Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-02
PRESENT HISTORICAL DATA
Members Of Columbia Society Entertain
Their Friends.
Meeting Held Last Evening mt shore
ham Hotel-fapaEE. of Interest
Reaa-MembsF. Elected.

ham Hotel-Rapers OF Interest
Read-Membef.E Elected.
The first meeting of the Columbia His
torical Society since the summer vacation
was held last evening in the banquet hall
of the Shoreha.n Hotel. where the meetings
of the society arranged for the future will
be held. There was good attendance Of
members as well as visitors, and the in
terest displayed~in the proceedings marked
successful beginning of the work of the
society for the year. In the absence of
President John A. Kasson, Mr.. A. R. Spot
ford. vice president, presided.
The election of the following as members
of the society was announced: Gaillard
Hunt, DR.. H. L. E. johnson, Dr. T. T.
Sewers, George Alfred Townsend, Henry E.
Davis. Pacifcus Ord, John A. Baker,
Charles F. 7. Beale, Stlson Hutchins and
DR.. G. Lloyd Magruder.
L'Enfant,s Map of CITY,.
The first paper of the evening was pre-
sented by" DIR. s. c., Busey the title of
which was '.LEnfant's Map of the City of
Washington" Two maps were displayed,
one being the reproduction made some
years ago by the coast survey of LEN
fant's map, which is preserved In the Office
OF the superintendent of public buildings
and grounds, and, in striking contrast
herewith, was shown a modern map Of the
city. comprising not only the territory with
IN the old limits of the city, but that within
the bounds of the District and large area
Of the outlying territory of Maryland and
virginia, which is now tributary to this
city.
pr. Busey gave the substance of reports,
which, he said. had never been published.
and which were made by L'Enfant to
washington while the former was engaged
IN the preparation of plan of the city.
he spoke OF the many artistic features
which the originator of the plan of the city
intended as means of adjoining and beau
ti1ying the future capital of great ma
ton. Many of these, the speaker said were
discarded to the great disadvantage of the
city. He referred especially to the giving
up TO private purposes of the reserya lions
along pennsylvania avenue. from 9th street
10 the Capitol. and of the reservation on
which now stands the Center Market. The
speaker paid a noble tribute to the genius
OF the man who conceived the plan of the
nations capital.
Upon the conclusion of the paper remarks
were made by several, and Dr. Busey pa We
some further Information which he had
gathered on this subject. s':s
az Cabin John Britffre,
The next paper was by Mr.. William T.
s. Curtis. entitled Notes on the Making Of
Cabin John Bridge" Mr.. Curtis is the son
OF the late Charles T. Curtis, who was the
superintendent and inspector in charge of
the bridge, and he said he gathered MANY
OF the important facts contained in his pa
per from the STATEMENTS of his father and
also from his fathtrs papers. He displav-
Gu series OF photographs showing the va
rious stages in the building of the bridge
He, of course. alluded to the .circurn-
stance OF the removal of the name of JET
t te1s DAVIS fromithe bridge, and said his
,a.net -, .oio MIN tlat Gen NJ c. Meigs, who
was the engineer1in charge of the work
curing the period when the bridge was
practically constructed had nothing what
ever 10 90 with sthet erasure of Davis,
name, as Gen. Meigs at that time was NOT
IN charge of the york. Mr. Curtis said n
was done. by sfapecutterr on the express
verbal order of Caleb Smith then Sccre-
, tary OF the INTERIOR ounder whose super
VISION the work was then being carried on
MI Curtis alsoii said shat. while Cen
Meigs was att the pry ITortugas superin
lending the works at Esrt Jefferson, Capt.
!oeh;1 was AZ charge of the work at the
oafuih .onn bridge and remained there for
some eight mon ths.y5 He was succeeded by
Capt. Meigs. said MP. Curtis, who was
again placed IN charge of the work. and
Capt. Meigs( found that Capt. Renham,s
name. together with that Of Alfred l.,
Rlves, assistant engineer. had been cut on
stone in the bridge. Capt. Meigs at once
ordered these names to be cut out, and
then had placed the bridge the tablet
bearing his name, and also had his name
cut high up on the bridge, with the word
rect beneath 1t. Mr.. Curtis said that
Capt. Meigs told his father that he wanted
everybody to understand that he had con-
ceived the design of the bridge.
Unwritten History.
Dr. G. Lloyd Magruder,, In the course of
interesting remarks, gave what he termed
some unwritten history in regard to the
bridge. He said that his father was paw
master of the force of men employed on
the work, and that the engineers and 9TH
ers frequently visited him at his home.
Among others was Alfred L. Rives who.
by the way. Mr.. Curtis said, is the father
OF Amelia Rives. the novelist and he also
SAID that Mr. Rives is now living in South
america; On one occasion, said DIR. Ma
gruder, Mr. Rives had stayed at his faith
ers house all night, and the next day he
came down In the room where members
OF the family were seated and cried out:
Il have found it."
He was. of course, asked what he meant,
and he said he had found how to con-
struct the bridge.
DR.. Magruder went on to explain that it
was was tns original intention. as Mr. Curtis
had SAID IN his paper, to carry the conduit
over series of arches at this point, but
Mr Rives, as he explained to his father,
nad conceived the idea Of springing sin
gle arch over the Cabin John run
DR.. MaSruder went on to say that Mr.
Rives subsequently explained his ideas to
Capt Melgs and showed the latter that the
abutments of the bridge could rest on solid
rock and then the bridge took it's present
form.
Question of Name.
In the discussion which followed the
reading of the paper and DR.. Magruder's
remarks, reference was made to the legend
about the name of Cabin John, which as
ISOLATED 1t with man who was named
John, who lived in cabin in that locality.
Mr.. Hugh T. Taggart said the old records
showed that the stream was known as
Captain Johns run, and it seemed to him
probable that the name Cabin John was a
corruption of Captain John. The society
then adjourned.
SOLDIER BOYS MAKE MERRY,
.yOint Smoker hx Camnanx md