Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-01

slight ice blockade in the Potomac was chroni-
cled in the latter part Of January.
Important Improvements have been made in
securing a.
BRIDGES ACROSS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF TEE
WATERWAYS
which separate the capital from other parts Of
the District and from Virginia. Congress
authorized the building of a bridge across
Rock creek at Woodley Lane. and also appro-
priated 100000 additional to complete the
bridge across Eastern Branch in manner to
please the Baltimore and Potomac railroad,
which had previously put to rout the agents Of
the United States in a dispute concerning the
possession of national property upon which
the abutments of the bridge were to rest The
structure is still unfinished. One ANNOYING de-
lay followed another. But, the Baltimore and
Potomac railroad permitting Washington will
probably enjoy the new Eastern Branch bridge
in 1889 As a notable event in the city's his
tory the reconstructed aqueduct bridge across
the Potomac was opened as q free bridge to
the public in March. and the occasion was for
mally celebrated by displays of bunting. fire.
works. speechmaking and a parade on April
IL. Ready communication with its outlying
suburbs across the intervening waterways is
necessary to the development of the fast
growing and extending city. The shabby and
danger-threatening Long bridge should speed
lily give way TO creditable substitute. and
another bridge. not constructed primarily for
railroads, ornamental as well substantial.
should be built for the convenience of the peo-
pie across the Potomac from the main city. 4
proposition for a memorial bridge. to connect
with an avenue to Mount Vernon. is pending in
Congress.
CANALS IN THE DISTRICT.
The uncovered portion of James Creek canal
was pronounced a nuisance.
The Chesapeake and Ohio canal. in which the
District is deeply interested. gave indications
of its bad financial condition. Efforts were
made to obtain aid from the United States gov
eminent or Maryland. A bill to lease part of
the canal was killed in the Maryland legisla-
ture. The canal still labors under its old diff
culties, with no present prospect of escape
from them
Rock creek, within the city limits, is practi-
cally canal or open sewer. The Commission
ers have proposed plan of diyerting the
stream through tunnel IN the city. The
scheme was suggested in 1857. but the bill to
accomplish it was not introduced until April,
1883, and still hangs in Congress. The opposi-
ton TO the bill recognizes that eventually the
improvement ought TO be and is likely TO be
made. but calls for delay until more pressing
current needs of the city are met and until
some plan can be devised of putting proper
share of the expense of reclaiming the bed of
Rock creek upon the owners of the land to be
reclaimed. whose property will be immensely
increased in value thereby.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF THE YEAR.
notable event was the stoppage OF work on
the new national library building, through the
action of the House of Representatives Mem
bers claimed that too expensive a structure
was about to be erected. and that they had
been deceived as to its cost. The architect of
the building, being under severe fire. made
counter charges Of attempts to use improper
influence in respect to the material employed
against Congressman Stahlnecker. but the lat
ter was. after investigation, exonerated. 4
struggle over the course to be pursued i'll re-
gard to the library took place between the Sen
ate and House. Finally the work was taken
from the commission and placed in the hands
OF Gen. Casey, with instructions to report a
plan to cost not exceeding $4,000 900. This re-
port has been made. 1t shows that the orig
inal plan. with some alterations, can be COM
pleted for $4,000. 900, and the opinion is grow
ing that Gen. Casey should be authorized to
expend that amount upon the vastly superior
structure which it can build.
The District needed but did not obtain a new
pOst-office building. Persons interested in
rival sites for the building wrangled among
themselves and the Senate and House were al
loggerheads on the subject, too. The health
Office has pronounced the present quarters
unfit for habitation. The proposed temporary
quarters in the pension building are incon.
venient of access to the business public. The
hope was entertained that Congress soon after
assembling in December would determine tC
purchase the necessary site in some central anC
convenient locality, but SO far the desired ac
| ton has not been secured.
THE PARKS OF THE CITY
have been guarded during the year by public
| opinion against the intrusion of public build
ings and TO some extent against the railroads
| Some progress has been made in the policy o.
| removing the unslghtly fences about a number
| Of the parks.
Steps were taken toward securing an add
| tional park for the city, narrow rocky STRIP
| Of land along picturesque Rock creek. valuable
| for no other purpose than park. amounting
/ in all to nearly a thousand acres. The import
\ ance of obtaining the land while part coulC
be procured gratuitously through donations
and the rest at comparatively cheap rate wal
recognized, and legislation was asked which
would enable the District to secure title to the
part donated and to ascertain what expense
would be incurred in acquiring by condemns
| ton the remainder Of the strip. The bill on
the subject was Endorsed by the Commissioner,
1 and favored by the Senate committee, but
failed after amendment i'll the House.
| The project OF establishing a national 20
| illogical garden in the Rock creek region ir
order to preserve the North American mann
mails from extinction and in order to put the
United States on an equal footing with all the
| other great nations, in the possession of a 20
illogical collection, met with similar fate. The
Senate favored the plan. but expression o.
| opinion in the House was adverse.
ENGAGEMENTS OF THE RAILROADS
The year opened with a feeling of consider
able confidence among the people of Washing
ton that something practical would be ac.
complished for the relief of the community
from the chronic evils of the occupation
partly legal and partly illegal. of the street,
and public reservations by surface railroad
| tracks. subcommittee of the Senate Dis
| trict committee which had been appointed tC
| investigate thoroughly the local railroad
| problem had been impressed by the strong
| showing made against the railroads. and had
| determined to furnish relief. But when the
| full committee came TO consider the matter the
| new members on the committee and those who
! had not examined the subject overruled those
| who had. and it was decided by a vote of t.
| not to remove the Baltimore and Potomac
station from the mall and to leave al
| things as they were. In April the b. aud p
| road, not content with being let alone in the
| enjoyment of extensive privileges at the
| expense of the public. endeavOred to secure
affirmative legislation i'll its favor, and e
acquire the broad privilege of condemning
| unlimited land for its purposes in South Wash
| ingtOn. The passage of this bill would have
placed that section, and indeed the whole city
| at the mercy of the railroad. for the only right
/ left to the people to be used in barter with the
road for the release of the mall and d sinking
of its tracks within the city limits was that OF
| acquiring necessary ground for freight and
Storage purposes. BY steadily protesting
against the use of the public streets and reser-
yations for freight purposes. and by
refusing the right to condemn private
property unless concessions to public
safety and convenience we're made. the