davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-20
SENATE FAR BEHIND
WITH ROUTINE WORK
Efforts SO Far TO Map Out
Programme for Early Ad-
journment Fail.

WASHINGTON, Nav 19.-Congres'
sional gossip now centers largely upon
adjournment.
Tho progressive Republican senators
insist that after so many months oA
discussion there should be important
legislative achievements on the tarln
and other Things. Regular Republican
senators arc bringing the tarlh olils
out OF the finance committee, put are
considering absenting themselves upon
the votes so that the president may
have the advantage of vetoing sfralght
Democratic tariff measures
Tho Democrats have agreed TO press
al the tariff bills, including the excise
taa to vote. All efforts to map OUT
a programme for Adjournment oe1ore
the national party conventions nave SO
far failed in the senate
Work Congested.
The senate is congested and many
senators have no expectations 9l con
ADJOURNMENT repeated Vice Pres
ident Sherman, when asked ABOUT
the first part of August an
It was said that if tho senate oiu
NOT adjourn be&Sre the conventions the
house would refuse to recess over the
convention period. Opposition to a re-
cess also has developed among sena-
tors.
The majority and minority reports or
the senate committee which lnNeStlgat,
cd the election of Senator Lorimer Will
be finally presented TO the senate TO
morrow.
Single Term Bill.
Senator Clark of Wyoming, chairman
of the senate Judiciary committee, e1-
poets congress to act promptly on the
plan to amend the constitution To have
presidents and vice presidents serve
single term Of six years. This com
mittee also is considering a bill to ad'
vance the presidential inauguration to
follow closely the election.
Action on the Panama canal admin.
istration bill and debate on the naval
appropriation bill will occupy the
house The house judiciary committee
will resume the investigation of Judge
Archibald Of the commerce court, con-
Timing all the week,
The senate may confirm Richard T.
Sloan as United States district. Judge
for Arizona now under attack by the
two Arizona senator's.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

-Four lines of plane trees, on the west of
the Capitol, are growing thrifty, but are
checked and given lopsided forms by the
interference of what remains of the old
avenue trees they are designed to super
sede.''
The report continues: This checking
and tendency to lopsidedness will be obvi-
GUS on comparing the crowded trees with
others of the kind not so affected. The
injury is not as yet so great that 1t may
not be remedied, but the final removal Of
the remaining old trees. nearly all OF
which are plainly diseased or dilapidated.
should not be delayed for another year.
The temporary loss of shade will soon
be amply compensated for by the over
arching of the new trees"
The report of Mr.. Olmsted for 1882 is
now in showing the work then
going on or just completed in the Capitol
grounds-works which young Washingto-
mans are already beginning to look on as
old. In that year were completed the
southeast entrance way. the entrance to
the southern system of wheelway and
walks from Maryland avenue. the wall
and coping on the east and south border
by which the Enclosure of the Capitol
grounds was completed, the walls, cop
ing, stairs and drainage arrangements of
the approach to the west front from
Maryland avenue. and $4,000 square feet
of plain and 10000 square feet of mosaic
artificial stone tagging were laid. Those
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08
Fort Remo of Amy

