Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-07
AQUEDUCT BRIDGE
Commissioners Believe It
Should Be Rebuilt.
ADVERSE PORT
BILL APPRoPRIATING MONEY
FOR REPAIRS DIsAPPRovED.
Opinion Expressed That Structure of
Architectural Beauty Should
Take Its Place.

Col John BiddIe, the Engineer Commits
sioner. has recommended and his associates
of the District board have approved an ad-
verse report to Congress on Senate bill
a242, appropriating ss6o,0O0 for the recon-
struction of the Aqueduct bridge. The
Commissioners say they are Of the opinion
that If the money were avaliabie the Aaue-
duct bridge should be rebuilt.
ut is thought, however" the report con-
tinues. lin view Of the plans Of the park
commission for beautifying the District OF
Columbia, that bridge Of more architec-
tural beauty than that estimated for by the
chief of engineers February u, 1901, upon
which the appropriation named in the Dill
is based. should be provided, which would
probably cost a million and quarter DOL
lars
IAN estimate has been prepared, based
on the examination as described in the re-
mort Of Lieut.. Col. Allen, corps OF ehsl-
neers. of February %, 1901. accolaihs "
which the bridge could be put IN saIe CON-
dition for at least dozen years LOT sum
not exceeding $4,000. While, therefore,
strongly Of the opinion that the Aqueouct
bridge should be rebuilt. the passage OF the
bill under consideration is not recoihli'eiio-
ed at the present time"
Reports of Engineers.
The reports Of the District engineers III
regard to the proposed Reconstruction w TIC
bridge are interesting. When the Dill was
first received by the Commissioners II was
referred to Mr.. W. ]. Douglas, the engineer
of bridges, who, in reporting upon the same
called attention to the comment receh,iS
made by him on House biil w., w. ~,
provides for a single electric railway track
across the Auueduct bridge. He says that
an estimate of the cost Of repairs neces-
sary to the substructure OF the prldge Is
$4,000 and the cost OF changing tise s sup pn
structure $4,000, making total or $6o,oo.
The railway companies propose 10 pay the
cost of the change in the superstructure, 80
that the net cost to the government Wouid
be $4,000 Mr.. Douglas is OF the OPINION t!1i
that the changes provided for in the Dill
granting a right of way for an electrlc
railway track are economical and s"hclens
to afford ample accommodation LOT al least
twenty-five years. ~ -.
proba ability Of the construction OF the Me-
mortal bridge which probability is 1urther
warrant of the adequacy or TINS chanee.
Attention is further called TO the Iact lha'
while $500 600 is sufficient for the construc-
ton of a steel bridge, 1t is thought that the
location permits and demands the construc-
ton of more ornate type ana one whose
permanency insures low cost OF mdlh'e-
nance.
Combining Beauty and Strength.
"The Aoueduct bridge will be plainly in
sight of the Memorial bridge and IT is
thought that the stiff lines OF the steer
trusses will appear ungainly ana unreasoh-
ably cheap when viewed from the greater
bridge 1t is thought that concrete-steei
bridge the cost OF which would not exceed
81 ROO 600. could be constructed, Whlch Wouio
combine the beauty and permanency desI-
able. This construction is consistent win
the best modern practice OF the larger ran
roads and municipalities. Attention Is lur-
ther called to the plans OF the COMMISSION
of the Improvement of the park system,
which commission recommends more mar
mony and beauty Of design in the planning
of government structures III the piiuee -
to be rebuilt the demolition OF the present
piers and the construction OF a lesser mum
Der is recommended on the grounds 0.
economy.
Mr.. Hunts Views.
Mr. Conway B. Hunt, the computing en-
pineer. approved and forwarded the report
of the engineer Of bridges, saying:
1.-The very large expenditure for the re-
building of this bridge would appear to this
office to result in structure the merits or
which would not be commensurate with Its
large cost A suitable structure, 1t Is be-
lieved should be OF type otnef IMAM a
metallic truss, and the estimated cost OF
such q structure Is III d yct 10 SSA
figures than those named herein. Nor rs II
believed that either construction Is justin
able at the present time. 1t is not thou&ht
that the resources Of engineering are ex-
hausted in the matter Of the treatment OF
the present piers by the proposed entire re-
building Of them, and the very moderate
expenditures suggested in the within report
are confidently believed to be wise and
Unsuitable treatment Of existing conditions.
I'm reference to the bill for the construc-
ton of a single-track electric railway on
the bridge superstructure, 1t can be stated
that the bill, having been formulated in this
office would be satisfactory, provided action
of this nature is to be taken, but the pro-
the track is necessarily dependent upon the
action in regard to the rebuilding Of the
bridge
Believed to Be Unwise.
Capt II. c. Newcomer, assistant to the
Engineer Commissioner, in passing upon
the matter said:
ut is believed in view of the present con-
dition Of the District revenues that 1t would
be unwise to authorize the construction of
an entirely new bridge at this site, since the
present structure can be made to answer
all present and prospective demands for
number of years at moderate cost. Even
if the two piers in most serious condition
mos. and 81 should demand more thor
ough repairs than those contemplated in the
within report. this could be done by the
use of conerdams at a total cost for re-
pairs to the substructure Of probabl not
exceeding $4,000, which would be only
about one-tenth of the cost Of the new
structure proposed