The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-16
FILLING THE GAP.
EFrom the Virginia Sentinel Of Feb IA

The filling up Of the gap between Washington city and
Alexandria by perfect railroad connection is re-
oeiying the earnest attention which its urgent and mme
date Importance demands Before many months shall
have elapsed it will be the only gap between New York
and New Orleans The Orange and Alex lnliia railroad
hasens to its further terminus at Lynchbng and thence
the track of the flying is will be- paved
tinuously to the shores of the Gulf There is
to travellers between the Alexandria and
Washington depos and despite the attentions of polite
and ndeatigable agents, fear more ugly words are
uttered between the two places than any other
ton OF the entire distance. We object to this We
do maledictons to fall thus in streets and
on town We hope the parties particularly inter
ested will secure the proper remedy for the evil
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
riazng Congress the subject They propose four alter
native schemes LIST BY tunnel under Capitol Square
to the steamboat wharf "a An extension of tl,il Ioa
to Buzzards Point the Eastern Branch tbetaeen the
Navy Yard and Arsenal 81 horse railroad oser the
Long Bridge 4th A line tho eastern shore u the
Potomac to point opposite TO Alexandria,
No mention is made of the route by Georgetown, and
understand that 1t discarded as mpracticable.
The first and eoopd OF the routes above named would
be most inadequate solution OF the problem Indeed,
they would yield but very small abatement OF the
present evil The great difficulty lies in the fact that the
reach OF liver between Acx,nd ia and Washington is
commonly exposed to interruptions from lie and from
fugs and from high winds. The broad expanse OF almost
still water is great laboratory OF ice which alternate
tide and current drive up and down. and crowd and jam
and sport with, long after the river below Is clear
proacted north wind the river and drives away
its waters until the bed is nearly bare Fogs like those
of Egypt, without warning. The long ferries pro-
posed therefore, in the first aud second alternatives,
would afford but small relief.
The last route nanedthat 10 point Immediately op-
pose to ctyis great advance the two we have
noticed, and much to be preferred them, IL has
also its points of interest to Alexandria Wcdoubt much
however if the difficulties not such make it i'm
practicable while it would merely abate the evils OF
ferry
The route by the Long Bridge is the only that Of.
fers Independence of the elements and reliability at all
times We learn that the committees of both houses OF
Congress- after due investigation, have reached this con-
clusion.
We are glad that the committees giving the sub
iect becoming attention. Among the members OF the
Senate committee, Mr. Mason, OF State 10
showing himself duly alive to its general importance
and the deep interest which his constituents possess
in the subject aud is acting faithful part, Our own
representative Gov Smith, Is doing his whole duty
Mr. Barbour president of the O. and A. milrosd is both
vgilant and indefatgable The congressman and thu
railroad interests OF Tennessee, Alabama, and MS
sisspp and other States from the South also awake
to the subject We think il viii be- very hard, well
as very unfortunate il Congress resists many Just and
Reasonable appeals and adjourn without acticn y -