Washington. was rather hastily deter
mined on as to it's location and was
quickly built in the summer and autumn
of 1861. The north feared that the Con-
federate army, warmed and emboldened
by success and the Union forces not
ready for the field. might ford the up
per Potomac and attempt to take Wash
ingtOn in reversal stratagem That Cen
Jubal A. Early attempted late in the
war. The first idea of the defenders was
to block approach to Washington by the
roads. and from the site of Fort Reno
the River road from the west, the Rock
vile road from the northwest and the
BroOkville road from the north were
covered. However. let Gen. J. G. Bar
nard of the Engineer Corps and chief
engineer of the defenses of Washington
tell this in his way. He wrote:
while strengthening as rapidly as pos
sible our most assailable and at first ex-
ceedingly weak position on the south
shore of the Potomac, it was. though per-
haps less urgent, still necessary to pro-
vide some auxiliary defenses to the city
itself against approaches along the
northern shores. In the summer and fall
the Potomac easily fordable at points
not distant from Washington. The army
which had been victorious at Manassas
and whose advance posts We're soon visi-
BILE at Munson's hill might. it was thought.
improve the critical period which follow
ed ere our rapidly arriving volunteer
regiments could be organized into a
formidable force. and while that which
had fought the battle. disOrganized by
defeat, was dwindling away by expiration
of three-month terms of service. to cross
the river and assail US. where the results
of success, even If involving greater risks.
would have been the most decisive.
ITO meet the emergency. works were
necessarily thrown up without that de-
lberate study Of the topography on which
the establishment of such defen-
sive line should, if practicable. be based.
The first direction given to our labors
was to secure the roads. not merely as
the beaten highways of travel from the
country to the city. but as, in general,
occupying the best ground for an enemy 8
approach. Thus the site of Fort Pennsyl-
was early in August. 1861. selected on the
heights of TenleytOwn. commanding the
three roads driver, Rockville and Brook
VILE roads,, which united at that place.
This position, strongly held and aided
by Fort Gaines. soon after located and
commenced made it comparatively easy
to exclude hostile approach by the sector
of country between the Potomac and
Rock creek.
The Secretary of War October -, 1867
appointed a commission consisting of
Brevet Brig. Gen. j. G. TOtten. chief en-
gineer of the United States army; Brig
Gen NJ. c. Meigs. quartermaster general
formerly Of the United States engineers;
Brig Gen. w. F. Barry. chief of artil-
lery; Brig. Gen. J. G. Barnard. chief en-
gineer of the defenSes of Washington.
and Brig. Gen. G. w. Cullom. United
States engineers. and chief of stan to
the general in chief. Ito examine and re-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

active interest in District landmarks. told
The Star man that he had no other
knowledge of the meridian stone than is
set forth here and that he had asked sew
eral of the Oldest inhabitants connected
with the District government and that
they could throw no light on the fate of
the historic stone.
WayIand Seminary, established in 1865,
two years earlier than Howard Univer-
sity and which was supported by con-
tributions received by the American Bap-
fist Home Missionary Society, set its
three-story brick and mansard roof build
ing on Meridian Hill in 1874. In 1874
the village OF Meridian Hill began to at
tract numerous cOlOred residents and
many frame houses were built on Colurp-
bia avenue, now 18th street. Morris street.
now Chaplin street, and Erie, now Euclid
street.
1t is not far backward look to the
time when George Washington Univer-
sity. then Columbian College. was in the
Meridian Hill neighbOrhOod. Its lands eX
tended along 18th street road from Flor
ida avenue to Sherman's subdivision.
which extended nOrthward to Park road.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

mortals--but from bats. There are many
of these aberrant insectivorae or flying
mammals. family gallopithecidae. order of
chiroptera, In the shadowy hooks Of the
Smithsonian building.
Satisfied that no harm is near, YOU fall
to thinking of James Smithson's beouest
OF 1895: of James Renwick. the designer
of this building, the first of its style not
ecclesiastic, to be reared in the United
States: your glance goes up to the top or
the tallest tower 145 feet above the as
phalt. all strewn with dead leaves, and
your mind goes back to the time when
President Polk and his cabinet and hun
dreds OF proud men, now dust, attended
the corner stone laying in 1S47: to the
time when the building was finished i'm
1855. and to the time of the great fire in
1855. when irreparable losses were sus-
tained-such as may be again sustained
by the clumsy habit Of the government in
packing priceless things in fiimsy build
ingS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

