Evening star., 1896-02-20
THE EMORIAL BRIDGE
Report of the, House COMMITTEES on Inter-
safe and Foreign Commerce.
It's Purpose to Afford a Fitting Ap-
preach to Arlington Cemetery-Re-
peatedly Urged on Congress-.

IT,, report Of the committee on inter-
state and foreign commerce on the memo
rial bridge bill was made public today. 1t
says:
"The purpose of the bill Is to construct
bridge across the Potomac river between
the naval observatory grounds, in this
city, aud TIL. Arlington reservation and
Fort Myer. in Virginia. In the Fifty-sec-
ond Congress a private corporation sought
to build bridge at this point and bill
granting the franchise for that purpose
was introduced in the second session there
of. This bill was referred for report to the
War Department by this committee, and
the War Department so strenuously and
urgently opposed the granting Of this site
to private corporation, upon the ground
that the site was needed by the govern
nlent, that this committee declined to re-
port the bill. We are not aware that at
any other time private parties sought to
build the bridge.
Government Should Build 1t.
"We are satisfied, however that. consid-
erins the necessity of rendering speedily
and safely accessible TO the capital its
chief military post at Fort Myer, the pro-
priety of a fitting approach to the great
national cemetery at Arlington, where are
gathered so many of the nations honored
dead, and the desirability for these reasons
of subjecting the use of this bridge to the
control of the War Department, none other
than the government should be allowed to
build 1T. For the same reason, and because
tramways of every kind are excluded by
this bill from the use of this bridge, it is
proper that the cost of building it should
be borne exclusively by the government,
and that the committees amendment
striking out the clause imposing one-half
of the cost of the bridge upon the District
of Columbia Shall be aGODted
Repeatedly Urged Upon Congress.
This project seems to have been pend
ing before Congress, without final action,
however, since the first session of the
Forty-ninth Congress, when the Senate
passed resolution directing the Secretary
of War to-
Examine and report upon the expedi-
ency of constructing a government bridge
with suitable draw anu approaches, iron.
a point at or near the foot of New York or
New Hampshire avenues on the public
grounds across the Potomac river ana Ana
lCstar Island, to a poiiC on the Uniteu
States national cemetery grounds a. Ar
HliStoE, with estimates Of the cost of the
Kind of Iridge deemed by the departma n I
most eXpedlent, as well as the cost of al
tentative plans considered practicable and
which will not materially affect the nayi-
CATION of the river
''Since 1856 up to the present time the
building OF this bridge has been urged re-
peatedly upon the attention of Congress by
successive Secretaries Of War, chiefs of
en nSineerS and quartermasters general of
the army. Within a brief period the pres
ent quartermaster general of the army,
representing not only his own views but
stating that he came by direction CT the
Secretary of War, has been before your
committee and strenuously set forth the
entire inadequacy of the present means of
communication with the large military post
Of Fort Myer, the insecure character OF the
Aqueduct bridge, and the fact that it would
take twice the time to reach the capital
thereover in an emergency than would be
required for that purpose under the condi-
tions presented by this bill.
Secretary LamoDt's Recommendation.
1.-The Secretary Of War in his annual re-
port for 1895 says: Improved means of
communication between Washington and
the Virginia shore must very soon be pro-
vided. Another bridge is not only a con-
ceded necessity to the population of both
sides of the Potomac and as an approac CHI
to the national cemetery at Arlington, but
also as military convenience to bring the
principal garrison of the national capital
within easy reach of itssstreets and public
buildings. Twice have submitted the sug-
gestion that such structure can easily be
made the most impressive of the world s
memorials to hero.sm. The natural advan-
taSes OF the site are unsurpassed. The
region is associated with war as no other
region of our country and the site is dis
t!nctly national. SUCH a memorial bridge,
ornamented with statues of our greatest
warriors, with. symbolical figures of the
strong qualities that warfare brings into
play. and with representations of the cru
cial events In national history, would be the
same Incompatible memorial to the great
ness of peaceful people aroused by war
as our single shaft to Washington is the
worthiest monument to Individual great
ress which human genius has yet executed.
IL Is not proposed that the establishment
OF the bridge shall now be provided for, but
1t IS urged that it's ultimate memorial char
acter shall be considered in the first designs
and earliest appropriations.
Your committee Is thoroughly satisfied
that this bill ought to pass.'