Classic Bike Ramblings BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER A "bridge" is so many things to so many different people. To a dentist its used to "bridge" over missing teeth. To a Master of a ship its where their ship is navigated from in fair weather or foul. To many of us the "flying bridge" is the best spot on our boats. The "Starship Enterprise" has one. In cards its a double handed game for four in two partnerships, where skill is at a premium. To a pool player it makes a tough shot somewhat easier and my 47 loyal readers in the music world it can be a part of a guitar or part of the song itself. But to most a "bridge" links two impassable points, be it the mainland to an island, crossing a deep gorge or over a river. And to many it's the way to the next place of being or a way to make amends to another often trying to "bridge the gap" or an impasse between one another, a way to help those in mental despair or in real need. And that brings us, my good readers, to a song that includes a bridge. A song that began as a little two verse "hymn" but grew in power. A song written while our country was involved in the Vietnam War, turbulent times and racial divide. It's a song we all know, its used in times of sorrow, in times of memorial and in times of soul searching. Its writer, its musicians, and its record label all knew they had an epic album and a very special single at completion. For so many the tune is not just a song but a meaningful and almost religious event. And speaking of events, my two-wheeled friends, there's an event that I am always part of and this year it begins on Sat. May 12th. and that is the Five Bridge Poker Run. On that day you will cross the five main bridges that so many of us use in our daily commutes and busy lives. But so many I thought do not know their history, or why these everyday bridges we cross are named what they are and why? And if you listen to the 60's and 70's channels like I do, you have heard this epic "bridge" song more than once. And you never change it, do you my good listeners? Here my history loving people, is a tale woven together of music, of stone and concrete and of the idea of helping friends in need unconditionally and unselfishly, of being there for those you care about and those you love and a story of the structures that take us over our own troubled waters and on to those friends, family and the events that become our lives. Paul Fredrick Simon (Oct. 13th, 1941) winner of 13 Grammys and one of music's greatest writers and Arthur Ira Garfunkel (Nov. 5th, 1941) winner of 6 Grammys and one of music's purest and most beautiful voices, together they would sing and write for an epic decade in history and together they would become "one" and craft a song that would reach the troops in Vietnam, the common man and the entire world who all seemed very troubled. They would meet at age eleven, go to Junior and High School together and begin writing songs in 1955. They would appear on the music scene in 1957 when the two of them formed the group Tom & Jerry. Both rose to fame
in 1965 on the power of the first of their two biggest number one songs (Sound of Silence). Known for their close tight harmonies and soaring vocals they would become the biggest duo of all time. They were a very interesting pair togather Art at 6 feet even and Paul at 5'3" one a pure singer the other multi-talented. But they had a turbulent and often a rocky relationship together almost like related brothers. In 1970 they would make their biggest, some say best, and yes my friends their last album. It would be delayed in completion and in release for many months due to artistic differences and disagreements, Art's new filmaking career was also to blame. It would take an astounding 800 hours and two years to create and as a result this amazing duo would breakup at the zenith of their success in 1970. A fellow named Walter Fuller in the year 1910 would find himself as the head of three local companies owned by Mr. F.A. Davis. George S. Gandy Sr. was the president of said companies. Walter would prepare a grand map that would include a proposed bridge that would go from Ninth Street North across to Tampa. Gandy and Fuller would partner and incorporate the companies to help in its design and construction. The West bridge approach would be changed to use Fourth Street North as its feeder. Bureaucratic wrangling and the fact that World War I was still going on in 1918 would cause the project to stall and financing was canceled . Gandy would buy out Walters interests and was determined to build his bridge, alone if necessary. In 1922 Gandy sold enough stock to finance the bridge which would cost $1,932,000. Construction began in September of 1922 and it would formally open on November 20th. 1924. At a distance of 2.5 miles the steel and concrete bridge would be the world's longest automobile toll bridge at that time, it was also equipped with tracks to carry street cars but never did. A double steel bascule drawbridge had a clearance for vessel traffic of 75 feet and was electrically operated. The original toll scale, my good readers, seems a bit "dated". Motorcycles (.25) Bicycles (.10) Double Team of Horses (.75) Single Team (.50) Loose Driven Cattle or Horses (.20 a head) Auto with Driver (.75) and ten cents for each additional passenger. 30,000 people and 7,500 cars would cross the Gandy Bridge on the Sunday after its grand opening proving Gandy right of the need for this bridge. Like the Courtney Campbell it was seized by the government for the war effort on December 23, 1945. A federal jury would award the Gandy Company $2,483,642 in compensation. The Gandy Bridge reduced the drive between Tampa and Saint Petersburg from 43 miles to 19 miles. The original bridge was demolished in 1975 although there were efforts to save it for public recreational use. It would be in 1956 that a second Gandy Bridge would be constructed with a 43 foot high fixed span for use with westbound traffic. The third span replacing the original from 1924 would be opened for service on Oct. 20, 1975 and was built without street lighting (which would be added in 1996 ). It would be February of 1997 when the fourth Gandy Bridge would carry westbound traffic. With the 1975 bridge carrying