nerve. The moon may be floating through
the southern sky. Now it will be hidden
under dense cloud masses. and then it
will burst through the black mist and
cast its silver sheen over the heavens
and the earth. Against all this, the long
red sandstone buildings. dark but for a
watchman's lamp in the central vesti-
bue will be submitted. 1t looks gloomy
and lonesome. One almost feels the
damp and stagnant vapor that would
rise from the moat around it. il a moat
were there. One can almost hear the
clank Of armor. as sentinel in scale.
or plate, or steel link chain strides the
battlements. 1t is very lonesome. and if
there were graves around it would be the
best place in the city for ghosts. Per-
haps perturbed spirits do stalk there.
The cries. now sharp. now muffled, now
seeming the agony Of strangulation. come
to your ears from those grim and tower
ing walls. 1t sounds like tragedy.
You can reassure yourself that you are
not in the depths of q haunted forest
and before some dismal medieval castle
by looking northward to catch the gilt
ter of the lights in the post Office tower
or by listening to the purr and soft rip
pie Of the fountain not far removed from
the northwest corner Of the building
The sounds that have stopped you, and
it may be. chilled you, come from-not
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

and by wisdom and farsightedness en-
abled the little states TO present a united
front To the coercing powers.
Nenezelos. THE strong man of Greece"
as he is frequently called. is the idol of
the people. Furthermore he is trusted
by King George. the crown prince and
other members Of the royal family as is
no other statesman or politician in
Greece. This is all the more remarkable
when ii is recalled that he was heart and
soul in the Military League movement
that aimed at the downfall of the Crown
Prince Constantine and the ousting of
him from the position of COMMANDMENT
chief of the army, TO which he had been
appointed by act of parliament. Indeed.
at one time VeneZelos was looked upon
by King George as one of his most dan
gerOuS enemies.
Ii is an open secret that this taciturn
little man with mild blue eyes twinkling
behind gold trimmed spectacles has even
bigger schemes in his great head than
the Balkan alliance and the Turkish war.
They are to be but milestones on the
road to his ideal-a great federation of
the Balkan peninsula so binding and so
just TO all concerned that it will result
in a lasting settlement of the problem
that has baffied European statesmen for
ndll d Century
The man who seems in a fair way TO
accomplish this hitherto impossible task
was born i'm the Island of CerigO in 1864
He comes of old Hellenic stock. some of
the branches of which settled in Crete
after the siege of Athens by the Vene-
tians. The father of Eleutherios-which.
by the way. means the liberated one
fled to Cerigo Island from the Turks, hav-
ing compromised himself in the revolu-
ton of 1888.
When the future premier grew 10 early
manhood his father, wishing him to have
the benefits of a good education, sent him
TO Athens to study law. From the Greek
city he went to Lausanne. Switzerland, TO
finish his studies. Upon his return to
Crete he Immediately became prominent
in politics. From all accounts he was an
uncommonly gifted young man, and his
assistance was sought by every man OF
prominence in the affairs of the unhappy
island. He early became the trusted lieu
tenant OF DIR. Sphakianaki. one of the
most influential of Cretan public men. and
when, i'm 1925. the Crown Prince of Greece
was sent out to Crete as high commits
sioner. and DIR. Sphakianaki did not feel
that he could serve under him. his young
aid volunteered to carry on the work and
became one Of the council of the high
commissioner. BY rapid stages he rose
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

