Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-27
AFFAIRS IN GEORGETOWN
The Destruction Of the Causeway and What
Followed.
Other Notes of a General and Local
Interest From West Washing
tOn-Mr. Slit Better.

| The destruction of the causeway that
crnected Analostan Island with the main
land of Virginia by contractors employed
On the improvement of the Alexandria
county roads has swept away, it Is said
i all those causes which for nearly a CEN
| fury promoted chills on the Virginia shore,
| in Rosslyn and along the line of the Little
| river. Ever since the building of the
| causeway the Little river has been but a
| body of water that slowly backed in around
| the island and spread itself about over the
| land until q great marshy tract was Gre
| ated.
| The back water or Little river having no
| outlet it stagnated in many places, and
| spread impure vaporS over all that section.
! The removal of the causeway has opened
a channel all around the island, and now
| the Potomac river, just below the Aqueduct
bridge. makes in with force and sweeps
around joining the main river again at the
| southeastern corner of the island.
All stagnant water has been carried off,
| end the marsh land is fast drying up. Most
all the property can be reclaimed without
| difficulty.
Ch,lls have not been known in Rosslyn for
/ three months. For time it was not
| known to what to attribute the change.
but nonresident physicians having their
| attention called to the matter investigated
| beyond a doubt had brought about the
| hygienic conditions existing at present.
Before the Long bridge was built, and
when Georgetowns imports and exports
| employed many ships. which came from
| and went TO all parts of the world, and
| when Water street was crowded with to-
| bacco warehouses, ETC., the course around
| the island was the only one in use. The
| channel was deep and highly favorable to
| navigation. That part of the Georgetown
river now devoted to navigation was not
| in use.
In quoted passage in Jackson's "Chron-
icles of Georgetown" the writer, in speak
| ing of the Little river on the western
channel, says: at was in all it's usefulness
| when l came to live in your vicinity, IN
| 1892, and would have been a ship channel
for the largest shipping up to this time but
| for the unfortunate erection of the cause
| way. which, while doing good to none, has
| done infinite arm to every one The west
| ern channel is intended by nature to be the
principal channel to the town, for 1t is the
| nearest and most direct. and water chooses
| the nearest and most direct route always
| In 1854 the Potomac had it's choice, and it
chose the western channel.
With the rapidly increasing commerce
| town to look out for more commercial
| room by annexation with Analostan Island.
| but If the cauSeway Is to form part of the
new annexation, rely upon it that the pop
ulation OF the new territory will require
pretty smart sprinkling of doctors,
apCthecaries. nurses and grave digsers.
| who will always be in full employment"
This letter was written in 1S41
Gen. Mason. who had a beautiful home
on the island, was only able to occupy it
| curing certain months of the year. owing
to the conditions that prevailed after the
building of the cauSeWay.
The destruction of the causeway was
| without official authority. and at the time.
last fall. was looked upon a piece of
high-handed business. 1t has turned out
for the best, though.
1t seems that the parties engaged to re-
pair and macadamize the roads about Ross
lyn needed stone. and, without asking per-
horses and carts down to the causeway and
took away load after load, until the whole
piece of masonry had disappeared.
The Commissioners, who have jurisdiction
over Analostan Island, were notified Of
what was going on, but the informant was
told that the triumvirate had no power to
stop the destruction. The engineers office,
| On 18th street, it was said had Jurisdiction
The head officer there. though could find
no authority to act, and the contractors
worked on undisturbed.
The causeway. it is said, was the great
| est snake-breeding spot on the Potomac
river. In winter the rocks sheltered half
the reptiles of Alexandria county.
Twenty-Fifth Anniversary.
Under the direction of Chairman Charles
Henry Fischer and a committee, consisting
| Of Fred. Stohlman, Carl Haneke and ]. C.
Albrecht, the twenty-fifth anniversary of
| the organization of the Georgetown Ger
man Lodge. United Order of Good Broth
ers, was celebrated ftttingly in stohlman's
| Hall, on N street. There was an attend
| ance of nearly fifty, including the ladies'
present Mr. Fischer was the orator of the
| occasion. He spoke of the advance of the
| order and the good work it had accom-
| pliShed. Mr.. VIM. Voigt, the master of the
| lodge. also spoke. Before the evening was
over all those present were decorated with
a handsome badge Of the order.
| Advantages of Athletics.
| 1.-THE Advantages and Abuses Of Athletics
| From a Medical Standpoint" was the sub
| ject Of DR.. Frank Bakers lecture last night
at the Georgetown college. The lecturer
| spoke of the absolute necessity of exercise
| and the strong bearing that the intellect
| ual man has upon the physical. Through
| the aid of microscopic slides he illustrated
| his lecture with muscular and nerve tissue,
| portions of the brain and spinal cord. In
| the course CT the evening he spoke of the
| fatality of Bahen's injuries, and paid a
high tribute TO the heroic manner in which
he had borne his sufferings.
Notes.
| Yesterday the first shipment of the new
| season by way of the Potomac from
Georgetown was made, the Lena taking
away cargo of coal to Boston. 1t is said
to be the earliest shipment in many years.
| Mr.. James Cole, who died on Monday
| evening Of cancer Of the stomach, will be
buried tomorrow morning from Holy Trim
| ity Church. Father Roccofcrt will offici-
| ate. The interment will be at Holy Rood.
| The condition of the Rev. Mr. Stitt Is
pronounced hopeful. A bulletin on the door
of the parsonage at this morning stated
that he rested comparatively easy dur
ing the night. His illness has excited deep
| couraging report will be received with gen
uine qualification. There are three physi-