Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05
An Apparent Effort to Delay Action
at This Session.
ANOTHER COMMISSION PROPOSED
What an Architect Says Of the
Keller Plan.
THE BURR DESIGN APPROVED

this category almost every washington |
is classed-who have been hoping for favor
able action upon the project at this session
of Congress are considerably disturbed by |
the proposition embodied in a bill recently |
introduced in the House to reopen the |
bridge design competition and to submit |
to another commission the question of su- |
periority between the approved design of
Prof Burr and "the design prepared by |
George Keller of Hartford, Conn.," In the |
light of the history of the Memorial bridge |
project they are inclined to look upon this |
measure as an effort to postpone and defeat
action upon the Memorial bridge plan.
1t was first proposed to build bridge, |
memorial in character, from a point near
the foot of New York avenue in Washing
ton, to the National cemetery at Arlington
about 1856. At that time Major noW
Colonel Hams, Corps OF Eng y. .
A. reported plan for that purpose TO the
Secretary of War, and at practlcaliy the
same time Captain now MaJoD Symohs
presented a plan for d memorial structure
to be located on essen tally the same site
During the past fourteen years.. e.,
since 1SS6-the project of Memorial prlnse
has received almost continuous study anu
the most careful consideration from en-
gineer officers of the army ana from archI-
tects Prior to 1899 the project was. uld"i
the direction OF Congress, reported upon
with plans at least four times by prom"
nent engineer OIllCClS. Willie oii III "a ~.
son an engineer officer. assisted by arch-
tects prepared and presented plans lor Il
memorial structure. The whoie supJeci,
therefore, during long period OF years
has received the most complete cons dera-
ton possible by Congress and the Secretary
of War, as well as by the chleI OF en-
gineers and prominent engineer ollceis 81
the army. Every interested party; pun
and nr'yate has given the matter the most
searching scrutiny and examination from
every point of view.
This natural process of evolution OF CON
5itfons REQUIRED to secure the most fitting
Mans for a Memorial bridge structure cul-
minated in a nation competition, creaiSu
under the sundry civ act of Congress ap-
proved March ., 1Sj9
The Latest Competitions
Inasmuch as the proposed work is pr1-
marfIy of an engineering character. ciV'i
engineers of national reputation were IL
yited to enter the competition ana prepare
plans for bridge structure put II was
stimulated in the invitation that each civil
engineer should associate with him an
architect also Of national reputation, In or
der that the work o. design of the ASSOCIATE
ed architects should be in every way CO.
ordinate with that of the engineers. me
terms of the competition required that both
they and the civil engineers should sign an
plans The architects invited to cooperate
in this work stand h.gh in prolessloral
reput a ton, and the plans brought torth oy
the competition have been considered emil
nentlv suitable in every respect for the
memorial purposes in view.
After the reception Of the plans under TINS
counetition in January, 1900, the conduct
of which was above criticism as TO the Sc
lection of both competitors ana JuuSeS' d
board of award. composed of eminent engl.
neer officers of the army and architects or
the highest reputation, was appointed Dy
order of the Secretary of War, to consider
the competitive plans and report Wnlch; Il
any, were best suited to meet the eXactlnS
requirements of bridge structure sSuItaDle
for a memorial to American patriotism to
join the city of Washington with the ma
tional cemetery at Arlington. This board
of award was composed of Lieutenant Colo
mel Charles ] Allen, corps of engineers, L.
S. A, chairman; Major Thomas w. Symons,
corps of engineers. I: 5. A; capt u. -.
Gainard, corps of engineers, L. s A; MIR.
Stanford White and Mr.. James J. Hill. the
latter two being architects of national repu-
alton. The board Of award devoted much
time to a most thorough analysis ana COM
parison Of the competing plans, and report
ed unanimously and without qualification
in favor OF the plans designed by Messrs.
William H. Burr and Il. =. Casey, and gave
them complete Endorsement as being emil
nently adapted to the memorial project.
! Brigadier General John NJ. Wilson. chief of
engineers L. S. A.. and the Secretary of
War Immediately thereafter added their ul-
qualified approval OF the findings of the
board Of award.
A Careful Process.
1t is thus that many years of the
fullest possible consideration have been
given TO the question, both in and out of
Congress, as well by individuals, official
and private, and that every requirement for
| the selection of plans of the highest merit
has been completely fulfilled. The process
Of competition by which the approved plans
have been reached is precisely that which
is now followed by the Treasury Depart
1nent and by public and private corpora
tions throughout the country when pans of
| ~
cured. The process is one which safeguards
completely against the injection of unbdl-
anced and unsuitable plans into the project
| by unauthorized and unqualified persons.
After this long period of preparation for a
national work, and after recourse to the
best known methods for securing the most
| efficient and suitable plans for the accom-
| plishment of the memorial purpose, there
! is now proposed time wasting measure to
| create a new memorial bridge board. con-
| sisting of ten members, who would be
quired to decide between the approved plans
| already secured under national competition
| end "the design prepared by George Keller
| OF Hartford, Conn.,"
The Keller Plan.
| Concerning the Keller bridge plan, for
| the recognition of which 1t Is proposed to
| create a board of ten members, recognized
| authority on bridge architecture writes to
| The Star: This plan has not to this time
passed beyond the stage of a mere study
! Although 1t involves enormous expense in
| filing numerous large areas of marsh lands
| on both sides Of the river, and the choking
| Of the waterway imperatively needed by
| floods in the Potomac, not an estimate or
| an analysis of the cost of any part of the
| entire scheme has yet been made. Elapo-
| rate approaches have been laid out in super
| fetal plan without any effort to determine
| the effect upon the Potomac floods, or their
| own cost, or the cost of filling the adjacent
| low lands.
| mo stress sheets have been shown for
| the structure and no analysis to the en-
gineering features of the project in any
| way whatever. The scheme is an imper-
feet and crude study put upon paper in a
| way to be more or less attractive to the
eye, but without such engineering or archi-
! tectural study of detail as is necessary to
determine it's feasibility. its practicability
or it's cost. The sidewalks are covered coll
| onnades prohibiting clear views in any d.
rection and absolutely shutting off lines of
sight in most directions. The continuous
colonnades, one on each side Of the bridge,
also close in the roadway and shut Off the
view from 1t so to give complete tun-
mel effect for all roadway traffic. The main
memorial feature is separated from the
structure SO as to be completely divorced