Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-26
Tho Long bridge and the River
Flats.


WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THEM?
Editor Stdr:-The late tnundation of the val
ley OF our extinct Tiber was the event of a cen
tuTy. The combination OF causes producing II
were so extraordinary that they may not occur
again Nltb1n the period OF a hundred wears
ne coolest Winter ever known over the eXten-
slVe area OF mountains drained by the Potomac.
tne deepest snow fall over all this watershed
ana the heaviest accumulation OF Ice In the
nam stream and all It's tributaries of which
there Is any record or tradition lald the founda-
llons 1or an extraordinary freShet. Then our
february thaW OF three days, eliminating Ia q
uay ana nlgnt or heaVy showers In a high Jen-
perathre over all the Allegheny range, Drought
This 1reshet, With its polar Ice fields down u0on
US But still there would have been no flooding
OF the basin or our extinct Tiber had there been
no Long Bridge acting as dam to these moving
zee lelds and their inJermiBgled drift-wood and
IupDis n; mus backing the arrested stream up
tne OLD IlOer valley. 1t was not the causeWal
that arrested the downward passage OF the
stream. out the distractions Of the tre5tle work
across the Washington channel Under the
strong south wind OF that Saturday. day
never here to be forgotten-the heaviest preS-
sure OF the Ice pack and OF the stream was
against that trestle work, and when under that
" ,e ne pressure, this oostructing section
OF tne Drldse gave way, the city was Instantly
relieved.
Nevertheless, while that bridge and its cause
way remains as they are, our ribar valley will
De subject TO occasional 1nundatioas from our
Spring and autumnal freshetS How can they
De prevented? A bridge OF stone piers with
"lue spans, IRON SnOre TO shore, has been SIlg-
gcsted. II our only object In view Is a free
Passage for the river freshetS, this remedy viii
meet the case. But our paramount object tu
this connection Is the conversion Of those Dol.
sonouS river faeS, first, into dry land and next
into beautiful and attractive river side or
Island park. In this view We must retain that
callSeWay to assist us In the work OF reclaina-
ton; for. with the removal OF that cause gay
and free course to the river from shore to
shore, the first heavy freshet would problbly
carry OIL from those flats deposits which for
Milling In. would require the labor Of thousands
OF Inen, horses and carts for whole summer to
replace.
TIE river improvements required to meet all
the wants or our national capital are the fol
lowing In the opinion Of the writer: 1st
bridge from Easby'5 point to AnalOstal Island
connecting with the upper cau3eWay On the
southern SIDE OF said island. and the reconstruc-
tlOn OF that cauS6Way as the continuation of
tne bridge TO the Virginia shore; g the reel am
all0n OF those fiatS and their conversion into a
riverside or Island park Of five or six huadTe1
acres, a Fuolic park fOr the summer recreation
or 1sL1ng, boating, bathing aud picnic parties
and IL might b. equipped, tO1, with race
removed. and Its cauSeWay reduced 10 The gan
eral level OF the park. and new bridge or stone
piers over the Virginia and the WASHINGTON
chanEel, crossing from 18th street. OF ali
thlngs let u5 avoid the esta 5liShm9nt on those
mats or railway depotS. machine shops SOAP
factories ana bone boiling nulsanceS Id all
other improvements which viii be a dlslIura
tlon OF the river and our beautiful city. When we
nave passed through this inauguration bust
ness let us have public meeting or two on the
subject, says AN OLD WAsHISGrOSIAN.