Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-02
SUNDRY CIVIL BILL
Amendments of Local Interest Adopt
ed by Senate.
TEE MEMORIAL BRIDGE PROJECT
Quite Debate Uponthe Proposed
Plans for the Structure.
OLD CORCORAN GALLERY

| lied to set apart Sufflc1ent portion or
! Rawlins Park, in the District of Columbia,
| for the site of a memorial building to be
| erected by the National Society Of the
| Daughters of the American Revolution, and
| to be used only for such purposes of said
| society as are authorized by its charter.
Site for LOngfelIOw Statue.
The Senate also adopted an amendment,
offered by Mr.. Hoar. appropriating $4,000
| for the preparation of a site and the erec-
| ton of a pedestal for a statue of the late
| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in this city,
| the site to be selected by and the pedestal
| to be approved by the chairman of the joint
committee on the library and the chair
man of the Longfellow Memorial Associa-
ton. A provision in this amendment will
prevent the location of the statue on either
the Capitol or the Congressional Library
grounds.
Approach to the Park Defeated.
Mr.. Gallinger offered an amendment pro-
viding for the purchase of land necessary
to provide a parkway connecting Rock
Creek Park with Connecticut avenue be-
tween klingle Ford road and Pierce Mil
road not less than seventeen acres in area,
for which the amendment appropriated
$125, 900.
Mr.. Butler said he had heard that If the
government did not buy this land it would
have to pay one. two or three hundred
thousand dollars more for it within a few
years If that were true. he did not believe
the men who own the land and knew more
about real estate than senators would sell
it now at the price asked.
Mr.. Allison hoped the amendment would
not be agreed 10. it properly belonged
on the District of Columbia appropriation
bill. and it had been considered by his COM
mittee.
Mr. Gallinger said the amendment was
carefully considered nv District
committee than 1t could have been by the
committee on appropriations 1t was the
only decent approach to the Rock Creek
Park. The owner had expended $4,000 on
1t, and that would be secured by the gov
eminent.
Mr.. Stewart said it was manifest that the
Commissioners would buy this land some
time at a higher price.
Mr.. Allison said the purchase desira-
bic in many respects, but the appropria-
lions for the District were already large.
Mr.. Allen advocated the appropria ton.
He had been over the land and he thought
prompt action would save money for the
government.
A vote was taken on the proposition,
which resulted i'll It's defeat by % to IT,
The Memorial Bridge.
Mr. Hoar moved to reconsider the vote by
which the amendment in relation to the Me-
mortal bridge across the Potomac river was
adopted. He said if he could make a point
VI OiueI against tllc dIleIuIueHt he WOulQ
do so, and the presiding officer said he
might do SO when the bill was transferred
from the committee Of the whole to the
Senate.
Mr.. Hoar said there was no more hearty
advocate of this Memorial bridge than was
he. 1t had been favorite plan and scheme
of his from the beginning He expected to
support 1t heartily. But the plan proposed,
he thought. had met almost universal
disapprobation from the architects and ex-
perts. Other plans for a bridge had been
proposed one of which was the Keller plan,
which he thought was finer in design than
that which had been approved. The amend
ment placed in the hands of one man. the
Secretary of War, the power to decide a
question that should be submitted to more
posed of 100000 would commit Congress to
one scheme This bridge should be the
most superb on earth, and it was to be the
most costly structure on the face of the
earth. 1t was to live thousand years and
was to outlast the architecture of Rome in
it's duration.
IF this proposition can be so amended"
said Mr.. Hoar, "as to distinctly provide
that nothing shall be done toward the
structure which shall commit the govern
ment to one plan for bridge rather than
another, l shall be entirely contented If
reconsideration takes place, I should like to
move that amendment and to have the
vote and the discussion on that"
Mr.. AIlisOn's Proposition.
Mr.. Allison said the bridge amendment
was practically the work of the committee
on appropriations. He should be willing
to have the plan for the bridge submitted
to Congress if necessary before work was
begun.
There is one thing that is very certain"
said Mr.. Hale, that with all the schemes
and plans of the different engineers who
nave taken an interest in this matter and
who submit their own schemes, unless Con-
gress does something now in the way of
starting this project it will fall by the
wayside, and nothing will be DONE If we
wait until everybody is satisfied until
suits the engineer, impresses his mind we
will never have memorial bridge"
MIR. TelIer's Suggestion.
Il think the wisest thing to do would be-"
said Mr.. Teller. Ito appropriate some
money and allow the architects of the
country to make their plans, and to make
them with an understanding that they were
not limited to the absolute necessity of
building the bridge. We can build a bridge
across there, If that is what we want for
comparatively small sum Of money,
bridge which will be useful: but nobody
supposes we are building this bridge sim
ply for its use.
I'VE are building the bridge as a me-
mortal to commemorate a great event and
the world what can be done in this age in
the way of bridge building. 1t ought to be-
as the senator from massachusetts, saws
the finest bridge in the world and If it is
to be monumental bridge we ought not
to say to the engineers, You must keep
this down to two million, or two and a |
half, or three million dollars, If they
can make such bridge as we ought to
have.
No plan, in my opinion, has vet been
presented that ought to be adopted. Every |
plan, In my opinion, is entirely too low.
Inc bridge will never be an imposing bridge !
unless 1t Is high bridge
Mr.. Martins Amendment.
Mr.. Martin then reviewed the many in
vestigadons regarding the memorial bridge |
project that had been carried on. There |
had been others beside Mr.. Keller who had |
prepared plans, but he had In season and |
out of season attempted to thrust his plan
on the consideration of Congress. He did |
not object to Mr.. Keller's plan. He was |
willing to have the Secretary of War and |
the board of engineers determine that cues
Don. He was not welded to any plan. He |
was willing to open the competition to the |
artists Of the world If necessary. Mr.. Mar
tin said he had drawn an amendment which |
he hoped would meet the views of Senator
Hoar.. This amendment to the bridge