Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-16
ACROSS THE EASTERN BRANCH
Col. Hams on the Progress and Delays
in Constructing the New Bridge.

ACROSS THE EASTERN BRANCH
Col. Hams on the Progress and Delays
in Constructing the New Bridge.
The progress of work, or rather the lack of
progress, on the construction OF the bridge
across the Eastern Branch is given in detail
and with much force in Col. Hams annual re-
port, which says: At the date of my last
annual report operations at the site of the
bridge were practically &C a stand. This state
Of affairs had been brought about by the forci-
BILE interference on the part of the Baltimore
and Potomac railroad company with the con-
struction of the bridge as planned The rail-
road company claimed . right o. way Sc feet
| wids over the government reservation at the
foot Of Pennsylvania avenue. While there ap-
pesred to be no authority Of law for such
claim there seemed to be no reasons for not
constructing the bridge so as to leave pos
sage under it Of that width. Such passage
was to be left by constructing at the west end
of the bridge q 90-foot through-span over the
tracks of the railroad company.
FURTHER RAILROAD ISrERFERKNcE.
When the work was about to begin on the
west abutment the railroad officials interfered,
claiming that the 90-foot span should be SO
located that the middle of the span would
come over the middle line of the railroad tracks
as they were laid. thus increasing the length of
the bridge about twenty feet A suit was in
stituted, under the direction Of the Attorney
General, to obtain an injunction to restrain the
railroad company from interfering with the
work. While the suit was pending it was found
that the railroad company's tracks were not
located In their proper place; that the line on
which the railroad was authorized to come into
the District was in reality about 1877 feet east
ward of the existing line. In May, 1885, Con-
gress passed an act to enable the Secretary of
War to make such alterations in the plan of the
bridge as would best accommodate the traffic
over and under it, at the same time providing
that the Baltimore and Potomac railroad COM
pany pay its fair and just proportion of the
cost OF said alterations at the west end of said
bridge, to be determined by the Secretary Of
War.
THE CHANCE MADE NECESSARY
to accommodate the railroad by allowing II
to retain its existing location and move out on
the lawful one when it gets ready, necessitated
an entire chang in the plans Of about 400 feet
OF tn, westerly end of the bridge.
The increased cost ON account Of the changes
amounted to SAC, 00O and Of this the railroad
company was required to pay one-haf.
THE DELAY OF THE WORK ExPLArNED.
This portion of the report concludes The
work OF constructing the bridge has been de-
layed much beyond what was expected at its
commencement. The chief cause has been the
interference by the railroad company, together
with the change OF plan made under the pro-
visions of the act approved May IA, 1888. The
CONDITION OF THE WORK AT THE PRESENT TIME
is as follows: Nine piers and the east abutment
are completed and the west abutment is nearly
completed. Nine iron spans are erected and
the trestle at the eastern approach is ready for
erection. The earthen embankment Of the
eastern approach is nearly completed. The
al Co. he rvN -. -
of preparation. Work is now in progress on
the two piers designed to supper. the ISL foot
through spans, and between which the railroad
tracks will pass when the line is Strengthened
The foundation piles have been driven. the
cofferdam5 constructed. and part of the grillaRe
timber put in place. The coferdams for these
piers have given the contractors much trouble,
each dam having twice failed after being
pumped out. The contractors are required to
excavate the soft material from inside the dams
to a depth Of l6 feet below the level
of low tide and then to fill the space
with stone and gravel. The excavation at pier
(the first pier east of the west abutement)
has been completed and part Of the stone and
gravel put III place. At pier B, however, when
the excavation had reached depth of twelve
feet, during the latter part of May, 1889, it be-
came apparent that the dam would collapse if
the excavation was carried deeper. As in that
event, a new dam would have to be constructed,
thereby causing much delay in the completion
VI II was decided 10 20 no deeper,
the contractor agreeing in lieu thereof. and in
order to secure the required stability. to drive
a substantial row Of piles around that half of
the dam exposed to the thrust of the soft mate
rial that is, that side next to the proposed rail-
road embankment
The amount expended on the bridge and ap-
proaches duKing the fiscal year was S45 1893. 10.
The available balance is els. SAC. &c.
A WASTE OF MONEY TO DREDoE THE EASTERN
BRANCH.
In compliance with order from the War
department, Col. Hains made an examination
OF the Eastern branch as far as Bladensburg,
Nd. and says in his report that beyond the
limits OF the District of Columbia the Eastern
branch is q most insignificant stream At
Bladensburg the river is hot more than 80 feet
wide and inches deep. There is no naviga-
ton on 1t at present and no prospective navi-
cation to be benefited by its Improvement. 1t
might be widened and deepened so az to admit
sand-scows to reach the sand and gravel banks
on the upper part of the river. but know of
no other commerce, existing or prospective,
says the colonel, that would be benefited
thereby. 1t would probably cost $4,000 to
give channel so feet wide and 8 feet deep at
tide as far up as Bladensburg, but, in my opin-