Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-22
URGES CONSTRUCTION
General Humphreys View OF
Memorial Bridge.
MILITARY NECESSITY
APPROPRIATE THAT 1T SHOULD
BE MEMORIAL.
Renewal of Estimate for Amphitheater
at Arlington Cemetery-Grand
Army Project.
MILITARY NECESSITY

Cen Humphrey, quartermaster general
of the army, is a strong advocate OF the
construction of the. proposed memorial
bridge across the Potomac and the I'M
provement of the national cemetery at
Arlington. Va. Referring to these sub
jects in report to the Secretary of war
he says:
For nearly twenty years the construc-
ton of a bridge from some location on
the Washington side, about the terminus
of New York avenue and Observatory
hill, to suitable location on the govern
ment reservation on the Virginia side or
the Potomac river has been considered at
different times. In the years 1880 and
1890 resolutions were passed by the
United States Senate directing the chlef
of engineers to report upon the construc-
ton of such bridge and it's approximate
cost and, though bills were introduced
in the Senate at the second session OF the
Fifty-second Congress and at the first
session of the Fifty third Congress, no
appropriations appear to have been mace
for the purpose of seriously Undertaking
the construction of this most necessary
bridge until the act of Congress approved
March 3, 1899, which provided as follows:
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,
calculations and estimates for a memorial
bridge from the most convenient point OF
the naval observatory grounds or ada
cent thereto across the Potomac river to
the most convenient point of the Airing
ton estate property, the sum of $4,000.
Tentative Lines Established.
Under this act two tentative lines were
established for the position of the bridge
and competitive designs submitted to and
acted upon by board of engineer OFF,
GERS. Here again, however, the matter
seemed to rest.
"Inasmuch as the government reserva-
ton occupied by the Arlington National
cemetery and the post of Fort Myer, Va,
are by law in charge of the quartermas
ter's department, under the direction of
the Secretary of War attention is again
of suitable bridge, which will furnish
direct route from the city of Washington
to these places.
1T is appropriate that this bridge should
be memorial in character, as 1T will be a
direct connecting link between the ma
tional capital and Arlington National
cemetery the final resting place of so
many of our illuStrious soldier dead,
whose hallowed precincts and patriotic
associations appeal strongly to residents
and visitors of the national capital All
visitors to this national cemetery are now
obliged to journey thither by circuitous
route through most uninviting and dis
agreeable surroundings at each approach
to the bridge across the river; and, aside
from any sentimental or patriotic con-
sideration, the proposed new bridge has
now become an absolute necessity to
render those points more accessible to
the great numbers of people who annu-
ally visit them and who are entitled to
have the consideration shown them of
providing for their use direct and suit
able route thereto.