The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-23
Communicated.
The Railroad bridge Again.

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EDITOR BspUBLIcASi Your issue Of the
10th instant contains letter from Mr..
Clephane, receiver Of the Washington, Alley
andria and Georgetown railroad, and In
reference to the bridge across the Potomac,
and repairs now being made thereto, this
letter contains some statements that are not
true; as also certain reflections on myself,
which are not only not true, but uncalled
for. Mr.. Clephane says;
" The FIRST objection to the repairs being
made Of which had any lntimation was by
q letter addressed to me upon the subject,
signed by General Michler, but which have
every reason to believe was signed by him
through representations made to him by
Major Lubey, the officer In charge Of the
Long bridge, and whose actions have caused
some TO accuse him Of having acted through
interested motives, or from some special AMI
mostly against the railroad bridge, although
| certainly do not so accuse him."
Now the above letter referred to was writ
ten by General Micbler AFTER personal ex-
animation OF the bridge; and rs to my "in-
terestcd motiyes'-though Mr.. Clephane
does not so accuse me, but says some do
In answer presume II will be only sufficient
to say that have no interest, one way or
the other, or have any Especial luminosity
against the railroad bridge;" and further,
my being with the committee from George
town on the day they made the examination
was accidental; but had II been otherwise,
should have no apology to make.
The remainder Of Mr.. Clephane's letter
tries toprove that there is nothing TO COM
plain Of, and that the Long Bridge, (Which
Is nearer to Georgetown by seventy feet"
with Its "permanent piles, obstructs the
channel, and that the railroad bridge, with
It's "few temporary" piles, docs no injury.
Now the fact Ia that the four spans on the
south end Of the Long Bridge are 100 feet
each, and those Of the railroad correspond
In length. A few years ago II became neces-
sary to drive what we then considered tenn
porary piles under one Of. these spans for the
support Of the draw, but still leaving us
three spans with clear water way OF 100
feet each, till within a few weeks ago, when
the railroad authorities drove piles and
divided up this way into sections OF 20 feet,
according to Mr.. Clephane's letter, but In
reality will not average more than 10 to 10
feet, some as close as IL and IL feet. A
large portion of the Ice and drift from the
upper Potomac passes downthrough these
spans, and considering that since 1881 this
bridge, or portions Of II, has been destroyed
by Ice and drift dozen different times, and
now with almost the only outlet closed or re-
uOWn 70 even ~ lctt bCCtlOuh, tuc
suit can be imagined even by those un-
acquainted with the force and velocity Of
the Potomac In winter and spring. On the
Washington side from the shore to the
Washington channel, the spans Of the rail-
road bridge are divided up by new pile work
to II or IL feet apart. Mr.. Clephanc again
says:
''But 1t is very evident that this alleged
channel obstruction is simply used by the
Georgetown authorities and other interested
parties for the purpose Of inJuring the Wash
ington and Georgetown railroad, and to
bolster up the project for a bridge over the
Aqueduct at Georgetown. II Is the old fight
renewed of the Georgetown people against
the interests OF Washington, with a fixed de-
termination that all railroad connection with
the South shall be through Georgetown"
Now will not undertake to discuss what
effect these distractions will have on the
channel or navigation, but I believe, and
there are many who agree with me, that
should the winter prove severe these STEW
temporary piles" and "falsc works" will
prove destructive to the only free road to-
day across the Potomac between this city
Virginia, and the people Of Georgetown will
have reason TO thank this railroad bridge,
suffer by interested parties being permitted
In adopting q cheap mode Of strengthening
railroad bridge under the pressure of neces-
sity, and to keep up communication between
the North and South, but which In reality
endanger its existence. Mr.. Clephane asks
In his letter, "docs the Potomac river belong
to Georgetown, or have the people Of Wash
lngton and the country at large no rights in
In !" Most undoubtedly the people have,
but from the manner that It Is now being
used one would imagine II belonged eX-
to the Washington, Alexandria
and Georgetown Railroad Company.
Very truly, yours, TIMOTHY LuBEr,
Supt. In Charge Of Bridge.