The times., 1898-12-07
MEMORIAL BRIDGE PROJECT
Delegation of Citizens Before a
Committee of Congress.


The project OF building a memorial
bridge across the Potomac River from
the Naval Observatory grounds to Airing
/ ton was brought up yesterday before the
House Committee on Interstate and For
elgn Commerce by a committee of citi-
zens of the District of Columbia and from
Alexandria County. Va.
The committee consisted of Representa-
tive Rixey. of Virginia; Frank Hume r
Ross Perry. j. C. Clements. former SEN
| ator Henderson Of Missouri. A. B. Gra-
ham and ]. F. Drain. For two hours the
| subject was discussed by these gentle
! men for the edification OF the committee,
| and met with favorable reception from
all except Representative Mann of I'LL
nois. who thought that the rights of the
Government were not sufficiently insured.
Long ago the chief objection was from
the War Department. which protested
| against permitting railway to cross any
! portion Of the reclaimed area Of the Po-
tomac without strict provisions as to the
width of its right OF way Since lssS,
| however the original project was so al
tered as to meet the demands of the War
! Department. and several Secretaries have
! warmly recommended it. Perhaps the
most conclusive and illustrative statement
on the subject is found in the report of
the Secretary of War for 1895. which says:
improved means of Communication be-
| tween Washington and the Virginia shore
must very soon be provided Another
bridge is not only a conceded necessity to
the population OF both sides of the Po-
tonac and as an approach to the national
cemetery at Arlington. bur also as a mil
| itary convenience to bring the principal
garrison of the National Capital within
easy reach OF its streets and public build
! ugs.
Twice have submitted the suggestion
that such structure can easily be made
/ the most impressive of the worlds me-
MORALS to heroism. The natural advan-
tages OF the site are unsurpassed. The re-
| gion is associated with war as no other
/ part of our country. and the site is dis
! tinctiy national. Such a memorial bridge
| ornamented with statues of our greatest
| warriors. with synbolical figures of the
| strong qualities that warfare brings into
/ play, and with representations of the
crucial events in national history would
/ be the same incompatible memorial to
! the greatness of u peaceful people aroused
! by war as our single shaft to Washing
! ton is the worthiest monument 10 indi-
I vidual greatness which human genius has
| yet executed. 1t is not proposed that the
| establishment of the bridge shall now
be provided for, but it is urged that its
! ultimate memorial character shall be con-
| sidered in the first designs and earliest
| appropriations"
/ The promoters of the project urge that
| when the bridge is built the privilege of
| running street cars over il can be sold
| TO various companies at rates that will
really pay for the bridge Congress. how
ever, has hitherto refused to accept this
idea and has declined either to build the
bridge itself or to allow any private cor
poration to do SO.
At the meeting this morning J. c.
Clements, former commemorative attor-
| Hey for Alexandria County. submitted a
paper which he asked the committee to
adopt as its report to Congress The gist
of this is contained in the following
| paragraph:
I'VE are satisfied, however, that. con
| sidering the necessity of rendering speed
| lily and safely accessible 10 the capital
| its chief military post at Fort Myer the
| propriety of 4 fitting approach To the
| great National Cemetery at Arlington.
where are gathered so many OF the ra-
| tons honored dead, and the desirab;lity
for these reasons of subjecting the use
of this bridge To the control of the War
Department, none other than the Gov
ernment should be allowed to build it.
For the same reason, and because tram
ways 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. .
The committee took the matter under
| adyiSement