Good Luck Glove Company Metropolis Illinois

The Good Luck Glove Co., with locations in Carbondale, Metropolis, Rosiclare and Vienna. For years, the glove company was the third-largest work glove company in the United States.  The following is a postcard from my collection notifying of shipment of a large order of gloves.  Please if you have any information about the Good Luck Glove Co. leave me a note in the comments below you don't need to log in or anything to leave comments!

Postcard Front
AMERICA'S BEST WORK GLOVE VALUE
Unconditionally Guaranteed
Wear Good Luck Brand Quality Gloves
800 ARMOR
815 IRON FACE

Postcard back
Mailed November 10, 1964
Good Luck Glove Co.
Metropolis, IL

Mailed to:
Atlanta Army & Navy Supply
79 Alabama St. SW
Atlanta, Georgia
Gentlemen:
We are pleased to advise that shipment of 68 dozen gloves was made 11/9/64 against order number 26211

The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 13

Hopkinsville Kentuckian
Tuesday, September 8, 1914

Quit Work On Bridge

European War Alleged Cause For Ceasing Construction At Metropolis, Ill.

Paducah, Ky., Sept. 5. --- Work on the Burlington bridge at Metropolis, Ill., twelves miles below here which was started a few weeks ago, was stopped Friday and all of the employees paid and discharged. Semi-official announcement was made that financial difficulty, caused by the European War, compelled the railroad to suspend work indefinitely. When it will be resumed was not stated.



A temporary 1 percent grade line will be constructed from the bridge site to Futrell, six miles from Paducah, and the Burlington, will transfer, using the Illinois Central tracks from Futrell to Paducah, until the bridge is built. At present the Burlington business is being handled across the Ohio River here at a large expense. The sudden announcement caused a shock in business circles here and at Metropolis. The estimated cost of the bridge was three and one-half million dollars.

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The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 12

The Paducah Evening Sun
Thursday, July 28, 1910


No Opposition to Bridge, Now

Rivermen satisfied to secure proper location of Burlington's piers.

No further opposition to the width of the spans of the Burlington bridge at Metropolis promised by the river interests. The rehearing at St. Louis settled all of the objections to the bridges, and the river men are well pleased with the privilege extended them of locating the piers. This morning Mr. C. M. Riker, general manager of the West Kentucky Coal Company, stated that he knew there would be no more objections. By having the main span 720 feet in width a steamboat with a large tow will be able to pass under the bridge at any angle. With lights on the piers at night the span will be sufficient width to enable the pilots to judge his distance and pass under the bridge.

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The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 11

Picture of the W.B. Duncan in dry dock

The Paducah Evening Sun
Thursday, July 28, 1910

Transfer Boat Duncan is Ready

Official on his way to inspect craft, which will ferry trains here.

Most of the work of the Illinois Central transfer steamer Duncan, which will ferry trains between Paducah, Brookport and Metropolis pending the erection of the Metropolis bridge, has been completed.

This morning M. K. Barnum, superintendent of the motive power, and R. W. Bell, superintendent of the machinery, of the Illinois Central railroad, arrived in the city from Chicago and made an inspection of the transfer boat. Captain Ed Howard, the veteran steamboat builder, has inspected the Duncan and said that she is one of the best wooden transfer steamers that he has ever seen. The boat is of sufficient weight to carry a large tonnage.

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The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 10

The Paducah Evening Sun
Wednesday, July 27, 1910


Rivermen Will Select Place Of The Bridge Piers

Engineers Approve Site and Adopt Length of Span at St. Louis Meeting

Metropolis People Jubilant Over Result.

Paducah Men Have Returned

To the dictation of towboat pilots and owners was left the location of the piers for the main channel span for the Burlington railroad bridge at Metropolis yesterday by the government board of engineers at St. Louis. The bridge site and width of the span is definite.

This encouraging news was brought home today by Capt. Saunders A Fowler, secretary of the Commercial Club, who returned this morning with County Judge Alben Barkley and State Treasurer Ed Farley from St. Louis after attending the meeting. Mr. Fowler said the result of the meeting is that the board concurred in the action of the engineers at Cincinnati on June 9 in the bridge's location. The span for the main channel will be 700 feet.

The bridge is to be located 1,800 or 2,000 feet below the ferry landing at Metropolis. This is the most feasible site for the foundation and the approaches. The channel span will be 700 feet in the clear at low water mark and the main channel span 600 feet, located in the river. The best position for the piers has been left to the judgment of the rivermen.

