The times., 1899-05-07
| MEMORIES OF An
| ANCIENT WATERWAY
Days When the District Was
a Shipping Port.
Early History Of the Aqueduct
Bridge Across the Potomac.
Its Usefulness In Times when Peace
ReiEned Followed by Practical
Demolition In War.

A stone culvert. in which a contingent
OF the colored population of Washington
now receive policy" drawings, several
hundred yards southeast of the Virginia
end of the Aqueduct Bridge. is perhaps the
most visible reminder local citizens have
of the old Alexander aqueduct which swaI-
lowed up Si,150.0o0 OF national and indi-
vidual funds. This curious culvert was
shaped out OF stone and cement and III
tended to withstand the test OF centuries.
1t is plainly visible from points of vantage
in Georgetown and along, the Aqueduct
Bridge. but little remains OF the old aQue-
duct Of which the arch was a very small
part.
The agitation for canal from George
town to Alexandria developed seventy
years ago. Both places were ports Of con-
siderable shipping Importance in the i0-s.
and even later. and the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal, which for years eonti oiled a
large percentage of the coal trade. was
the cherished boon of each municipal COR
poration- The people of Alexandra de-
sired to have the canal continued from
Georgetown to their city in order that
boats, weighted with coal, might glids
down to Alexandria and transfer their
cargoes to sailing vessels. The success of
this scheme meant millions to Alexandria.
Hence the interest that was taken in the
project.
The desire was encouraged and brought
before the attention OF Congress That
cody hnally granted charter To a COM
pany for the construction OF the aqueduct.
This charter was dated May &c. 1880. and
gave the company power to construct an
aqueduct across the Potomac River and ex-
cavate canal to Alexandria. The work
was begun three years later ard completed
within decade. The water was turned
into the newly constructed Gqueduct on
the Fourth OF July, 1S43. when the inau-
guration OF the new scheme was heraldsd
with great enthusiasm by business men
and shippers.
One OF the greatest difficulties that had
10 be overcome In connection with con-
struction of the aqueduct was building ths
eight piers that were to support the water
way leading from Georgetown to what ia
now known as Rosslyn, at the south end
Oh the present Aqueduct Bridge These
piers were finally completed and stand to-
day. forming supports for the new Aque-
duct Bridge. After the failure of the aaus-
duct scheme, some twenty years ago, the
structure across the Potomac River at
Georgetown was removed and a steel
bridge placed on the old stone piers. These
are eight In number. Two powerful abut-
ments were also necessary, one at each
end Of the aqueduct- The piers had to be
built on the rock of the river bed con-
siderable depth below the surface, and the
ieat was considered triumph of engineer
ing skill in the early days OF the century.
The engineers in charge Of the work de-
termined that the piers should be one hun
dred and five feet apart. Two of the piers
are twenty-one feet thick and the Others
twelve feet through at highwater mark
The abutment at the south end of the
aqueduct is twentyone feet thick and has
circular wing walls sixty-six feet long,
having an average thickness of thirteen
feet. These wings were to connect with
the sloping walls of the causeway.
The piers were well-eonstructed, not
withstanding the difficulties offered, and
are today excellent examples OF masonry
One Of them only has weakened. 1t is pier
four, and several years have been spsnt
even in these modern days in an attempt
to replace it with new pier. So far the
War Department engineers have succeeded
in building only a cofferdam around the
huge support of the bridge. 1t is little
wonder then that the work was considered
uiluCull Dy tHe carly DullQeTS-
The whole cost of the aqueduct was
ss0O.CGO. the canal s5O0.9OO. and the locks
at Alexandria were built at an expense OF
$4,000. and had it not been for the fnan-
cial aid rendered by the Government the
project would have failed. Congress pas5-
ed an act on June %, 1892, giving SIs0, 900
toward the work and by q subsequent
measure approved March 3. 1897, contrib
uted 5000. 600 more for the work. Accord
ing to the original plan the aqueduct was
to be made entirely of stone with twelve
arches of one hundred feet span each.
The immense cost OF such an affair was
beyond the means OF the company. and.
the scheme was abandoned A wooden
trunk superstructure was placed on the
piers and served to carry the water from
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal into the
canal running down to Alexandria This
trunk was designed by Benjamin f. NIL
Ter. the master carpenter and superintend-
ent of the work who had arranged to pre-
serve the timber by subiecting il to a GER
tain process. The trunk was 1100 feet
long. seven feet deep. and seventeen feet
wide 1t had a tow-path five feet wide
After the completion of the aqueduct
in 1913 it was used as a public waterway
until May %. 1861. On that day it became
an instrument OF war rather than of CON-
merce- The Government took possession
OF the canal. drew of the water, and sent
troops and munitions of war across the
impromptu bridge. No better bridge
could have been found for the purpose and
the aqueduct continued to be used as such
even by the public, until after the close
Of the war Of the rebellion. During these
years the Government required that no
toll be paid and when the structure was
finally surrendered IL was In such condition
that it would not hold water.
A new aqueduct was built in 1868 but
soon became dilapidated and the-piers were
finally used for the construction of the
present Aqueduct Bridge. Many Washing
tonians remember the days of the Old aque-
duct and old sportsmen recall vividly the
delight with which they started out on
cunning trips along the canal Thousands
of birds in those ante belum days were
wont to flock along the marshes in the
Virginia side of the river and the arches
and culverts OF the canal formed admirable
places of concealinent from which the BIRDS
could be shot on the wing passing to and
from the lowiands Since the death of the
canal the marshes have to 4 certain ex-
tent been reclaimed and the march Of civ
ilization has likewise diminished the num-
ber Of birds. making the baImy days Of the
SOS impossible under present conditions.
Although the canal has fallen into decay
and is little thought Of now. one may easi-
ly follow its course to Alexandria even
now. In the early days it was thought that
the aqueduct would be a great thing for
the commerce of Alexandria II was in
fact. for some years. but after the war it
began to decline in importance as a water
way and what was expected to last a cen
fury is now dead and forgotten after a
checkered history extending barely over
seventy years.
The Hout.
Around this Hchened home Of hoary peace,