Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-01-02
ARLINGTON MEMORIAL BRIDGE.

AhlJlNOlON MENlOhlAL OhlOUf.
The committee on river and harbor
Improvement have the following to
say in reference to the proposed Ar.
lington bridge:
"Snce 1856 up to the present time
the building of this bridge has been
urged repeatedly upon the attention of
Congress by successive Secretaries of
War, chiefs of engineers and quarter
masters-general of the army. Within
a brief period the present quartermas
ter general of the army, representing
not only his own views, but stating
that he came by direction of the Secre-
tary of War, has been before the COM
mittee and strenuously set forth the
entire inadequacy of the present means
of communication with the large mill
tary post at 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 conditions
presented by this bill.
eve quote from the report of the
present Secretary of War for 1898, as
| follows:
Every large sums have been appro.
priated by Congress for the construc-
ton of roads to cemeteries, more or
less unimportant, in various parts of
the country, but like generous care
has not been bestowed upon Arlington,
the most important of all. The Ar
lington Heights grounds contain LOO
acres, with frontage of about one
mile on the Potomac. They consti-
tute one of the grandest and most
beautiful parks in the country, the ma
tional cemetery occupying about one.
fifth of the Enclosure. In addition to
its historical association, the park
abounds in rare natural beauty, and has
been most carefully kept and improved.
Few cities have so fine park con-
tiguous to their borders. Arlington
cemetery, where so many heroes lie
buried, has in large measure become,
like Great Britain's Westminster Alb
hey, the nations 'Walhalla.'
"Consecrated as it is to our illustrious
dead, with its stately and expires.
sive monuments commemorative of the
deeds of patriots, its hallowed associa-
tons and its lessons appeal strongly to
all visitors to the nations CAPT.
tai. But the journey thither by
roundabout way and frequent
ly we'll nigh impossible, is not only te-
dious and uncomfortable, but involves
an expenditure of time and money
which deter great numbers from un-
dertaking it.
ga bridge over the Potomac at or
about the terminus of New York ave-
nue., near Observatory Hill, would fur
nish short and direct route to the
park and cemetery, and would, in fact,
bring them to our very doors. But the
park and cemetery are not alone to be
considered AS means of direct and
rapid communication between the
capital and the important military post
of Fort Myer, which adjoins the park
on the north, the value, in military
sense, of q bridge at this point cannot
be overestimated. Such bridge would
also practically Join this beautiful park
to the large area of reclaimed lands on
the river, all of which is to form one
grand park. Plans for such bridge
have been prepared by the engineer de-
partment, and its construction is urged
ar necessity. 1t is respectfully recon-
mended that Congress be requested to
make an appropriation therefor"