Capt. Fowler said a large number of Metropolis people attended the meeting and were jubilant over the result. He said they expressed a warm appreciation to the river interests at Paducah for the support given them in their contentions for the bridge.

Read Part 9   Read Part 11  Read Part 1

The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 9

The Paducah Evening Sun
July 7, 1910

Illinois Central Transfer Boat Being Rushed and Incline Built to Accomodate Burlington Road

Wish Boat Completed by the 15 of August --- Material on Ground for Incline --- Will be Constructed Quickly.

By September 1 and possibly before the Burlington system will be handling freight in and out of Paducah. Until the bridge is completed over the Ohio river at Metropolis, the railroad will use the inclines of the Illinois Central railroad at Brookport and Paducah. Arrangements for the transfer of freight have been outlined, and the work is being rushed, so that the transfering may begin August 15 and September 1.

The steamer Duncan, owned by the Illinois Central Railroad, is now on the Marine Ways, receiving a general overhauling, and when completed will be used to transfer the cars. When the work was done it was intended to have the transfer boat completed by September 1, but now a request has been received to have the boat ready for service by August 15 if possible.

At the foot of Campbell street to the Ohio river a new incline will be built, so that with the old incline there will be a double track to the transfer boats. Much of the material for the new incline is already on the ground, and shipments are being received daily. An order has been received by the bridge department of the Illinois Central not to begin the construction of the incline yet, but it is expected that the work will begin this month. The incline can be erected in 30 days.

Originally the incline at the foot of Campbell street was double tracked, but now only the single track is used. The old foundations are still solid, and the trestle work can be built on the old foundations.

New hearing.

The rehearing of the protest over the granting of a permit for Burlington bridge at Metropolis, Ill., is set for July 26, at St. Louis. At this time the engineers will hear the objections to the shippers of the Mississippi river and north of the Ohio river. The engineers recommended that the permit be granted when the first hearing was held at Cincinnati last month. At St. Louis it is believed that the opposition to the Bridge will not be as strong as it was at Cincinnati, where the large coal shippers fought the bridge.

It is said that when the double track bridge is completed at Metropolis, much through business will be deverted from the Cairo bridge by the Illinois Central, to the Carbondale division, because the single track on the long approaches to the Cairo bridge already is overcrowded. The Illinois Central between Paducah and Fulton and Paducah and Carbondale will be double tracked and improved to handle the fast traffic between Chicago and New Orleans.

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The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 8

Burlington sternwheeler Northstar pushing caisson VI into position on the Ohio River at Metropolis, IL 1916.  Caisson will be sunk to river bottom and pressurized to keep water out so that railroad bridge piers can be constructed.

The Paducah Evening Sun
Friday, June 10, 1910

Burlington, Big Four, C. E. & I. And L. & N. Will Use Metropolis Bridge, It Developed at Hearing

Louisville and Nashville Surveyors Start to Work in Paducah – N. C. and St. L. Inaugurates New Service.

The Burlington, Big Four, C. E. & I. And L. & N, will cross the bridge at Metropolis, according to gentlemen, who returned from the Cincinnati conference.

Captain Brack Owen said from the testimony put forth yesterday it was clear that the bridge would be crossed by these railroads and probably others. He said that as soon as it was definitely known that the bridge was located and the span decided upon, telegrams were sent immediately to Paducah, Louisville, Chicago, Kansas City and other cities, showing the importance of the meeting. The situation of the span is to be left with the bridge engineers and rivermen. It will either be built in the channel or on the Kentucky or Illinois sides. The Pittsburgh people, Mr. Owen said, are still against the bridge, but he is of the opinion that there will be no delays. The engineers expressed themselves as being ready to start the work this summer. It will require between two and three years to build the bridge.

It is the belief that the Burlington will use the L. & N. tracks, connecting with the N. C. & St. L. road here. Other roads are expected to have surveyors out on the field soon.

River Men Return.

No more elated group of Paducah river and business men ever returned home than the delegation that arrived from Cincinnati early this morning. With the site of the Burlington bridge definitely located at Metropolis, a 700 foot span for the Kentucky side and the assurance of immediate work on the bridge, the Paducah men could wish no better, other than the bridge was just a little closer to Paducah.

The board of engineers at Cincinnati yesterday practically closed the controversy. Attorney Charles K. Wheeler, who spoke in behalf of the local interests, said he never saw a hotter fight against the width of the main span. Although 700 feet was decided upon, the coal company bitterly opposed anything less then 1,000 feet. A large delegation of the combine heads went from Pittsburgh and were strong against 700 feet. The span will be 700 feet in the clear and will be constructed on the Kentucky side, which was deemed the safest. The bridge site was approved and it is thought that no other question will arise.

