Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-03

They Free rRridge Question.
sTATEMEST BIZ Mr.. LACEY.
WAsHISfToY,. D. c., December 80. 1882.
To the Editorof Tsse5vxsHe STAB.
While have no wish to discuss the past man
| agement Of the prolonged struggle for free
| bridge, with Mr.. Bliss or other persons, yet as
secretary Of the Citizens Free Bridge COM
mtteee, Heel WARRANTED in commenting on my
/ action with Che Secretary Of War; which Mr.
Bliss alludes t. a short review of the history
| ofthe free bridge HIGHT, will. hope, serve to
give clearer insight into the causes which
| barred US bridge Years ago. 80.
There have been; unfortunately, har dozen
or more opposing Influences involved In It, al of
our hands. and some of which inevitably induced
delay at every stage Of proceeding.
For instance, Georgetown would not permit
the construction of any form Of bridge in her
harbor, thus compelling selection of site
elsewhere. Next. the citizens generally Of Alex
andria county who wanted bridge no matter
where located Third, the lessees of the
Aqueduct opposed to all sites save the
| one on their piers. Fourth. the Alex
andria Canal company favorable to any
vorable only to the Three Sisters site. Sixth,
those favorable only to the site in Georgetown
harbOr and so on.
TO secure first the influence Of Georgetown,
agreed with Mr.. Herr and other members Of her
board of trade, to urge only upon Congress such
Dill as looked to q bridge on or above the aque-
duct, and In accordance with that compact,
drafted bill. Now, the first section of the
bridge statute of February %, 1881, excepting
that the words "at or near the Three Sisters
Islands," inserted by me. were stricken out.
This amendment was secured by Mr.. James, a
member of the House District committee. who
was unalterably in favor Of q draw bridge in the
harbor.
The next compromise was effected with the
lessees, who accepted fair and honorable terms
TERMS may say, dictated by myself and such
as at that time harmonized all the opposing ele
ments. Subsequently. however, the AleXan-
dra canal company, under a new president, de-
clined to be party to this compromise, en-
bodied in the so called compromise BILL &" and
their adverse action finally resulted in the
present statute with its-tO them-stiu more
obnoxious provisions.
When the Secretary of War was ready to move
under this statute, these various compromises
left me no alternative but to ask him, as stated
by Mr.. Bliss, to confne bids upon the two sur
veyed sites above the aqueduct. Though he
granted my request. yet he onlv did so as a mat
ter OF Judgment. He Is at perfect liberty to
now invite bids for Georgetown harbor site,
as there was absolutely nothing in our interview
to hamper OF restrict his discretion. He simply
accepted my statement that public good was
opposed to further obstructing this valuable
harbOr.
THE THREE SISTERS SITE.
I may say here, in reply to the structures Of
"NOus Verons." that it Is hardly consistent for
him and those favoring Three Sisters site to
pour their Walls Of wrath upon my head as they
have done for not joining in what reflection
would have taught was a bOOtless undertaking,
the construction of free bridge at Three Sis
tiers with 914O.0 This amount was ample for
bridge below the Aqueduct-hr. James re-
peatedly 80 stated to the House committee
and Congress never will give more funds if the
statement be true He further asks who are
Messrs Sypherd, Graham and Lacey? Mr.. Ora
ham has only recently joined US, but Mr.. Sy-
pherd has been chief worker in the free-bridge
cause. His time. talent and money have always
been freely devoted to it since its first agitation.
Beyond this. he is patriotic enough to patiently
bear the onerOus burden Of tolls for year or
two rather than to insist that bridge must.
per force. be built in Georgetown harbor to the
undoubted injury OF District shipping interests.
simply because there is sufficient money for
such purpose, subject to the discretion of the
Secretary Of War He and myself are of those
who personally. don't care a fig where our de-
sired bridge is located land both of u.s. if released
from the various compromise compacts and left
to consider only the question OF escaping tolls,
would unhestatfngly' adopt the views of Mr..
James and act accordingly.
There Is but
ONE PROPER SITE
for bridge, and that Is on the Aqueduct piers,
and built there, too, under the present statute
or the proposed condemnation bill The claim
Of the AlexandriasCaaa Company is preposter-,
Gus in insisting that Congress must give guar
anty of perpetual appropriation for the mainte-
nance OF the canal, inasmuch as the tolls will
not suffice to pay a 1.-THE of the repairs In these
progressive times nOn-paying canals cOsting-as
in Ohio and Pennsylvania-inany million OF dol
lars are abandoned, aud it is the sheerpst folly.
to presume that dead canal like that which
curses Georgetown harbor will be perpetuated
by Congressional appropriations. Both the
bridge statute and the condemnation bill will
sooner or later. lead to destruction of the
canal trunk and the construction of a draw
bridge on the Aqueduct piers. aud if the city Of
Alexandra will not accept the terms Of these
two instruments the canal with its Aqueduct
trunk should suffer the fate of the recent canal
in our own city. To that end both Mr.. Sypherd
and myself have devoted our energies, and are
willing to WORK on until SUCCESS is attained
In conclusion wish to thank MIR. Bliss for his
assistance in the past. He freely acted at all
times as consulting engineer for me. as well as
in making valuable surveys without charge
r. s. LACEY.