Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-01-06
THE MEMORIAL BRIDGE.

Mr.. James f. Clements, of Alexan-
dria county, to ex-U. S. Senator Hen
derson, now a resident Of that county,
VINO is a great friend of the proposed
Memorial Bridge:
Dear Sr.-There seems to be a uni
versal desire that the bill be passed by
the House of Representatives, for the
construction Of the Memorial Bridge
from the national capital across the Po-
tomac river 10 the national cemetery at
Arlington, and the United States mill
tary post at Fort Myer. You know the
bill has passed the u. S Senate, and
was last session refer red to the House
of Representatives, and by the Speaker
of the House, Hon. Thos. B. Reed, re-
ferred TO the committee on interstate
aud foreign commerce of the House,
and that committee acted upon it im-
mediately, referring it back to the
Hou,e with strong recommendation
that the bill be passed.
The bill has now been on Speaker
Reeds desk for nearly year, and
there have been several requests made
of him, praying him to allow the bill 10
be called up and put before the House
upon its passage; but | am told that he
refused, aud still refuses to allow it to
be called up. fear Speaker Reed does
not understand the great benefit this
bridge would be to the United States
| government He is not aware of the
| fact that The United States owns more
than thousand acres of land, to wit
1175 acres in the Arlington estate-not
more than 100 acres of which are used
in Fort Myer and the burying-ground
At Arlington. These $50 acres are
nicely improved, beautifed and we'll car
ei for, but there are a thousand acres
there that are uncared for, running into
deep gullies and washes, growing up
into brambles and bushes, disgrace to
the government and great hurt to
the property and prosperity of the
pee PIE who own land adjoining it.
1nis land is now useless and worth
less TO the government, but if this
bridge was constructed, this worthless
land could be sold by the government
Tor over two million dollars therefore,
in financial and money point of view,
by putting this six-hundred-thousand
dollar bridge across the Potomac
% the great government reservation
At Arlington the United States would
increase the value of its own property
over one and half million dollars.
beg of you 10 bring this point strongl.
before Speaker Reed aud request him
to ask Col w. p. Hepburn, chairman Of
the committee having this bill in
charge, about the vast extent of waste
band at Arlington, and its dilapidaled
and uucared for condition. Col. Hep
burn hSe,made personal inspection Ul
the entire Arlington estate.
Again, every Secretary of War, for
the last sixteen years, has strongly rec
commended the construction of this
bridge as military necessity, in every
annual report that they have made to
Congress. The Aqueduct bridge, away
up above Georgetown, now used in 60
ing to the Arlington National Cemetery
and the military post at Fort Myer, is
narrow, insufficient and unsafe-one of
the middle piers having been under
mined and disintegrated by the heavy
currents in that deep and narrow part
of the river, and reports have been
made that this bridge is unsafe, by the
United States government engineers,
to the Secretary of Wal; for proof Of this,
tary OF War to Congress I regard the
Aqueduct bridge as being dangerous to
march troops of either horse or men
over, or to haul large cannon in case of
emergency.
The Long bridge is also low, narrow,
weak and liable to be swept away
! by floods, and always dangerous for
driving purposes because Of the con-
unuous passing and repassing OF steam
railroad trains. regard the national
cemetery and the great military post at
! Fort Myer rs being etiectually cut of
from the national capital OF this great
nation.
Again, the food and supplies for the
I. ). garrison at Fort Myer bave to be
hauled about six miles around by
Georgetown at great cost to the gov
erument, whereas, if we had this bridge
TO Arlington, which is not over one
mile and d half from the U. S. War De
partment, the cost of hauling and dray-
age would not be over one fifth OF the
present cost; this would save the gov
ernment several thousand dollars every
year.
The bridge is, as the Secretary of
War, the Quariermsster General, and
the Commsnder-in- Chief of the army
of the United States say,
military necessity. So, why hold it
back? General Miles is strongly in
favor of it. Please bring these points
strongly before Speaker Reed. The
speaker is a busy man and 1 fear he
has not been informed on these points.
you could get the speaker to visit
Arlington and Fort Myer some pretty
day truly believe be would also be
strongly in favor of the bridge. Please
see if you cannot prevail on him some
fine day to drive over with you and in.
spect Arlington cemetery, Fort Myer
and the great expanse of unused land,
now owned in the historic Arlington
estate by the United States. If be will
only go, feel certain he will be in
favor of the bridge.