Evening star., 1898-12-06
MEMORIAL BRIDGE
Hearing Before the House Committee
on Commerce.
ARGUMENTS BY CITIZENS DELEGATION
James G, Clements Relates the
History of the Project
NEED FOR THE STRUCTURE

The House committee on commerce today
gave hearing to a committee Of citizens
on the bill HI. r. 2527) for the construction
OF a memorial bridge across the Potomac
river. Those present were Mr. r. Roes
Perry, chairman OF the committee on
bridges Of the board Of trade. and Mr..
Frank Hume. also a member OF that com
mittee; Representative Rixcy Of Virginia.
ex-senator Henderson of Missouri now
resident of Washington: Mr.. Dra,u,. Mr..
Andrew Graham and Mr.. James +. ,lern-
ents.
Purpose of the Bridge.
Mr.. Clements first addressed The commit
tee. He said that the purpose of the hin is
to construct bridge across The Potomac
river between ihe naval obscrt alury
grounds in tins city and the Arlington
reservation and Fort Mycr, in Virginia.
IN the Fifty-secoud Congress a private
corporation sought To build a bridg. at thi.
point, and a bill granting the franchise for
that purpose was introduced in the SECOND
session. This hul WAS referred Tor report
TO the War Department by the commerce
committee, ana the War Department -
strenu"Usiy and urgently opposed the
granting Of this site 10 private corpora
tion upon the ground that The sit. WAS
needed 10y the government that the conf
mittce declined To report the bill. Ne are
satisfied. however. tnat. considering fhs
necessity Of rendering speedily and safely
accessible to the rap.,ai its CHIEF military
post Fort MNcr, the propTiety OF hitting
approach to the great national cemetery ~
Arlington, where are gathered 80 many II
the nations honorcd dead and the desra-
bility for these reasons OF suhIccting the
use Of this bridge to the control Of the
War Department. Mr.. Clements maintained
none other Than t'e government should he
allowed to build For the same reason.
and because tramways Of every kind are
excluded by this bill from the use Of this
bridge, he said ii Is proper that The cost #
building il should be borne exclusively ~
the government.
Birth of the Project.
This project said Mr.. Clements, seems
to have been pending before Congress, with
out 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 eNpedeucy Of constructing gov
ernment bridge, with suitable draw and ap-
proachcs, from point at or near the foot
of New York or New Hampshire avenues,
on the public grounds across the Potomac
river and AnaloStan Island, TO a point o.4
the United States national cemetery
grounds at Arlington. with estimates o. the
cost of the kind Of bridge deemed hy the
department most cXpedient, as well as the
cost OF alternative plans considered prac-
ticable, and which Will not materially Hi-
feet the navigation of the river
since 1886 up to the present tim. The
building of this bridge has been repeatedly
urged upon the attention Of Congress Dy
successive secretaries Of war chiefs of en-
gineers and quartermasters general 81 fH"
army. At the last session Of Congress tho
quartermaster general Of the army, repre-
senting not only his own views. but stating
that he came by direction of the Secretary
OF War, came before the committee and
strenuously set forth the entire iuadequacy
of the present means of communication
with the large military post at Fort Mve-
the Insecure condition Of the AguedUrL
bridge and the fact that il would take
twice the time TO reach the capital there
over in an emergency than would be re-
quired for that purpose under the condi-
tons presented by this bill
Survey for Proposed bridge.
Mr.. Clements quoted from other reports
of similar character all favoring the con.
struction of the bridge. Mr.. Clements then
said that the sundry civil act. approved
June 4, 1897, contained an item appropriat-
ing $500 to enable the chief OF engineers
of the army to make the necessary surveys,
Soundings and bortngs, and tor securing
designs and estimates for a memorial bridge
from the most convenient point OF the
naval observatory grounds CT adjacent
thereto, across the Potomac river, to the
most convenient point of the Arlington
estate property.
Brigadier General John NJ Wilson, chief
of engineers. United States army. made IL
report to the Secretary of War, Ia which
he inClosed an elaborate report OF Lieut..
Col. Charles j. Allen upon the surveys, test
borings, soundings etc. for said bridge.
In response TO a question from Chairman
Hepburn OF the committee, Mr.. Clements
said that the saving in distance between
the White House and Arlington and Fort
Myer would he about three miles. Replying
to a question whether Alexandria county
ought to contribute TO the construction Of
the bridge. Mr.. Clements said that his
section Of Virginia had done its duty in
taking care OF the negro refugees Who We're
dumped by the government upon Alex
andria county after the war. This had cost
the county 5000 = year for twenty years.
Ex-senator Henderson's Argument.
Ex-senator Henderson. addressing Tia
committee, said that Congress ultima ,-Iy
would have 10 take back the land aeded 10
Virginia in this section, and repeal the act
OF 1916. He said the government ought %
have that land and control it. Nh. Hender-
son urgently represented the necessity Of a
bridge across the Potomac, for The use Of
the government, as well as the benefit or
the people. He said the Grand Army posts
had recommended the legislation on ac-
count Of Arlington.
Chairman Hepburn suggested that L
might be appropriate to construct this
bridge in connection with the proposed
centennial celebration Of the establishment
Of the government at Washington.
Mr.. Henderson thought IL would be a
very appropriate occasion.
Street Railway Franchise.
Mr.. Mann, a member Of the committee
suggested that street car companies would
fnd the use of the bridge valuable fran
chise.
Mr.. Henderson said this was undoubtedly
true, and that 10 per cent on the cost of
the bridge could probably be realized from
leasing the privilege.
Mr.. Mann said II might be better 10 have
the railways contribute to the cost of the
bridge.
Mr.. Hume said this would seem TO give
the railways partnership with the govern
ment in the bridge. and il might be better
TO lease the franchise.
At this point the hour of noon arrived
and the committee adjouTnsd without ac-
lion.