Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-19
The Connecticut Avenue Bridge.

Work on the Connecticut avenue bridge
over Rock creek is progressing in a manner
pleasing to the contractors This bridge is
of massive and ornamental design. 1t is
being constructed of masonry, with a
length of ,341 feet, exclusive of approach
es, height above Rock creek of 10 feet,
and a width of 80 feet, out to out of the
arch rings There are two "U'' abutments
and seven full-center arches, of which the
two on the ends have spans OF 81 feet and
the five intermediate arches spans of 40
feet each. The end piers are 81 feet thick,
and those separating the large arches 20
feet thick. Above each of the main arches
six full-center spandrel openings are pro-
vided with spans of IA feet, supported by
transverse piers 3 feet thick, and similar
arches are built above each pier, which,
however are obscured by a face wall.
Contractors are busily engaged in pushing
the work on the foundations for the offices
to be used by members of the United States
House of Representatives, and the great
terminal railway project In Northeast
Washington is giving employment to hum
dreds of men. Work ON the highway
bridge which will connect the District with
the state of Virginia is in fair way to be
completed at an early date.
Between Washington and Alexandria, just
south of Four-mile run, the location of the
tracks of the Washington Southern Rail-
way Company are being entirely changed,
and when completed a handsome new union
station will be built in the city of Alexan-
drid Tor the accommodation OF all the Tdll-
roads directly connecting the north and
south by way of crossing the Potomac.
Beneficial to Washington.
All of these projects are bound to result
| In great benefit to the capital city by max
| ing it not only more accessible to the people
residing outside the city, but it will open up
new territory for purchasers who desire to
invest in the goods sale by the local mer-
chants and will at the same time provide
an easy manner for those outside to bring
their products to the Washington market
for sale.
Many prominent local people are very
much interested in the project to secure an
appropriation from Congress to bring the
United States government building from the
st. Louis exposition to Washington for use
as a show house for thi ,4gs that do not nat
urally belong in the National Museum, for
which institution a handsome new structure
| is being erected. While 1t is not generally
believed that Congress would object to
granting permission for the use Of the pen
sion building for the inaugural ball on the
occasion of the installation of President
Roosevelt next March, Ii is felt that were
there another public building in Washing
ton suitable for that purpose that could be
used without having always to ask some
body'S permission it would be very much
better. Then, too, Washington In the
past several years has become very much
| of convention city, it is felt that there
should be some building here adequate for
such purpose. 1t has often been thought
that 1T would be well for the great national
| political parties to hold their nominating
conventions in the capital city, and were
the government building brought here from
ST. Louis, it is suggested, it would be most
excellent for the purpose There is not at
this time in Washington building suffi-
GENTLY large to furnish seating for more
than a thousand or more people.
1t is pointed out that Washington is
growing city, that 1t is the capital of the
nation and the home of the national gov
eminent; that in the near future building
of this character will be an actual neces-
sity, and it is suggested that now is the
time to get a structure at much less cost
and of greater beauty than could be pro-
vided by private capital paying invest
ment.