which was ,4S4 yards, and the cOnstruc-
ton of which at the south end of the
Long bridge was begun Immediately after
the Union troops, commanded by Mai.
later Cen. Heintzelman, crossed that
bridge on the night of May 23 1861. In
all the gun-covered circuit of thirty-sev-
Ell miles, with the sixty-eight 1nclosed
forts and batteries. with ninety-three un.
armed batteries and twenty miles of rifle
trenches. Fort Reno was the largest with
that single exception, and, with the eX-
ception of Fort Lincoln, the right of the
northern line of defenses and command
ing the Baltimore turnpike and the Bal
timOre and Ohio railroad, Fort Reno was
the heaviest armed. 1t mounted in en-
brasure eight eight-inch siege hOwitZers.
one twenty-four-pounder howitzer and
four twentypounder PARROT rifles and in
barbette nine twenty four FOUNDER
smooth-bores on seacOast carriages. one
1OO-pounder PARROT rife. two ten-inch
siege mOrtarS and two twenty-four-
FOUNDER COehOrn mOrtars. Battery Keno.
at the northern extremity Of the nose Of
land and lower than the fort mounted
seven twentypounder Parrot rifles.
Fort Reno had vacant platforms in en-
braSure for six field or siege guns. and
Battery Reno had three of these vacant
platforms which could be filled at short
notice.
Fort Reno also occupied the most ele-
waited position of any of the forts of
Washington's defenses. it being 40 feet
some measurements making ii 44-abOve
the mean tide of the Potomac, whereas
Fort Gaines was 4O3 feet above the river,
Battery Kemble 3S7. Fort De Russy 3j4.
Fort Bayard IA and Battery Parrot 342.
The average width of Fort Reno from
east to west was 80 feet and its length
from north to south 400 feet, roughly
scaled from the map. Its lay was slight
" southwest and northeast. Its south
end was northeast Of the junction OF the
Brookville and Rockville roads and its
east face for about one-half it's length
paralleled the Brookville road at a dis
lance of 500 feet. From it's southwest
corner a rifle trench 100 feet long eX-
tended southwest to the Brookville road
and a small section. about $50 feet. lay
on the west side Of that road. In the
angle of the Rockville and River roaus
500 feet northwest of the junction of
those roads. a rife trench 800 feet long
extended from road to road and con-
tinued on across the River road 800 feet
southwest.
A rifle trench extended eastwardly
from the southeast corner of Fort Reno
1900 feet to Battery ROssell. and this
trench continued with a few breaks to
Fort Kearny and thence to Battery Ter
rill. There was gap in this trench
across the valley of Broad branch, but
at point 300 feet northeast of that
stream it's line was resumed and con-
tinued enthusiastically to Battery
Smeade. from Battery Smeade eastward
to and around the west. north and east
faces of the hill on which Fort De Russy
stands and then southeast to Battery
Kingsbury.
Fort Pennsylvania. like most of the
links in the northern defense line of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

port upon the plan of the present forts
and the sufficiency of the present system
of defenses Of the city" This commits
sion spent two months in going over the
ground and in the study and invesuga-
ton Of this problem and their report Is
one of the interesting records OF the civil
war period and should be especially in
teresting to those persons who entertain
sentimental feeling toward the ruins
and the remnants Of the ruins of the
forts. redOubts. batteries and infantry
parapet that stretched north of the city
from the heights west Of the receiving
reservoir on the Potomac to the heights
on which the National Industrial School
stands, overlooking the Eastern branch;
from the hills above Benning all along
the crest beyond the AnacOstia to a
heights above the Aqueduct bridge to the
ridge south Of Hunting creek.
The commission had this to say Of Fort
Reno:
This work occupies commanding po-
sition at a point where the dividing ridge
between the Potomac and Rock, creek
narrows so as to expose the slopes in
both directions. 1t commands the three
roads that unite at TenleytOwn. The
work as originally built was deficient in
size, it's exposed parapets too thin, and 1t
had not good view of the approa ches
from the northward. A battery for eight
guns was constructed on an advanced
point of the ridge. about 300 yards north
ward, with magazine and inclosed gorge.
This is connected with. the work by a
double line of rifle trenches. with flank
ing battery, making of the ensemble a
very strong position.
Between Forts Reno and kearny is a
battery (RosselD very substantially con-
structed for eight field guns with maya
zine. but with open gorge. 1t has good
near Fort Reno to Broad branch. tribu-
tary of Rock creek, and Fort De Russy.
The commission recommends thatits gorge
be closed by a. stockade and extends this
recommendation to the different batteries
similarly constructed between Fort Rip
ley (Sumner) and Fort Massachusetts,
(Stevens).'
Gen Barnard i'm work published by
the government printing Office in 1871 as
No. % of the professional Papers of the
Corps of Engineers. United States Army,
a COPY of which may be seen at the
Library of Congress- and at the Washing
ton Public Library, gives description of
the topography of the region that could
be brought under the fire of the guns of
Fort Reno. He said that Its fire swept
the wide open plain lying on either side
of the River road, and in westerly and
northwesterly direction the two principal
faces Of the work overlooked the country
perfectly. In northerly and northeasterly
directions, however. the surface was less
perfectly seen and it was necessary. there
FORE to occupy more advanced ground at
the extreme end of the spur from which
the whole country within artillery range
was thoroughly commanded. At this ter
minating point of the narrow ridge a
strong battery was built having emplace-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08
D@f@4s@s

