Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-08-19
AlfsaE Gjrga DaEetIz
TUESDAY EVENING. AUGUST -
LOCAL MATTERS.


For the Middle Atlantic states gehc' any 40.
weather y.riabl. winds. change IN teihpeia
ture. For "Wednesday. -tontihue" ""'" N''
generally fair weather Is lnnlcateu'
Tuu AouEDUCT BRIDGE.-lu us account
oftba transfer of the Aqueduct bridge oy
tho Alexandria Canal Co. and others 10 the
Government, the Washington CdptW says
.Of course the transfer is made subject to
the approval of the Secretary oi War anu
an examination and report n to title by
the Attorney. General. Beth these officials
are absent from Washington al present anu
the transfer cannot he fully cnnsummated
until their return. Concerning the pro-
posed free bridge, General Paike, OF the
Engineer Corps, says that no general
plan has been agreed upon, hul the Woi h
would he given oct by contract 10 the low
est bidder There were many bridge oulld-
ers in the United States VIII" would IKE 10
compete, and the prospects We're thaI
handsome, durable and ornamental slruc-
ture, in Keeping with lis surroundings
would shortly span the Potomac at George
town. BY reference To Il report OF Mr.. )
II. Albert, L. :. civil engineer, who has
made q thorough examination Of the Aque-
duct bridge. it was shown that the Potomac
to carry the Chesapeake and ONO Canal
across the Potomac river. Under the SUI
perintcn,lrnce OF Captain Turnbull piers
were built of hcavy blocks of gneiss, laid IN
bydrauic cement the ice breaker of each
pier being of cut granite from Sandy Bay,
Mass: the unriSi is from the banks ot the
Potomac above the bridge. According To
che original Il. sign the supcrSlrncture was
to be of stone, and every third pier has the
dimensions of III abutment pier, anu Tue
bridge consists OF two truSSes oil the howe
combination, strengthened by arches. cross
joists, or floor sir'lers OF the roadway, are
placed upon the upper stringers OF cach
truss. and the wooden arches are made 10
:but against each other, an iron plate separ-
ating the ends, instead of being Embedded IN
the stone piers. January 3, 1869, the bridge
was completed and ready for the passage OF
persons animals and vehicles AT the close or
the season Of navigation the water has been
withdrawn from the aqucduct, and such re-
1,airs as seem 10 be most needed are eNecut-
az. the latest examination is reported to
have occurred last March. Que defect was
the w,srping or sprnSing of the outer arch
ribs fro n the trlISs"s ut several places SHOW
;ny thai he structure should be carefully
overhoule,.' before !he filling ofthe aqucdncI
with water was again permitted. IhiS
w,rn;u.r ha, n creased until the arch aud
MINER chord rXcept on the fifth span ana
fifth ui..r. oycrhang, or have moved up
stream. An obvious cause oil lals move
mert may be found in the fart that tue cen
ire of gravity OF the structure Is upon the
upstream side of the bridge, aud that Inc
upper trusses and arches hnve not
been able to support their weight WIN WIN
ont Welding Since January ., 1863,
the bridge has been annually repaired,
the decay oil pats being replaced for
the most part 10y scantling differing hut
little from the original in dimensions.
Thee repairs, however, have not always
been co.extensive with the decay, and
progressive deterioration is Observable
throughout the structure. In general the
,iubcrS were found rotten, aud IN many
,.,..,. crushed or crumbling from the strain
unon IN, W, and the only remedy was an en-
tir,.I,, now J.. -iG"e from the piers up. Hun,
erto owinp ia lhe refusal OF the canal
COMPANY to sell TIC h9uednct piers. es :,
mates have been pre-, aired looking to the
erection of brids near the inree S cs th
and Congress appropriated - '' 80, ~ navy
purpose Engineers now say GEL ,.a Il n.M
bridge is necessity, but there is "!n mta,t'
"a to the material to be employed. v "'t"
er the new structure shall be of ir,"
or wood or u combination of both is the
point to be considered; and, besides, a
bridge which would reflect credit upon the
Government, should replace the present un-
slightly, dilapi!lated affair known as the
Aqueduct Bridge "