Pilot W. T. Campbell, of Cairo who returned with the party, said Brookport, Ill, should be complimented for her stand taken in the matter. Messrs. Pell and Charles Ford, representing the Brookport Commercial Club, were present and naturally sought to have the bridge built across the Ohio at that point. They showed much zeal in the matter and are boosting their town.

Secretary Saunders A. Fowler, of the Paducah Commercial Club, and Mayor J. H. Ashcraft remained over at Cincinnati in the interest of the work of the Ohio Valley Improvement Association.

Those who returned this morning were: Messrs. C. S. Bookwalter, Brack Owen, Charles K. Wheeler, W. T. Campbell, of Cairo; George C. Wallace, Capt. John E. Rollins, Pilot Mat Fitzner, Capt Ed Cowling and Henry Rampendahl, of Metropolis, Capt. Joquincy M. Phillips, superintendent of the floating equipment of the Illinois Central Railroad.

Railroads Active.

Since The United States engineers at Cincinnati have approved the plans for the Burlington bridge at Metropolis, Ill,. Activity has commenced among railroads in this vicinity again, and crews of engineers are working on approaches to the bridge. The actual construction will be undertaken just as soon as the preliminaries can be disposed of and the material assembled. It probably will be fall before everything will be ready

This morning the following surveying crew of the Luisville and Nashville railroad arrived from Louisville and began work surveying out of Paducah toward Metropolis landing, the Kenducky end of the bridge: W. P. Pearson, R. L. Schmid, Samuel J. Carpenter, H. E. Moore, S. J. Rand., W. A. J. Weller, J. Montgomery and H. C. Alexander.

The Big Four has already let the contract for it's road bed into Metropolis and the Chicago and Eastern Illinois is only five miles away from the Illinois end of the bridge. The Big Four will give Paducah direct connection east to Buffalo; the Burlington into St. Louis and the C. & E. L. into Chicago.

The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis, which recently strengthened all it's bridges and road bed, is doing away with all trestles and is now putting concrete bridges over the bayous near Union Station, this city. Work of increasing the capacity of it's terminals here also will be pushed since the company has secured more ground.

The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis also is ready to announce better train service between Paris, Tenn., and Paducah, when a train will leave Paris at 6:30 in the morning and arrive in Paducah before 9 o'clock, leaving on the return trip in the evening. Now shoppers from Paris cannot get here before 1:30 in the afternoon.

Read Part 7   Read Part 9  Read Part 1

The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 7

Side dump cars unloading dirt for construction of earth approach fills for CB&Q bridge over the Ohio on the Metropolis, IL side 1915

The Paducah Evening Sun
Thursday, May 10, 1910


Burlington Gets Right To Bridge At Metropolis

General Council Grants Franchise to Close Streets to Approach.

Illinois Central Clears Site for Station.

Metropolis, Ill., May 10. --- (Special)--- More evidence of the intention of the Herrin Southern (Burlington system) to build a bridge here over the Ohio River came to light, when the city council last night passed an ordinance, permitting the road to close the streets from the river to Eighth street, and build the approach to the bridge. The same right of approach to the bridge was granted the Illinois Central, and the right to build the new downtown station. Work is progressing on the Herrin Southern line, and the buildings have been wrecked on the site of the Illinois Central station near the river front.

Read Part 6   Read Part 8  Read Part 1

The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 6

Supports for Metropolis, IL approach to CB&Q bridge during construction 1916





The Paducah Evening Sun
Saturday, October 2, 1909


Burlington Bridge is Located at Metropolis and Soundings Being Taken for Piers – Wabash Coming

Dredge Whistle Calls Out Fire Department of Illinois Town When it Arrives to Start Work.

Metropolis, Ill,. Oct. 2. --- In a recent conversation a gentleman high up in the local affairs of the Burlington said to one of our prominent citizens that the Burlington people do not desire to sell the dwelling houses they recently bought in Metropolis --- they are to be used by the company in housing their bridge employees during the period of construction.

The boat now being used on the river is for the location of bridge piers and not for the location of a bridge crossing, as that has already been definitely and finally fixed.

During this conversation the Burlington official said that the railroad wants this man's property as the road needs it for bridge purposes and therefore, the gentleman should look for another location for a home at once.

