Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22
NJ MORTAL BRIDGE
Superb Structure That is to Span the
Potomac.
FEATURES OF ACCEPTED DESIGN
Alphabetically and ArtisticaIIy It
Will Be Notable.
MISCONCEPTIONS. CORRECTED

In the issue of The Evening Star of April
of the current year there were shown
views of the successful design for the pro-
posed Memorial bridge across the Potomac
river extending from the naval observatory
grounds to a point near the Ord and Wet
Eel gate of the National cemetery at Airing
ton. In the same issue was printed the re-
port of the board of award. admirably con-
stituted of engineers and architects, giving
first place to the plans designed by William
ii. Burr. civil engineer, and E. P. Casey,
architect. The plans were recommended
and approved by the chief of engineers. U.
S. A. and by the Secretary of War
1t will be remembered that the board of
award recommended that the memorial
towers. shown in plan No by Mr.. Burr,
should replace the corresponding towers in
his design No. 9 and that to the latter the
award of first place should then be given.
II was the conviction of the board that
the width of bridge of sixty feet, as orig
inally prescribed. was too narrow, and that
the bridge should be constructed with a
width Of eighty-four feet. the roadway
being sixty feet wide and each sidewalk
twelve feet II felt by practically
majority of both the Senate and the House
that the time had come when the construc-
ton of such a bridge as that eXempified by
the successful plans should be commenced.
A resolution favorilg the appropriation of
S2n.uo0 for the beginning of the work
passed by the Senate. and also by the
House. but by so close vote that on the
demand for ayes and noes the motion
barely lost The matter. however, was agi-
tated in the closing days of Congress when
there was not sufficient time opportunity
to bring before all members of the House
either the propriety, OF, as might be said.
the necessity of suitable memorial to
American patriotism in the city of WASH
ington or the peculiar adaptability OF the
proposed plans. The effort to secure the
ADDr0Drlartnn hapinnipp nf
work was therefore lost by a very narrow
majority only, and il then understood
that favorable action was delayed only uo-
til the converting of Congress in the autumn.
Instructive Views.
In order that ample opportunity may be
afforded for the consideration of this mat
ter The Evening Star has secured from the
designers of the proposed structure such
views of it indicate precisely what the
structure will be under the recommended
tons of the board of award. In the views
which are presented the width of the
bridge has been made eightyfour feet in
accordance with the recommendation of
the board and the memorial towers of plan
No. l have been substituted for those of
plan No. in the latter design. Again, the
lower chords of the bascue span between
the memorial towers have been made
curved instead of horizontal. Lest there
may be some misapprehension in regard to
this feature of the design ii should be un-
the memorial towers furnishes the movable
part of the structure for the accommoda-
ton of navigation. This bascule opening
is placed in the center of the river, the
channel naturally and necessarily sought
by vessels passing either way across the
line of the bridge. The baScule consists
of two parts formed by dividing that por-
ton of the structure between the me-
mortal towers at the center of the span.
Each leaf of the bascule Is hinged on a
large horizontal shaft at the base of the
-fa1 nd iC hue laI IN,
the masonry, but 1t is placed that each
half of the bascule may at any time be
raised in a vertical position alongside of
the face of the tower. There is no other
mode of forming a movable portion Of a
bridge to accommodate navigation with re-
suits so graceful or agreeable In any way
as by the bascule. The ordinary drawspan
or swing span. as 1t is called, revOlves in
a horizontal plane about a vertical axis.
1t not only occupies a large amount of
horizontal in its motion, but it is al
ways inartistic in appearance, however
carefully designed II may be. At any rate
IT may safely be said that no such type of
structure has yet been designed as to
escape such LONELINESS. In the present case
the propriety and even necessity of the
basCule type Is demonstrated by the fact
that all of the competitors, independently
of each other. adopted this type, and all
but one placed IL in the center Of the river,
where ii naturally belongs and where every
reasonable requirement of the channel de-
mands that it should be.
A Misconception Corrected.
"In one two quarters, and one or two
only, far as i am aware" said Mr.. Burr
conversng on this matter. cit has been sug-
gested that it would have been more APP
propriate and advisable to place the memo
rial towers, the most prominent features of
the entire structure. at either end of the
structure. This suggestion, however, arises
from q very serious II not complete mis-
conception as to the character and purposes
of the work The bascule or movable part
OF the bridge is by the imperative necessity
of the situation distinct and pronounced
structural feature. having its own functions
radically different from those of the adjoin-
ing spans, and arising from the necessary
demands OF navigation. 1t would there
fore be a violation, both of the structural