The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-19
the Railroad Bridse over she Pc.
OPpicB oy WARRINGTON, ALEXANDRIA,
AND 0koHoKTowN RAILROAD 90,

wAsUTNuTOH. Aus n ian.
, p-.,,.,,, -. I.
myself and 10 the road whose interests
have been appointed by the Supreme Court
NJ this District 10 protect, that should re-
,,,, A. tho r,.nv o,,aoIs ond ,,,,.ronro..n,.
py W 'no ' $500 . np'oeo"'A
lions made py citikens OF Georgetown ana
other Interested parties In regard 10 the re-
pairs now being made of the Washlnqton.
,,a.,sr,. 80 n.,-,,.,.-,, ..,,...s 49,.
h'eAa"u. n auu oov'so''"a ,"''oAe or"se
over tne ro'otnac rlver, when may 90 re-
garded as natonal structure, Mn Is the
only rncnns ., Ihn,oau connection oetWeen
INC Nor.n anu tno eouth'
Inc nrs. oo(ccuon 70 me repairs being
maze OF wnlch haa any lntimauon was by
le'ter addressed 70 nc upon the subject,
slgnea oy eenerM WIENER, out which l nave
every reason 70 believe was signed BY him
through representations made 70 MIN by
Major tnoey, the ofhcer In charge OF the
Long bridgc, ana whose actions have caused
some 70 accuse MN OF having acted through
interested motives, or from some special AMI
mostly against the railroad bridge, although
! certainty 90 not SO accuse him, but think
his opposition mas arisen from misinforma-
ton gwen MN as 10 inc plans proposed Tor
repairing the bridge. This letter Of General
Micnler was dated on the 29ih OF July, and
received oy me on the morning Of the 3lst,
and was replied to the same day, (saturday)
and y must have been received on Monday
morning, ana YET on tuesday evening iol-
lowing there was special meeting OF tho
Of Georgetown called, and copy Of General
Michlers letter to me laid before them, but
not my reply thereto. VINO iurnished them
with copy OF General Michlers letter, and
why was my reply withheldf
In my reply l stated that "the piles now
being driven In the southern channel Of the
river for the support Of the Ave long spans
Of the bridge are only Intended as temper
airy means for strengthening tho bridge to
accommodate the demand OF the public for
travel, and to be used as false
works In the construction Of more perma-
nent and suitable structure at that point, TO
be erected at an carly day, various plans for
which have already been submitted, but not
yet fully decided upon"
This reply scems to have satisfied General
Michlcr, but not so the Georgetown Coun-
ellis, by whom committee was appointed TO
walt upon me, which committee for some
reason never called, prcfcrring, suppose, to
get their information from a certain inter-
csted party, who seems very prolific In fur
nishlng both to the Georgetown committee
and TO the press, statements which arc not
exactly correct.
sec by the Ecening Star Of the 10th In
slant, and other papers, that another COM
mlttee, consisting Of Mayor Sweeney, Re-
corder Peck, and the Harbor aud Channel
Committee Of the Common Council called
npon me on Saturday, but that was alb.
cent. have made duo Inquiry at my resi-
lence and OF those In charge Of the Office of
he railroad, corner Of Maryland avenue and
Ninth street, and the office at the end OF the
bridge, and no one is aware OF any such
having called. But was at the
ridge office on the return OF the committee
rom their tour OF Inspection, aud the car
'iage containing them tarrled for some time
ust few feet from II, In front u which
vas standing awaiting their call, but In
toad oil doing so the carriage drove on up
fourteenth street.
The article TO which refer further
'ays that not finding me they re-
palrcd TO the scene themselves, and, taking
boat Tor the purpose, (with Major LubeyO
made thorough inspection OF the repairs
row going on there, which, II Is stated, will
prove highly Injurious to the Georgetown
channel; after which they had an interview
with the Secretary OF War on the subject,
who agreed at once to direct an engineer 70
make thorough inspection Of the repairs In
question, with Instructions to report as
speedily as possible In regard to any OBJ
'tructions that might be caused thereby TO
he Georgetown channel. Tho committee
peak In the highest terms Of praise Of their
reception by the Secretary Of War, and his
prompt action In their premises.
But why call upon the Secretary Of Warf
Did they expect to enlist his sympathcs be-
'ause he CHANGED to be a resident Of George
own II so, they have certainly mistaken
he character OF tho man Does the Poto-
nae river belong to Georgetown, or have the
,cople Of Washington and the country at
arge no rights In III
II 1t becomes necessary to drive few tenn
'orary piles In the river for the repair OF
ridge which Is the only means Of railroad
communication between the North and the
south, and over which people from all Sec
Ions Of the country must pass II they desire
o pursue an unbroken railroad communica-
Ion In going between the two sections Of our
ountry, can the authorities OF Georgetown
n other Interested parties succeed In their
ttempt to break this important link In rail-
Dad communication, aud that too In the
ace OF an order made by the Supreme Court
4 tho District OF Columbian think not,
specially when the true motive OF this oppo-
itlon Ia understood.
one would think from representations
made by these interested parties that nayiga-
Ion was obstructed, when the fact Is that
he nayigable portion OF the channel 10 en-
irely Tree from any and all distractions, and
he draw OF tho railroad bridge Is four feet
'ider than that on the Long bridge; and
here Is less obstruction to the other portions
! tue channel by our temporary piles (Which
re to be removed as soon as the repaIrs to
he bridge are completely than by the per-
nanent piles OF the Long bridge, which Is
carer TO Georgetown by seventy feet than
hat OF the railroad bridge. For instance,
he spans OF the Long bridge from the end
I the causeway to the draw have piles on an
vcrage at every twenty feet with only six
eet between the bottom chord Of the bridge
nd high water mark, whilst the correspond
,g spans OF the railroad bridge have piles at
My every forty.hvc feet, with q space Of
Inc and half feet between the lower chords
nd high water mark. The span OF the Long
ridge Just beyond the draw and directly
the channel has permanent piles at every
Wenty feet, with space OF only four and
ali feet between the bottom chord and high
'ater mark, whilst the corresponding span
the railroad bridge has temporary piles at
average OF twenty feet, with nine and a
ali feet between the bottom chord and high
'ater mark. In the next ten spans the rail-
DAD bridge has piles on an average OF every |
wenty feet, whilst the corresponding spans
I inc Long bridge have none.
10 railroad brldpe for having tomnorary
lies comes with bad grace when the Long |
ridge has been standing for so many years |