The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-29


The Aquaduct Bridge which is the sub
seet OF 50 much discussion In Georgetown
at present, both on account of It's railroad
possibilities and its alleged unsafety. was
constructed under the superintendent of
Major TurnbuIi The original idea WIS TO
construct twelve arches OF stone, support
ed by eleven piers and two abunents; the
arches to be 100 feet span and % feet rise;
The supports to be curves of II feet cen
tres. three abuttIng piers. every third one
to be q feet thick. at the springing of
the arch and the masonry of the land abut-
ments to be q feet thick causeway to
be $50 feet in length was substituted for
three OF the arches at the Virginia end
The adoption of the causeway made a
change in the arrangement of the piers
and It was decided that the Aqueduct
should consist of eight piers. los feet apart,
two Of them to be abutment piers Il feet
thick and six of them piers Of support to
be each u feet thick az high-water mark.
The bids received OK the work ranged
from $50 zee 10 $3.50, 600. Among them was
Gre from MartiHeau & Stewart. one OF
whom. DR. Martineau. afterward sent in
proposition for the co6erdams. alone. pro-
posing to build them on a plan which he
extoiled a. original, economical, and easily
carried oct.
The plan at first had many defects, but
was finally made feasible through the as
sistanoe OF Major TurabulI and other en-
gineers Of note. sfartineau & Co, howev-
er. we're obliged to abandon their contract
before success vas net with. The engin-
GERS determined to construct the piers on
solid rock even IL difficulties beset them
by the score Bat little experience in
founding upon rock had been enjoyed in
this country prior 20 1896. In Majcr Turn
bulfs rspcrt Of this work 10 the Engineer
Department he said:
AS no memoirs or drawings OF tne work
had been published. nor of the London
Bridge the deepest perhaps Ia EuroDe),
the greatest caution they were aware
OF The very exposed situation of the work
and impressed with the absolute necessity
OF founding it uGon rock The difficulties
and dangers ef the attempt. slthougs they
were fereseea, were deemed Sub
ordinate TO the great subject OF
stability and in this view they
aid directors OF the Alexandria Canal
Company, and others most Interested .
Brains uutiTing energr. and money at
last accomplished the work OF e0ast ruct-
ing the piers upon solid rock. Those
eight solid piers stiIs stand taentr-nine
feet above high water mark No stone
used was in size less than twenty cubic
feet When the cofferaarns were cen
structed. pudding cIay was thrown in he
tsrez the two rows OF piles. then a steam
engine WAS used for pumping the water
and removing the mud II vas suen an
unusual spectacle at that day TO see men
busily al work far below the surface Of
The river. that people from all parts of
The District world visit the scene at every
opportunity and finger there until neees-
sity called them away Once she Presi-
dent aHd MS entire Cabinet paid VISIT
TO the works and vera extremely inter
ested. The piers stand today upon that
same solid rock.
Il has been alleged that one pier tas
developed serious defects and large SUNS
have teen spent anon it beneath the sur
face Of the river. There are many in
Georgetown. however who declare with
great DesitVeaess. that a defective pier
has existed only in the minds OF these
who disbtarsea the appropriation. They
cen go sc far as 10 say. that dise,satested
werkmeR wb0 bcIBed TO scatter sand ara
cement on The bottom OF the rireria the
vicinity CT the pier said 10 be affected
E12%s mate S41tstnSh 10 Ilc s-itccL t1is4E
the whole thing was q PSlt-ap job and that
II me pier is detective teday it was made
defective By these E-2o would secure adj
ditienaI aFprepriat tens
These stcCies are lightly listened 20 by
soue and grasBed with ayidity by others.
One thing IS certain according 70 the re-
port Of Major TuERbuii-thet the fouada-
teas of the piers are immovabie and The
piers Themselves among the most 3ElpoT-
~ IN y he
from an engineering standpoint It Is Le-
Iieved thaE they VIII stand the weight
and vibrations Ct thousand steam or
electric roads. The weight of the great
volume of water they supported for years,
wheE the Chesapeake and Ohio and Alex,
andria Canals ssere connected, was al
most incompatible