The bridge crossing will be at the foot of Broadway running directly through Franklin Park.

Alarmed the Town.

Metropolis, Ill., Oct. 2. (Special) – The whistle for the Burlington barge that is to drill for the foundation of the piers of the bridge, arrived and was placed into shape Wednesday evening. Capt. Joe Woodard then blew the salute to the town. It was mistaken, however for a fire alarm and the fire department responded and made a record run to the waters' edge to find that it was only the whistle saluting the town, and announcing that they were now ready to begin on the pier location. They are now in active operation. They have selected as a bridge sight the front of Broadway and if a substantial bottom can be found that will be the place where the bridge will be. One of the head officials was here this week and let out the news that the location of the bridge would be here at Metropolis and that was the first thing settled in building this road. He said that the houses recently purchased by the railroad would be used as dwellings for bridge workers. The road is being pushed from both ends. About six miles of dump at this end is being made by three different sub-contractors and as many at the Herrin end. This will be an up-to-date road for they are putting in their trussels and water ways in concrete.

After the road is complete they will run tracks to the rivers edge to handle the river trade until their bridge is completed when, the last reports say, it will cross and connect with the Tennessee Central and a town proposed to be located at the Kentucky end of the bridge and called South Metropolis.

This road will then pass through Paducah and continue south and connect with the Burlington in Tennessee, making a through line to the gulf. These are the plans as they now are, so far as is known, and will be carried out unless circumstances change them.

It is reported that the Burlington has more then 200 acres of land out of Metropolis. This is evidently for the purpose of erecting shops here. The Burlington has opened the way for one of the largest railroad terminals here in the central west.

Wabash Is Coming.

A few days ago two well-dressed strangers, supposed to be Wabash people, ate their lunch at the lunch room of W. H. Hayden. While eating they were talking of the railroad prospects for this place. One of them was heard to say that the Burlington would have to hurry or the Wabash would beat them here. It is a known fact that the Wabash has been surveying south from Harrisburg with the intention of crossing the river here, when the bridge is completed, but their direct course is not known, but it is supposed that they are also looking forward to entering the south for a part of the southern trade.

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The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 5

Photo of the 1916 flood of the Ohio River at the construction site of the CB&Q Bridge on the Metropolis, IL side.  Notice the wood falsework under the truss to support it while it was being assembled in the air

The Paducah Evening Sun
Wednesday, August 25, 1909


Pilots' Protest Declared “Bosh”

No Local River Men Think Petition Probable.

Petition against the Burlington building at Metropolis Would Be Fruitless Measure.

It must have been an imaginary petition that the morning paper said “has been circulated among and signed by the masters and pilots of practically all the river craft plying between Paducah and Cairo” against the building of the Burlington bridge across the Ohio at Metropolis.

“Why, that is all monkey wrench talk,” said a prominent river captain this morning. “Who said anything about a petition against the bridge,” responded another captain this morning when his attention was called to the “disclosure” today. “I haven't heard anything about the 'new phase' or seen anything of a petition,” said another steamboatman this morning. Another veteran remarked that it wouldn't do any good to get up a petition against the building of the bridge, as railroads, as a matter of fact, have everything their way.”

The alleged petition caused every riverman to laugh up his sleeve this morning, and such a thing as getting up a petition is regarded as an absurdity. If a petition is afloat around Paducah not one river captain or pilot has seen or heard anything of it.

When questioned concerning the “immense danger” to craft plying from here to
the Egyptian city a veteran smiled. “The river is one mile wide and very deep at Metropolis,” he said, and the only objection I can imagine that rivermen would have would be the width of the bridge spans. The spans of the Cairo bridge are 500 feet apart and I take it that the spans of the Burlington bridge will be about the same width. Although this is sufficiently wide it sometimes looks like you are going into a 50 foot span with a big tow of coal. The site will be a most satisfactory one for a bridge, and even if any attempt to circulate a petition is made it will be of little avail as the railroad has everything cinched with the government and the engineers figures are only regarded. The slight objection to the width of the span wouldn't cut any figure.

In speaking of the “petition” another riverman said “bosh.” He was of the opinion that there wouldn't be enough signatures in Paducah to make up a satisfactory petition to lay before the secretary of war at Washington. He said it would be folly to attempt such a thing as to stop a bridge from going across the river at any point, “It is generally the custom of rivermen to get up a petition every time a bridge is going to be constructed, but they have about gotten away from this practice seeing that it is useless and no heed is paid it by the government.”

