Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-04
NEW BRIDGE PLANS
Hearings by the Commission of
Engineers.
PENNA. RAILWAYS PROPOSITION
PENN
Citizens Give Opinions as to Lo-
cation.
BRICKY ARD INTERESTS


2OO1 I street this morning at IL o'clock
The commission is composed of Lieut.. Col.
Charles j. Allen, president; Capt. Edward
Burr, Capt Lansing II. Beach and First
Lieut.. George NJ. Hoffman, recorder. The
commission gave an opportunity to inter-
ested persons to appear and to state their
wishes in regard to the location and con-
struction of the bridge.
What the Brickmal<ers Want.
The first witness to appear was MIR. T.
l.. Holbrook Of the new Washington Brick
Company, located at Arlington, Va, which
is on the Alexandria turnpike Mr. Hol-
brook said that his interest was to have the
bridge located near the present Long
bridge as possible. Four-fifths of the brick
| used in this city. he said, are now
tomac. These brick yards have been To-
Gated with relation to the present Long
| bridge, and any change in that location
would be great hardship. He wanted the
| new bridge to have the same approaches
which are now used by the present one.
Mr.. George A Bass, general manager of
| the Washington Hydraulic Press Brick
Company, also appeared and indOrsed what
had been said by Mr.. Holbrook. He said
| that most of the brick now used in this
| city is intended for use east of 14th street,
| and the brick companies base their price OF
bricks on the average cost of S1.5O load
A team can now make three trips to this
| city, but if the bridge is located beyond
| point 500 feet above the present Long
| bridge it will enhance the cost of hauling
| and the price of bricks.
| Against Obstructfng Navigation.
| Mr. c. G. Smith of Chas. G. Smith & Sons
| said his company was interested in having
| the bridge high enough to permit tug boats
| and scows to pass under the bridge with
| out opening the draw In order to accom-
plish this the bridge should be fifty feet
| high. This height would permit all the
| tugs the river to go under the draw
even at times of high water.
| Mr.. Joseph II. Lee, ship chandler. said
| of the tugs to go under the draw. Compa-
| ratively few tugs would require more
| height than that
| Mr. Winship, coal shipper of Georgetown
! spoke in favor of having the bridge high
| enough for all tugs. Capt. Beach asked
| the witness whether twenty-one feet would
not allow all the tug tugs to go under the the
| he replied that it would accommodate
! them. but the smokestacks he said, are
| not arranged to be lowered. 1t should also
| be remembered, he said, that the tendency
| of tug building today is to build larger
| tugs rather than smaller ones He wanted
nothing done that would obstruct naviga-
| ton on the Potomac river he wished to
| see this city become a great commercial
| center as well social center. The
| coal merchants Of this city want to ship
1 c0ai 1f0Hl mere, as Wen as IEOm baltimore
in the future They were. he said, con-
! stantly looking forward to building up such
! a trade.
Swing and Draw Bridges.
Mr. Albert H. Scherzer of the Scherzer
Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago
said he had made plans for. many move
able bridge structures, and wished to pre-
sent such plans to the commission. Mr..
Scherzer said the swing bridge was the
most common bridge in the United States,
but to his mind it was not the best form.
| The swing bridge divides the channel in
two parts, while the lift bridge gives a
single channel. His company had planned
| and constructed a bridge at Chicago, with
lift gates that allows 100 feet of channel
He said the bridges to be built over the
| Potomac should be of the most modern
| character. with draws of a kind that will
leave navigation open in the center of the
| channel and sufficiently wide to allow any
vessel to go through it. In Chicago now,
| he said, bridges are being reconstructed
| so as to provide for wider channels in. the
| draws and the swing bridges are being re-
| placed by lift bridges. He said the swing
is recognized as not beautiful, and it is not
| longer even considered useful. In Chicago
the latest bridges are being built with a
| channel of $50 feet. which allows the pas
sage through them Of the largest vessels.
Mr.. Scherzer submitted various plans to
| the commission illustrating the nature and
manner in which the bridge he advocated
is working. Upon getting the necessary
data he said his firm would be ready to
| submit estimates for the bridge REQUIRED
across the Potomac
Proposed Railroad Bridge.
Mr.. VIM. A. Pratt, engineer of bridges
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
| appeared and submitted plans for the rail-
road bridge to be built by the Pennsylvania
, Railroad Company in place of the present
Long bridge, and also had indicated on his
map a suggested location for the highway
. bridge to be built above it, The railroad
bridge as proposed by him was located
about 200 feet above the approach Of the
!, present Long bridge on the Virginia side
A of the river, with the same approach or
the Washington side. This shifting Of th<
Virginia end OF the structure up the river
e right angles to the current in the channel
: | Mr.. Pratts 8 suggestion for a location FOL
e the highway bridge placed that bridgs
above the proposed new railroad bridge
+ about 600 feet at q point In the channel
I The Washington end OF the bridge wa,
e just north of its present location. 80 tina,
! ! it could be approached from 18th street
| The highway bridge on the Virginia side
n would be about $50 feet above the proposed
n | new railroad bridge and 800 feet above tn,
q | Virginia end of the present Long bridge
o MIR. Pratt said the proposed railroad bridge
n | was so located that it would connect will
q the Alexandria pike at Roach's Run cross
], ing. He said the bridges as proposed b!
Il him are twenty-one feet above low meal
II | water, anu II WoulO De very tTOuDleSOme u
a make the railroad bridge higher. 1t woult
= mean much difficulty at the bridge ap
J. proaches. 1t a very common practic
n to have smokestacks of tugs hinged 81
# they could go under a bridge Of tina
= | height.
j. Mr.. Winshtp's Suggestion.
Mr.. Winship suggested tha4 a bridge onl
twenty-one feet above mean low waite
would result in the constant opening of tn
draw during times Of high water. whel
. there would be"only fifteen feet below tn
bridge floor to the surface of the river. Ac
e cording to marine law the draw woul
+ have to be opened every time tug ap
n l preached 1t and blew it's whistle. A highe
- bridge would be for the benefit of the rail
road. His belief was that for every sailin
ie vessel going up or down the river ther
Is would be twenty tugs, so that "a hfg
,e bridge would mean that the draw wosll
N be opened very seldom compared with II
" / use II it should be opened for every tug &c
ling. Mr.. Wfnship said this city was boun