Evening star., 1909-03-01
NAME OF JEFF DAVIS
Problem of Replacing 1t on
Cabin John Bridge.
SCHEMES OF ENGINEERS
Work Will Be Begun Before In
auguration Day.
STORY OF THE CONTROVERSY
President Roosevelt Has Had It
Under Consideration Since 1907.
How It Will Be Done.
SCHEMES OF ENGINEERS
STORY OF THE CONTROVERSY

In strict compliance with the explicit
order of President Roosevelt. Gen. Mar
shall, chief of engineers Of the army. is
taking steps to restore the name Of JEFF
ferson Davis. president of the former
Confederate states, to the commemora-
tive tablet on Cabin John bridge. The
actual execution of the order has been
intrusted to Maj. Jay J. Morrow. the
engineer officer in charge OF the Washing
ton aqueduct. of which the bridge is a
part. It Is intended that all the pre-
liminaries shall be arranged before the
expiration Of the present administration
next Thursday. With that special object
in view the army engineers gave prompt
study to the subject and have prepared
a project for the work. mat project
has been submitted to Secretary Wright
and he is expected to act on it before the
day fS over.
Presents a Problem.
Although it might seem a simple prop
osition to replace the name of the former
Secretary Of War on the mutilated tablet,
1t is found to be somewhat perplexing
problem. The original inscription was
cut into the face Of the tablet. The space
formerly occupied by the name of Jeffer-
son Davis Is deeper than the remainder of
the tablet. Several methods were con-
sldered for its restoration. One was to
cut the name into the existing excised
by the use of raised letters. A third plan
was to cut Davis name on a separate
stone Of suitable proportions and put that
in the tablet. These plans were reject
nd hyy $1A >1rvf- HI,nt
such methods would give undue promi-
nence to one name over all the others on
the tablet, including the names OF Presi-
dents Lincoln and Pierce.
The only method that met with the
favor of the engineers involved the re-
moval of the entire inscription as it
now stands, SO as to secure a perfectly
smooth and level surface on the tab
let. and on that to recut the entire IN
scription as it originally appeared, In
cluding the name OF Jefferson DAVIS.
1t was contended that the Presidents
order could be put into execution in
that way without exciting unreasonable
criticism. It was admitted that the
only way to meet the possible objec-
tion Of placing the name of Jeffeson
Davis above that of Abraham Lincoln
was by complete Encouragement Of
the inscription.
Some Facts Just Made Public.
with this matter became known today.
One was that President Roosevelt's order
for the restoration OF Jefferson Davis
name was personally written by him on
the back of a report made by Gen. Mac
kenzie. U.S.A.. retired, indicating that
the proposition was of doubtful utility.
Gen. Mackenzie was chief OF engineers
at the time and made the report to Mr..
Taft, who was then Secretary of War
The report was made in August, 1907.
No action was taken until February 90
1909 In issuing the order to Secretary
Wright the President directed that 1t be
made public on Washington's birthday,
the day Of the review of the Atlantic bat
tleship fleet at Hampton roads.
Report Of Gen Mackenzie.
In his report Gen. Mackenzie reviewed
the situation as follows:
Walter P. Phillips. Willis B. Smith and
Mrs. r. c. May addressed letters to the
President and Secretary Of War request
ing that the names of Jefferson Davis and
Alfred l.. Rives be restored to the tablet
on Cabin John bridge"
The name of Mr.. Davis did appear on
the tablet on the bridge, and it was erased
under circumstances hereinafter given.
The name of Mr.. Rives apears on the
tablet in the gatehouse at the Great Falls.
together with those of five other civil
engineers but was never placed on Cabin
John bridge and was therefore never
erased.
Two stone tablets are built in the
bridge. one on either abutment (south
face). One bears the inscription:
Union Arch.
Chief Engineer, Capt. Montgomery.
c. Megs. U. S. Corps of Engineers.
The other:
Washington Aqueduct
Begun AID. 1858. President Of the Us.
Franklin Pierce. Secretary Of War.
-. Building A. D., 1861.
President of the Us. Abraham Lincoln.
Secretary of War, Simon Cameron.
The blank space originally contained
the name of Jefferson Davis. The rec
ords indicate the name was cut out in
1862 at the suggestion Of Galusha Grow
Caleb Smith. Secretary of the Interior.
which department at that time had su-
pervision Of the aqueduct.
1t is presented in the petitions that
Jefferson Davis was Secretary of War at
the time Cabin John Bridge was built.
and that the plans had his approval and
that Mr.. Rives was the chief engineer
who designed and constructed the bridge.
that on these grounds the names should
appear upon the panel. and that the re-
moval was uncalled for, and that justice
requires restoration.
The facts are that Mr.. Davis, while
not in Office when the aqueduct work
was inaugurated. was Secretary OIL
War when the actual construction was
and his approval Is regis
tered on the original plans. including
plans for Cabin John Bridge. 1t ap-
pears, however, that he went out Of
ONCE before the construction OF the
bridge was commenced, and that the
plans followed were entirely different
from the original ones with which his
name was connected. Whether his name
was In any way connected with the
modified plans 1t has been impossible to
Mr.. Rives was employed by
Capt. Meigs as a young civil engineer.
While he had to do with certain de-
AyHNNY NFTA