Evening star., 1912-11-17

of t1th street southeast to the southeast
shore of tho Eastern branch. where at
the bridge end a small settement which
came TO be called Gniontown, grew up.
The name Cniontown has long fallen into
disuse except among the oldest settlers,
and the village expanding over the Levers
and the picturesque hills is now Anacos-
tia. Bridge succeeded bridge at this
point
An act to incorporate company 10
build bridge over the Eastern branch
of the Potomac between 11th and l2th
streets east was approved by PRESIDENT
James Monroe February IS, 1919. The
act recites that:
r.. il enacted hy the Senate aud House OF
Representatives Of the United States. IN congress
viz William rruut, William Marhury. Samuel n
SmalIwo,-l. Timothy Vim and Adam LIN or
any three of them be ard are hereby enrsNtuleI
tsrard Of commissioners VITA ful power an, anu
authority To open. cAHsr to be opened, BOOKS
tcr receiving and entering suhscrintiors Tor
raising a csriral stock not exceeding s25 600
n shares of 500 each. for the purpose OF etert- @
in the city OF Washington over tne f-ast'tn
branch IL tho most convenient ihnd,ng on 1ns
opposite shore" "a hr called tne M AaW s, iard sri
70, sued. imnlead and he impi"aded ana 10 ana
suffer all acts matters aud things when h"ay
r4fitie anl corporate may lawfully do and suner
spd NAV have y common seal and The same NAV
rr,ak or alter n pleasure and may make all by
laws. rules and regulations and ordinances ior
tb.. good government of said company and for
carrying into effect the objects of their constl-
.ution that snch bylaws. rules. regulations
and ordinances be not repugnant ~ the laws 6f
the United States in force within the District
of Columbia.
lit was provided that the bridge should
he TWENTY-FIVE feet wide and that it
should have draw of thirty feet.
In the charter of the company it was
set forth that the following rates of toll
ha cha cd
2 cents: for each person and horse. 6lt
cents: for carriage. wagon or cart,
cents for each wheel and 3 cents for each
horse mule or OK drawing the same; for
every other horse or mule. 3 cents: for
cattle : cents per head. and for hogs or
sheep, cents each.
The upper bridge. which stood between
the present Navy Yard and Pennsylvania
avenue bridges. was authorized in 1I9o
10 b. built, and was built Immediately
after The company operating that
bridge continued to collect tolls until a
part of the bridge was destroyed by
Americans just before the sack of WASH
ington by the British in August. 1914.
After that date it was repaired and con-
tinued in operation until IL was set on
fire by sparks from passing steamboat
in the forties. Its destruction added to
the traffic of the Navy Yard bridge, and
this was so many times repaired that lit
tie if any of the first structure remained
Gen. Barnard, Corps of Engineers, L. >.
A., chief engineer in charge of the de-
lenses of Washington. 1S6165, says that
the Navy Yard bridge at the outset
of the war was practically rebuilt to bear
the strain of heavy guns intended for the
armament of Forts Stanton. Snyder. car
roll and Greble and for the passage of
troops and stores
In 1874 a new bridge, with super
structure of iron stone piers. was
buiIt a few feet west of the older bridge,
and that bridge was superseded by the
present structure.