Evening star., 1902-08-16
ROCK CREEK BRIDGE
LIEUT. COL. MILLER THINKS 1T
OUGHT TO BE WIDENED.
Half of the City's Water Supply Comes
Through the Pipes That Sup
port the Roadway.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star "
In his last annual report TO the War De-
partment Lieutenant Colonel A. M. Miller.
the engineer officer in charge of the Wash
ington water supply system, made some in
teresting observations in regard to the pro-
priety of widening the bridge over Rock
creek at Pennsylvania avenue
1.-The roadway of Pennsylvania avenue
which in the vicinity is 53.5 feet in the clean
width" he says, 'is contracted on the
bridge over Rock creek to a clear width
of but IL feet, and as drivers are required
to walk their teams while passing over the
bridge, a congestion Of travel results during
the busiest hours of the day, causing de-
lay and annoyance, as there is not room for
one team to pass another, and consequently
the speed of all teams on the bridge moving
in the same direction is limited by that of
the team in front Especially is this an
noyance felt by the thousands of bicycle
riders who daily pass over the bridge. and
who, unless experienced riders. are fire.
quently forced to dismount and lead their
bicycles over the bridge, the rate of prog
ress of the teams blocking the roadway
ahead being too slow to allow an mex
perienced rider to maintain equilibrium. In
addition, the slightly appearance of the ave-
nue. is much injured by the extreme con-
traction at this point.
This bridge, the property of the Wash
ington aqueduct, is very graceful In ap-
pearance and is unique among the bridges
of the world, in that the roadway is sup
ported upon arched ribs formed by two
forty -eight-inch cast-iron pipes, through
which flows at least half of the water con-
sumed by the city. 1t would seem. there
fore, that any plan to widen the bridge
should preserve both the graceful form and
the distinctive features of the BRIDGE
A board of engineers appointed in 1877,
H. G. Wright and Gen. Q. A. Gilmore, ex-
amined into the propriety of certain Dro-
posed notifications of this bridge and re-
ported as follows:
1T would, in our opinion, better accord
with the position on Pennsylvania avenue
and with the general character and ar
chitectural effect of other auueduct struc-
lures to widen this structure without
changing its design, by the addition of two
arched iron ribs similar to those of the
present bridge and by widening the abut-
ments.
These two arched ribs should be made
about as heavy as those of the present
bridge. AS the previous discussion shows
the latter to be abundantly strong without
the truss work, in the new construction the
greater portion of the whole weight of the
bridge could be thrown upon the added
arches not used as water pipes. We regard
the arch as far more slightly, beautiful and
architectural than the truss, and therefore
more suitable for this position
On Aprn 70, 1871, the late Gen. Thomas
l.. Casey, corps of engineers, then in charge
of the Washington aqueduct, was requested
by the chief of engineers to investigate and
report upon the present and prospective
use of that bridge as a highway ETC."
This he did on July 10, 1877, his report con-
cluding with the following opinion:
Il am further of opinion that the present
and prospective interests of the citizens of
Washington and Georgetown do demand an
increase in the width of the roadway and
OF the footways, the present width being of
the roadway only seventeen feet and of the
footways four and one-half feet each The
abundant strength and stiffness of the pres
ent bridge, under any statical or moving
loads that likely to be splaced upon it,
are clearly shown by 1.-The investigation of
the board of engineers. as detailed in its
report of April T. 1877, and agree with if
as to the manner in which the widening of
the road and footWays Should be accom-
pl1shed should it be decided to increase
their width, namely, BY the addition of two
arched iron ribs. similar TO those of the
present bridge, and by widening the abut-
ments. The estima ted cost of widening the
Drldge IN the manner above stated Is
$4,000"
Reviewing these reports Col. Miller saws:
lille it is believed that the interest and
convenience of the citizens of Washington
and Georgetown demand the widening of
TINS Dfldge, yet because the present Struc-
ture amply suffices for all requirements of
the Washington aqueduct system, and be-
cause during the past few years no official
complaints regarding the width of the
prldSe nave been made to this Office no esti-
mate is submitted for this work. the esti-
mate Tor the next fiscal year being confined
to those subjects directly affecting the op-
O. Sh hSreyt