 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-16-29. West anchor arm - Span 7."; Image #314 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-16-29. Looking east from traveler B on west anchor arm. Pier B in foreground, Elev. 132.0'."; Image #319 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-16-29. Looking down on Span Traveler."
Image #320 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-17-29. Setting timber forms for concrete deck, East Approach."; Image #321 (4.5" x 2.75"); "5-17-29. Bowed plates in expansion joint at 9E on the East Approach. Taken to illustrate shop error. report made to V.B. & Iron Co."; Image #322 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-17-29. Progress in Cooper River."
Image #323 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-17-29. East anchor arm. Traveler at L6."; Image #324 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-17-29. Progress in A.M."; Image #325 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-18-29. Supply ship "Dobbin" and five Navy destroyers. West anchor arm beyond."; Image #329 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-18-29. West anchor arm. Navy destroyer in foreground."
Image #330 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-18-29. Progress"; Image #331 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-18-29. West anchor arm. Note stair tower and office on bottom chord of deck span - at Pier 7."; Image #332 (4.5" x 2.75"): "5-18-29. Deck of bridge from end of east anchor arm. Traveler at L6."
Image #333 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-18-29. Falsework bent 31- L8 - East anchor arm. 16 Plumb piles and 10 battered piles under each col. 40 ft. of water at low tide. Taken at low tide. See also 355."; Image #334 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-18-29. Falsework footing 32 - L6, anchor arm. Similar to bent 31. Max. load 20 1/2 tons per pile (D + L + Trav.)."; Image #335 (4.5" x 2.75"): "5-18-29. Looking west from top of anchor pier 10 showing steel falsework. Pier 9 beyond = 450 ft. Bents at 90 ft. centers. Flswk. cols. plumb and 37'-6" c. to c."
Image #336 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-18-29. Office in A.C.L. Yard. See also #1."; Image #337 (2.75" x 4.5"): "Bottom chord joint at L10 - over main piers 8 and 9. Weight 13 tons. 12'-7" long x 12'-4" high (Main gas. pl. 108" x 1" x 12'-7")."; Image #338 (4.5" x 2.75"): "5-21-29. West anchor arm landing on Pier 8."
Image #339 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-21-29. West anchor arm ready to erect last panel 8-10, and land on main pier 8."; Image #340 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-22-29. East anchor arm erecting last panel 8-10, to land on main pier 9."; Image #341 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-22-29. Setting shoe in Pier 8. wt. of lower shoe = 10 tons. Base 7'-3 x 8'-6 = 61.6 [square feet]"; Image #342 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-22-29. Setting main shoes on Pier 8."
Image #343 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-22-29. Erecting bottom chord joint at L10, Pier 8. Weight 13 tons."; Image #344 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-22-29. Same as 343. (Leatherman)."; Image #345 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-22-29. Pulling joint L10 back into place to connect to bott. chord L8 L10 and diagonal M9 L10."; Image #348 (2.75" x 4.5"): "5-23-29. Bottom chord joint L10 before erection of stringers. Floorbeam in place."
