Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-07-09

currently reported in the District of Columbia.
that contract, at price exceeding two mil.
lions Of dollars, had been actually made for the
construction Of such bridge. Mr.. Gibson,
one ofthe, firm, or company, whose proposals
had been accepted, stated that " he estimated
the work at &c. 300 900; but that, with the extras
added, its cost would be at least 81, 500 OOO" to
wards which, 1t will be remarked that but 5000
900 had been, as yet, appropriated.
misunderstanding between the contractors
and the Secretary of the Treasury, however.
prevented the former from subscribing the terms
submitted by the latter; and the commencement,
Of the bridge, on the proposed plan, was neces.
sariy delayed In the interim, Mr.. o. H. Dill.
bic, who had been, for several years, a contrac.
tor for work on the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca
nal and is we'll known to the first Board of hi.
rectors of that work, offered to construct tb.
proposed bridge, and for stone piers and abut
ments, resting on piles, to substitute solid ma
sonry, reached to a firm natural foundation
and to do all this tor - dollars.
The proposals Of Mr.. Dibble had been sub
it is understood that he purchased, in the meao
time, the materials which had been collected By
the preceding contractor preparatory to his En-
tering on the execution of the contract which he
had refused to subscribe. This refusal was as
late as the goth ofNovember, 1893, few days
only before the meeting Of Congress. which was
on the ensuing Monday in December The
proposals Of Mr.. Dibble were at first very brief
those which were accepted bear date the 9th OF
December, after Congress was in session, and
consequently their sense might have been had a.
to the substitution, at an enormous cost, of
stone for wooden structure near mile long.
After waiting, in vain. for communication
from the President, and no attempt, from any
quarter, being made to arrest this extraordinary
proceeding, Mr. Mercer offered to the House O:
Representatives resolution, adopted on the
Goth of December last, in these words:
That the President of the United States be
requested to lay before this House copy of any
contract which may have been made for the
construction Of bridge across the Potomac ri
yer, opposite to the City Of Washington; toge-
Their with the authority Under which each con,
tract may have been made; the names of the
contractors, and oftheir securities, if any; and
the plan and estimate of the cost of such bridge"
An answer to this resolution was received or
the 9TH Of January, 1884, and, on: the motion of
Mr.. Mercer, referred to the Committee on Roads
and Canals.
The Committee promptly decided il to be in
expedent to proceed with the construction of
the stone bridge across the Potomac, for which
no actual contracthad been subscribed or even
drawr+ out, and with a very detailed report,
containing much information as to the proba-
BILE cost of such bridge, which the most intel
ligent and skilful Engineer computed at from
two to near five millions Of dollars, the Chair
man, Mr. Mercer, reported, on the 10th Of Fe.
bruary, bill to repeal all the acts hitherto pass
ed on the subject Of the Washington Bridge
except so much Of the first act, that of the 18th
Of July 1882, as authorised the contract area-
dy executed with the late Washington Bridge
Company; and to reconstruct, at cost not ex-
ceeding 10000 dollars a bridge on the scite
and plan of the old bridge provided that upon
the shoals, between the main channels solid
emoankment might be made, not exceeding in
length 1860 feet; which is a third of the space
between the abutments of the old bridge, the
whole distance being 1884 feet.
BY this bill, the prior appropriations OF $4,000
and 100000 dollars to this object were reduced
one half in amount, and the public treasury
saved an expenditure, which, according to the
terms OF Mr.. Dibble's proposals, was to reach
100000 dollars, and according to the opinion
OF one OF the most eminent practical Engineers
in the service Of the United States, Col. Bald.
win Of Mass, would exceed 100, 900 dollars.
A part of the cost Of the stone bridge of for
tythree piers no one could compute, by compa
rrson with any other known structure
There is not on earth such bridge; and
practical Civil Engineer recently returned to
America, from professional tour through Eng
land and France, says, eve have no stone
arches, on grand scale, to serve as warning to
those who would undertake to build 43 piers in
such soil as the mud and sand which here COL
stitute the bottom ofthe Potomac"
The stone bridge recently constructed oyel
the Thames, at London, in length less than 3
fourth Of this, cost it is known, more than thrice