National Republican., 1881-07-19
A Free Bridge.
10 the Editor OF THE REruBncAN;

10 the Editor OF THE REPUBLICAN;
Hundreds of business men here and in
the District are constantly inQuiring in regard to
the prospect Of n free bridge at Georgetown under
the law passed last spring We are still under the
cxaction Of tolls by the Aquedect Bridge Company.
and the burden Is certainly grievous one upon
us. Can you tell us when we shall have the prom.
ised relief at the hands of the Secretary Of Wnr2
We are told by those OF our citizens who have had
charge Of the matter that the Secretary OF War Is
doing oil in his power 10 secure the desired
bridge but that he Is so hedged in with limited
appropriations. &c. that progress is necessarily
SLOW We are willing to be patient and to wait for
the end without grumbling, provided all intrusted
with the duty providing the bridge are zcnlously
nj work. But heavy tolls are hard to bear, and
in our intense desire TO get rid Of them at the
liest day possible we ask you the important ques.
tion, What about the bridge2" Please enlighten
rs. TRUCKER.
ALEXANDRIA COUNTY. Va, July IS.
Our correspondents anxiety for the
interests of Alexandra County, George
town, and Washington in his demand
for a free bridge at the earliest mo-
ment practicable is appreciated. This the
Secretary of War is vigorously striving TO
secure, as he has caused several prelimi-
nary surveys to be made of the different
proposed Sites and has been endeavoring
to negotiate for the purchase of the Aque-
duct Bridge, as indicated in the free
bridge act. He has, however, met with
two obstacles, which serve to retard pro-
gress The first is inability to acquire
title in the piers of the Aqueduct, because
of the refusal of the Alexandria
Canal Company, who are the lessons,
to join the lessees in conveying
title to the United States; the second is
the insuiliciency of the appropriation to
construct u first-class bridge on other site
than the Aqueduct Neither of these inn
pediments is insuperable, and the Secre-
tary is fully alive to his legal powers in
the premises These are such as will com
pei title to the Aqueduct or the erection
OF new bridge adjacent to it. 1t is con-
fidently asserted that the United States,
and not the Alexandria Canal Company,
is the legalSwner Of the majority of the
stock of the Alexandria canal, which, if
the Aqueduct under the provisions OF the
free bridge act, for the United States
thereby would become one of the princi-
pals to the transfer of title in lieu of the
lessons or the Alexandria Canal Company
The fact that $4,000, the amount APP
proprated, is insufficient to construct Il
good bridge is Of little moment, for Con-
gress, in conceding us the right to free
bridge at Georgetown, bound itself to
erect it, precisely as the purchase of the
old rickety wooden toll-bridges at the
navy-yard, Long Bridge, and Chain Bridge
compelled the subsequent building of the
safe and substantial free bridges now
upon these three sites.
We are informed that the citizens free
bridge committee caused several surveys
of the Potomac above the Aqueduct to be
made, maps of which have been given
the Secretary Of War, and that railroad
engineer and expert, after careful Calcu-
lation of the cost involved in building q
bridge within five hundred feet of the
Aqueduct said it would not exceed
$l75,000. This would necessitate an adj
ditional appropriation of only $4,000,
and no one can suppose that Congress
would refuse that small amount if the
Secretary Of War recommends its APP
preparation.
We are, therefore, sanguine that our
correspondent will be in the happy pos
session of free bridge in the near future,
and that the exactions of toll now levied
upon him and his neighbors, and upon
ourselves when we visit Arlington OF
other portions of his State, will then have
ceased. The Secretary Of War is in earn
est, and if the holders of the Aqueduct
franchise cannot or will not transfer il
TO the Government, then bridge will
surely be built nearit.