Evening star., 1902-05-07
venient point of the Arlington estate prop

dimensions and capacity and constructed
Of such material as in the judgment of the
Secretary of War is most suitable, and II
not practicable to give said bridge sufficient
height to permit the passage of vessels the
Secretary of War is authorized to have
suitable mechanical means or draw pro-
vided to allow the unobStructed passage OF
vessels in the channel part of the river;
and the sum Of 100000, or SO much thereof
as may be necessary, is hereby approprtat-
ed. out Of any money In the treasury not
otherwise appropriated, for the purpose Of
securing designs and to commence the con-
struction OF said bridge"
A Later Bill.
On January 20, 1895, during the third ses-
sion Of F1fty-third Congress bill (No.
2679 was introduced In the Senate, which
provided:
That the Secretary of War is hereby au-
thorized and directed to have constructed a
bridge from the most convenient point OF
the naval observatory grounds, or adjacent
thereto, across the Potomac river to the
most convenient point Of the Arlington es-
tate property. subject to such regulations
as he shall prescribe.
Section 2. That the cost Of said bridge
shall not exceed the sum Of six hundred
thousand dollars, and the sum of one hun
dred thousand dollars or SO much thereof
as may be necessary, Is hereby appropr1-
ated, out of any money in the treasury not
otherwise appropriated, for the purpose OF
securing designs and Of commencing the
construction of said bridge, which shall be
used exclusively for foot passengers and
vehicles and prohibited to all tramways.
whether propelled by steam. electric, cable,
horse, or other power
In reporting upon the bill the chief Of en-
gineers stated: while the present bill says
nothing specific as to the artistic or monu-
mental character Of the proposed BRIDGE
the very liberal allotment Of 100000 for
the purpose of securing designs and the alb
SOllIta DYOhih}tinp n al frap WI bntb bnr
propelled by steam, electric, cable horse or
other power, would seem to imply bridge
of the character above specif ed
Referring to the recommendation made
by General Newton in 1886 for a mixed
board of engineers to consider plans for
such bridge, he said:
IF the expenses Of such board are de-
Quoted from the 100000 mentioned in the
bill as the extreme limit Of the cost of the
bridge. as well as the expense attending the
competition. for it Is doubtful If satisfac-
tory plans could be submitted unless some
pecuniary inducement is offered, there
would not be enough money left to build
even commercial bridge, and any attempt
at an artistic or memorial structure would
be out of the question"
The chief of engineers recommended that
the words in section two Of the bill ''the
cost Of said bridge shall not exceed the sum
Of six hundred dollars; and" be stricken
out.
On December 3, 1895, a bill Identical with
the one just quoted, with the exception that
1t provided for the construction of me-
mortal bridge. was introduced in the SEN
ate.
None of the foregoing bills became law
With two exceptions the designs consid-
cred prior to 1897 were for ordinary traffic
bridges-that Is. bridges not Of a memo
rial characterize superstructures of all
the bridges considered, however, to be of
ways to range from "a to 40 feet, and the
widths proposed for sidewalks each rang
ing from to 10 feet. The acts or bills
under which the designs were considered
generally contained provisions in the in
terest Of navigation Of the river.
The cost of material and labor upon
which the estimates were then based can
hardly be satisfactorily compared with the
terial. or with the cost of labor Of today.
The demands for bridge capacity Of the
large and growing city Of Washington of
today are greater than would have been
those Of ten or fifteen years ago.
The sundry civil act Of Congress approved
To Secure Designs.
March 3. 1899 public, No. 1889, provided
In the following words for securing designs
for a memorial bridge at Washington:
Memorial bridge across Potomac river:
To enable the chief of engineers Of the army
to continue the examination Of the
subject and to make or secure designs. cal
culations, and estimates for a memorial
bridge from the most convenient point of
the naval observatory grounds or adjacent
thereto, across the Potomac river to the
most convenient point OF the Arlington es-
tate property. the sum Of 5000"
This act does not fix any limit to the
cost OF the proposed structure, nor does it
indicate whether or not electric or other
tram cars shall be excluded from it.
Under the act of March g. 1899, the Secre-
tary of War appointed the following board
n nf4t nPf Haa -
architects:
Lieut.. Col Charles ]. Allen. corps of
engineers: Maj. Thomas w. Symons, corps
of engineers; Capt. David Du B. Gaillard,
corps of engineers; Mr.. Stanford White,
architect. and Mr.. James G. HILL architect
Will assemble in Washington, D. c., upon
the call OF the chairman of the board to
consider and report upon the relative merits
OF the plans submitted for a bridge to be
constructed over the Potomac river at
Washington, d. c., as a memorial to
American patriotism
The board decided that the most expo
ditfons and probably the most satisfactory
method OF carrying out the provisions of
the act would be through competition of
limited number Of prominent and expert
enced bridge engineers and designers in
Vlted to present designs In accordance with
general outline specifications to be drawn
up under the supervision of the engineer
department. Four such bridge engineers
and designers were invited to SO compete
namely, Messrs. L. L. Buck, William H.
Burr. William r. Hutton and George s.
Morrison
There were submitted for the considera-
tion OF the board two designs each by
Messrs L. L. Buck, William r. Hutton and
George B. Morrison and three designs by
Mr.. William r. Burr. After careful study
the board expressed the opinion that the
general design Of Mr.. Burr. designated as
the first in the order of merit. met the con-
ditions OF the problem and should be
adopted subject to certain recommended
tions and notifications set forth in the re-
port as to width, slope Of roadway. curve
OF underside Of draw. towers, provisions
for tram cars, elevation of initial point,
etc, and such other minor notifications
as experience may suggest upon the under
taking Of the work or during it's progress
The estimated cost Of Mr.. Burrs struc-
ture, as designed originally, is So, $50 672,
and the board estimated that the modifica-
tions recommended will add about 80 per
cent. bringing the total cost up to 81, $780,
COO
The views Of the board. as expressed in
Its report, were concurred in by the chief
of engineers and were approved by the
Secretary Of War; and the papers in the
case were all transmitted to the Speaker of
the House Of Representatives April 8, 1900
In concluding his history (only partly
given here) Mr.. Scofield calls attention to
the great number Of memorials to distin-