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The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 4

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) bridge crossing of the Ohio River at Metropolis, IL holds many numerous outstanding facts not the least of which is that the first Train rumbled across it's mile long length on December 15, 1917.

 Penny Postcard depicting the CB&Q RR bridge from the Illinois shore

Aerial photo of the CB&Q RR bridge from the Kentucky Shore

Some trivia facts about the CB&Q bridge:

The design of the bridge consists of the following types:

1. Deck Plate-girder approach spans
2. One riveted, 9 panel Parker Through Truss
3. Five pin-connected, Pennsylvania Through Trusses
4. One pin-connected, 8 panel Pratt Deck Truss
5. Total length of the bridge is 6,424 feet
6. The largest span stretches 708 feet
7. At 708 feet the bridge contains the longest pin-connected simple through truss span in the world

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The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 3

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) bridge crossing of the Ohio River at Metropolis, IL holds many numerous outstanding facts not the least of which is that the first Train rumbled across it's mile long length on December 15, 1917.

This postcard depicts the CB&Q RR bridge from the Kentucky shore

Building the bridge

The Metropolis bridge project was directed by Charles Hopkins Cartlidge while Supervision and plan approval was done by the noted consulting engineer Ralph Modjeski.

Work commenced in 1914 by the Union Bridge & Construction Co, but was halted due to World War I. Work resumed July 1915. Pressurized Caissons were sunk into the river by digging material out from underneath them and their weight would push them down into the hole created. Some of these caissons broke depths of over 110' below water level. There were 2 deaths attributed to caisson work on this project not including the June 1916 death of Charles Hopkins Cartlidge, who contracted pneumonia after many decents into the caissons to supervise the work.

At the beginning of 1916 high water halted work for 2 months. September 1916 All but one of the piers was mostly completed and one of the short trusses was standing. October 1916 Timber falsework for building the truss over the main channel was completed and the main span was completed in December of that year. And as stated previously the first train crossed on December 15, 1917. The bridge was completed in April 1918 and passenger service was allowed to pass over it (passenger service was prohibited until “the last rivet was installed”). Total cost of completion was $4,000,000.

Read Part 2   Continue on to Part 4  Go to page 1 and start over

The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 2

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) bridge crossing of the Ohio River at Metropolis, IL holds many numerous outstanding facts not the least of which is that the first Train rumbled across it's mile long length on December 15, 1917.

This penny postcard portrays an artists rendering of CB&Q RR bridge

The Metropolis Bridge Design

A critical design factor of the CB&Q Bridge at Metropolis was The US War Department's requirement for a channel width of 700 feet. Expecting traffic to grow over the years, Burlington wanted a double track bridge that could support Cooper E-90 live loading. This showed a tremendous amount of foresight for the day (Cooper E-90 design loading is currently specified by several railroads for permanent structures that may be expected to be in service for 100+ years).

A complicating factor at the Metropolis site was that bedrock was approximately 230 feet below low water level. This depth prohibited founding the piers on the bedrock, instead the piers are founded on a thick quartz sand layer at approximately 75 feet below low water level. Founding the piers on a substrate that could allow them to settle over time prohibited many bridge designs. CB&Q Chose to build a Simple Truss Bridge designed and built using Silicon Steel instead of the normal High Carbon Steel and specifying an even stronger nickel steel for certain members of the bridge allowing the bridge to be made lighter.

Read Part 1  Continue on to Part 3

The CB&Q Metropolis Railroad Bridge part 1

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) bridge crossing of the Ohio River at Metropolis, IL holds many numerous outstanding facts not the least of which is that the first Train rumbled across it's mile long length on December 15, 1917.

This picture, taken from the Kentucky shore, shows the yet unfinished bridge

So what lead up to Metropolis being the site of such an enormous undertaking?

The CB&Q Railroad was based out of Chicago, IL. Quincy Railroad aquired a line in 1876 from Chicago to East St. Louis. In 1901 James J. Hill acquired control of the Burlington and wanted easy access to Southern Illinois Coal. So, in 1904 Burlington acquired a 122 mile line from Concord, IL to Centralia, IL. In 1905 the CB&Q began pushing towards Metropolis to link up with the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad (NC&StL) in Paducah. CB&Q reached Metropolis in 1910. The Paducah & Illinois Railroad (P&I) was formed of a partnership between CB&Q and NC&StL to build a mile long bridge over the Ohio and 15 miles of track to connect the 2 Railroads.

Continue to part 2