Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-10-20
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NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


HAN
spsciaI Correspondence ,.,..
wasbngton. oct. l5.-About this sea-
,,s vear-six or eight weeks be-
srs the opening OF the winter session
,rareress-there Is pretty apt to be a
mi NJ the much discussed project
. be building Of the Memorial
s.tr. which one day, and that not
g.. distant day. all Washingtonians
ITO see span the Potomac. The re-
,,, of interest IN the project Is here
'...,,rtIy ON time. and there seems to
=. n5Ita an Astounding faith that the
..rtr..s soon 90 convene VIII take up
.' .u..set ana provide the FUNDS TO
.,f me work. IL Wall be recalled that
....ufun Iayouu. the appropriation
~ 100000 for the beginning OF the
,'alE Mas passed Dy the Senate at its
t.sf session and that a like resolution
''., lacked a very few votes Of pass
,'' tf. house. The matter. however
,.5s as.tated IN the closing days OF
C.opress. when there was not sufficient
tu' an opportunity to bring before all
,...pbars uf the house either the pro-
misty of erecting u suitable memorial
H. American patriotism az tne national
r4uIfaI the necessity OF such a struc-
tune or the adaptabillty oil the pro-
r.s.d ulaus The effort 20 secure the
lyDropnauon was therefore lost by
Wv narrow majority, and 1t was tnen
understood that favorable action was
DELAYED only until the re-conNtnlng OF
Congress in December.
Some changes have been made In the
plans recommended ana approved by
ih. chief engineers OF The United states
army and by the secretary OF war fhe
width Of the bridge has been made 81
feet thus e-oViding a roadway % feet
wide and Ir0menades on either side
each % teot boo width. There has also
been some changes IN the detail Of the
llsculc span. between the memorial
towers, which furnishes the movable
part Of the structure FOR the accommo-
da.ion OF nav. nasculc
opening Is placed in the center Of the
river The channel naturally and neces-
arly taken bv vessels passing elite.
uay across the line of the bridge. TO
consists of two parts formed by dirid-
Inc Thar portion of the structure bee
tween the memorial towers ot the ceu-
Ter OF the span. Each leaf of he bas-
Guile Is hinged on @ large horizontal
Shaft 90 the base OF the memorial tow
e. and Is thus concealed In the mason
49, but Is so placed that each half "
the hlsOlIa may at any time be raised
in o vertical position alongside the face
OF Doe tower There is no other device
Of forming a movable portion OF a
bride lot the accommodation OF uayl-
cation with results $50 graceful and sat-
islaCt0y as the basClle The ordinary
draw span OF swinging span reyolves
On o. horizontal plane about a vertical
axis 10 not only occupies large
amount az horizontal area. but Is all
ways martstC. however carefully IL
may be- designed. 10 rs therefore graft
i.lDg that the beauty of the structure
Will not be- married by the ordinary
drawbrdge.
In the revised plans the lower chords
or lower lines Of the bascule opening
are made curved closely resembling an
arch. This curvature. although some
what similar 90 that Of the arches. Is
yet made Of different degree so as to
give an agreeable and harmonius ef-
feet in It's relation 10 the entire struc-
turc
Speaking OF the location OF the me-
mortal towers and bascule. Engineer
Burr a. the board of award says: 1T
has been suggested I'm some quarters
that 10 would have been more appropri-
ate and advisable 20 place the memo
rial towers. the most prominent fea-
lures Of the entire work, at either end
n the structure. This suggestion.
however, arises from a very serious II
not complete misc0nceptIon as 10 the
character and purposes OF the work.
The bascule, or movable part Of the
bridge is by the imperative necessity
Of the situation a distinct and pro-
bounced structural feature. having It's
own functions radically different from
those o. the adjoining spans. and arts
Inc from the necessary demands OF
NAVIGATION L would therefore be a
violation. both Of the structural ele-