Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-02-26
THE LONG BRIDGE.

third of century ago Congress authorized President
JACKSON to bridge to be erected the Poto
mac river on the site of the present long, bridge,
either of three plans submitted to Congress for its
tion which he might think best to adopt The President
due consideration and advice adopted of the three
pans entered into contracts for its erection and large
amount of materials collected and preliminary steps
taken to commence the work; when, 10 under the nu
ence of some motive either actious patriotic personal
parsmouous Congress suddenly repealed the authority
rescnded the contract and f they have paid him
the damages he long pettoned fo ruined the contractor
besides abandoning work which, from its grandeur would
have been honor to the and to the nation that had
achieved it. The present mean and most Objectionable
structure afterwards built instead Of" Old Hckorys'
grand PLAN the solid mud and wall portion of the subst
tuts causing annual crop Of chs and fevers and the
frame portion kept practicable order about half the time
by constant patching and tnkerng But now at the end
Of third OF century, glad to by the annexed
paragraph from influential city contemporary the sub
ject Of permanent and suitable structure revived and
hope the authorities may set about it forthwith for
should wish to it completed if possible, by the time
the South is restored to the Unon that Messrs Davis
Mason Toombs, and company may the Potomac to
the seat of government bridge the grandeur and
ldiy Of which sha be emblemsc to their minds the
greatness and indestructbity Of that Union which they
have wickedy and vainly tried to overthrow.
THE LONG BRIDGE QUESTION
The engineering skl Of OF the Government archi
tects whom Mr. Chase has introduced into official life 10
this city offers satisfactory solution Of the vexed problem
in regard to suitable bridge the Potomac which
engaged much Of the attention Of Congress and the
people OF Washington for years past.
1t consists 10 the construction, upon plan OF an
arch bridge of cast and wrought ron sufficient span to
dispense with portion if not the whole of the masonry
which dams up the river and casts upon banks the
debris which has infected the city with malarous feves Of
annually increasing yirulence The plan Of this bridge
the suggestion OF Mr. Rogers the Chief OF the Bureau of
Construction in the Treasury Department who has, we
understand waived his propreorsbip the invention for
the benefit of the people of Washington and the Govern
ment should the latter be disposed to accept the offer
is well known that Gen. Jackson favored the plan of
arch bridge the Potomac nste ad OF that which
adopted and is standing menace to the health
and comfort of the national metropolis but bis wishes
overrued by Congress- account Of the
expense OF such structure upon the old plans and with
the old materials IL all accounts to be credited the
recently patented bridge may be erected tbe OF the
expense Of that Of any other upon tbs principle Of equal
spa strength and durability with corresponding econo
my OF time When complete it will be equally adapted to
military and commercial purposes-w be credit instead
of to the nation We of course pretend To no
professional knowledge Of the merits of this plan but
sum ng that they great represented il is well
worthy the attention Of the Washington public and of the
Government The present structure will soon have to be
repaired it will expose any large force moving rapidly
over it To mishap which s by no means pleasant TO
contemplate There is beside submity in the concep
on and execution of such project a this time that would
be worth i'm it's moral effects to the Union cause fty
times the expenditure II would express more forcbIy
than language could the abiding faith Of the people Of the
Loyal Staes in the perpeuiy Of the Government and ts
opposite shore Of the Potomac hostile and foreign soil
Sunday Chronicle.