partly on the site of the house the Ten
leys lived in. In the garden back of the
house are the graves of the Tenleys. the
family which gave its name to Tenley-
town.
Mrs. Britt. with Miss Barbara as
prompter said:
There We're three Tenleys-two sisters,
Sarah and Elizabeth, and a brother. John
aenieS' Ihey bought half an acre Of land
at the junction Of the roads and on the
east side of the Rockville or Frederick
road. This house is built on part of that
half acre. The Tenleys were poor people.
Ihey came to this part of the country
from Charles county, Md, but what part
OF the county / don't know. though I
think L can find out for you. There were
no other houses at this point on the road
when the Tenleys built their small frame
mousse here. At last a few other families
moved mere store and blacksmith shop
We're opened and the hamlet came to be
called TenleytOwn. My mother. as a lit
tie girl, knew the Tenleys. 1t must be
elshty years since the last of them died
mere. Ihelr graves are out i'm the gar
den and the spot is marked by some
trees. but the gravestones have sunk
ana nave been covered by earth. But a
little digging would bring them to light.
The land on which Fort Pennsylvania,
as they first called Fort Reno. was built
belonged in 1861 to Giles Dyer. There
were two brothers. Giles and Miles Dyer.
and they came here either from Charles
county or st. Marys county. Md. Giles
built his house up there by the reservoir
and it was torn down by the troops when
building the fort. After the war Giles
sold the land to two men. Onion and
Butts, who subdivided the place and sold
lots. Giles and Miles moved away from
here. and 1 don't know whether they are
living or not. The Fort Reno land, before
Giles Dyer bought ii, was owned by Isaac
Marshall, who had considerable land
about here. and before Marshall bought
it the place belonged to a DIR. Weims-I
am not .sure about the spelling Of the
name. The Veins family burial plot was
on the hill. AS a little girl / remember
the wall that was built around it, 1t
stood there while Marshall and Dyer
owned the land, but when the troops
came the stones We're taken away for
various purposes, and the site of the
graveyard has been lost.
Some of the big landholders around here
during the war Were David Shoemaker,
who owned land near the fort. and the
Misses Mary and Adele French. A. II.
I.oughborough owned a farm which he
called Grasslands. and this is the place
that Secretary Whitney bought, about the
time that President Cleveland bought
Red Top and the strong movement OF
population out this way began. The old
Loughborough house is still standing.
Then another big landhOlder was William
Murdoch. whose old house you visited at
the site of Fort Gaines. There were two
brothers, William and John. John owned
big tract, which he called White Ha-
ven. Both were large shareholders. Yes,
this is an interesting country around
here.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

and of the truth of the charge there was
little doubt--that the Greek army was in
a bad condition. Although there was a
compulsory service law, the troops were
never called to the colOrs because OF the
lack of money. and although the crown
nrince had been appointed commander-in-
chief with the understanding that foreign
officers were to be called in to put the
army and navy on a fighting basis none
of these experts had put in an appear
ance.
That was the situation when Gen. Zor-
has. at the head of what became known
as the military League" demanded not
only the dismissal Of the crown prince
but his temporary Punishment from the
country SO strong became this move
ment that King George found 1t expedi-
emf to give way to its demands. sent the
crown prince and his German wife on
holiday. accepted the resignation Of NJ.
Theotokis. the then prime minister, and
intrusted the government to the ruthless
hands of Gen. Zorbas and his friends.
1t was ct this moment that Venezelos
appeared On the scene to direct s-new