Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-08
Conditions Contrasted.

Mr.. Noyes referred to the great interest
shown by Washington in the capital and of
his exploration of the waters of the upper
potomac with view of increasing its nav
LIABILITY and to add to its national useful
ness, while today the great men of the ma
ton are inclined to neglect even the broad
and deep estuary of the tidewater Poto-
mae and permit the river to become in
accessible to the battle shins and n+hor
vessels of great draft. He spoke of Ria
densburg having formerly been a "seaport
town which rivaled Alexandria in its
commerce. Sedimentary deposits had not
only closed this highway of commerce hnt
had formed disease-breeding flats which
threatened the health of the city
The flats of the Potomac had been re-
claIileu' those or the Anacostia should re-
celFe the same attention. a reference to
President Jackson's interest in the national
capital struck popular chord among the
political followers of old Hickory. and
they applauded long and loud when the
name or their patron saint was mentioned
Jackson plan had contemplated magntti-
cent bridge across the Potomac at a cost
OF from two to five millions of dollars but
hiSSardiy policy had caused the low
structure to be built, which has ever since
been menace to the city because of tba
obstruction 1t becomes in times of freshets
Even the engineer who planned the bridge
refused to predict a long life for il. and
laid the blame for IL upon a short-siebtaJ
had been restored and even a great nro
gressive railroad which has been allowed to
use the bridge since 1870 has not haen
ashamed to maintain this threatening nui-
sance. In the early days he said the river
played an important part In the couutry's
history. BY means of the river and the
canals the east was united with the west
ana these We're great highways until their
pi"ceS were taken by the railroads.
Rond of Union.
AS the river was thus in the beginning
a bond between the east and west" said
Mr. Moves, now 1t should be a bond he
tween TIE north and south, connecting in
stead of severing Them This sentiment
was heartily applauded.
w nile the latter sections were ar s1vorss
points IN sentiment, or in fact the nrac-
ucaIly bridgeless Potomac holding fba,,
apart, might. as a symbol be natural 80
de1enslble, but IN the reunion of the states
the fotomac should no longer be a barrier
between the north and the soutb he.
through adequate connecting bridges n
should bind together the once hostile 500.
tons" 4ie SEE
He spoke of the opportunity of th. ,,,o,.
men of this day to build an enduring mon
ument in the form of a memorial hriSra
across ihe Potomac, to connect the nation 8
capital with the nations city of the dead n r
Arlington, where, beside THE bones of those
who died for the nation in The civil war
have been laid the remains of the men from
south, north, east and west who died Snr
the reunited republic"
Let the memorial bridge symbolic this
reunion, he continued, this national ex-
pansion and development. AS the Potomac
rising in the original west and CONNECTING
the northern and southern colonies through
the numerous tributaries to its waters com
bined these national elements In a ma iestic
stream and broadened and deepened in it's
course until it poured a vast volume into
the outside ocean. so moves with ever ex-
banding and beneficent flow the great river
of American national spirit and influence,
developed in the mingling of north,
south east and west in the nations
city on the banks of the Potomac. quick
eHed by the memory of the great man
who, living, though dead. still infu-
ences the world from Mt. Vernon.
strengthened by the sacrifices of the mar
tyred heroes who still speak to America,
though buried at Arlington, combining the
ever-increasing influences of the nations
city OF the living. and of its city of the
dead, and pouring this vast, wholesome
and vitalizing volume into the thought
ana tendencies to action of the out
side world. The man who lies at