Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-02

| in the Senate appropriating 100000 for the
construction Of an iron bridge from the
naval observatory grounds to the Arlington
reservation and for the laying out OF a
public park on the Arlington estate. The
bill failed of passage, but in April, 1877,
the Senate committee on public buildings
and grounds called upon the Secretary Of
War for an estimate of cost OF a bridge
across the Potomac at the point named ana
for an expression Of views on the subject,
especially whether a more desirable point
than the observatory grounds could be Sc
cured for the Washington end OF the
bridge.
Major Davis corps of engineers to whom
the matter was referred, reported under
date of June 1, 1892 that, in his opinion, no
more desirable point for the washington
end of the bridge than the naval ooserva.
tory could be secured. He recommended
a bridge very similar in general design to
that proposed by Colonel Haines IN 1885,
and at an estimated cost Of ssoS.99o.
Appropriation for Designs.
In June, 1892, a bill was introduced in the
House of Representatives authorizing ana
directing the Secretary of War Ito have con-
structed Memorial bridge from the most
convenient point Of the naval observatory
grounds across the Potomac river to the
most convenient point of the Arlington es-
tate" The bill appropriated 100000 for de-
signs and to commence the bridge. The bill
failed of passage, and the subject was al
lowed to slumber, so far as legislation was
concerned, until January 20, 1885, when
bill was introduced in the Senate appro-
priating $G0O0OO for bridge across the Po-
tomac to Arlington, of which 100000 was
for designs for such q structure. Major
Davis, to whom this bill was referred, COM
mended the liberal allowance for designs
and Endorsed the proposition of General
Newton for mixed board of engineers to
consider plans for such q bridge. He recon-
mpn1ad hnWeVar hat thn limit pfn nStn f
$4,000 be stricken out. In December of
the same year a bill containing the same
provisions was again introduced in the Sem
ate, but, like its predecessors, failed to be-
come law.
With two exceptions the designs consid-
cred prior to 1897 were for ordinary traffic
bridges-that Is, bridges not of a memorial
characteristic superstructures of all the
bridges considered. however were to be of
iron or steel, the proposed width of road
ways to range from twenty-four to forty
feet, and the width proposed for side
walks each ranging from eight to ten feet.
The acts or bills under which the designs
were considered generally contained pro-
visions In the interest of navigation of the
river The cost Of material and labor upon
winch the estimates were then based could
hardly be satisfactorily compared with the
higher prices of most building material to-
day or with the cost of labor of TODAY 1t
is also recognized that the demands for
bridge capacity Of the growing city of
Washington are much greater today than
tHey were ten OF H1teen years ago.
The Present Project.
The present project for a memorial bridge
is the result of many years careful work
by engineer officers of the army Lieut.
Col. Allen, the officer in charge of the i'm
provement of the Potomac river, who has
been mainly identified with the present
project, has made an exhaustive and COM
plete survey of the site of the proposed
bridge, including soundings and borngs. He
made a survey in 1897 and another in the
following year. AS a result of these sur
veys Congress. In March, 1899, appropriated
the sum of 5000 to enable the chief of
engineers to secure designs, calculations
and estimates for the proposed memorial
bridge.
In accordance with this authority the
Secretary of War invited Messrs Buck,
Burr Hutton and Morrison, who are ac-
knoWiedsed to be among the best bridge
engineers and designers in the world, to
submit designs for the Memorial bridge.
neers and civilian architects to consider
the plans presented and determine their
order of merit. This board was composed
of Lieut.. Col. Allen. Major Symons and
Capt. Gaillard, three of the most competent
officers of the corps. and Mr. Stanford
White of New York and Mr. Jas. G. Hill
of Washington. architects, who stand at
the head of their profession After full
consideration of the plans submitted the
board reported in favor of the designs SUBJ
mitted by Mr.. William H. Burr. a general
idea of which can be obtained from the
accompanying illustration