Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-12-05

Excellency the following:
"The Aqueduct Bridge at the time
of it's construction many years ago,
was, possibly, adequate to meet the
needs Of the travel between the Vir-
ginia shore and the city of Washing
ton, but in the past ten years the
said bridge has been wholly made
quate to meet the public needs.
ga few years since there was
placed on the west side of the bridge
a single electric railway track, which
lis in use by the cars of the Washing
ton and Old Dominion Railway,
which company operates its lines
from what is known as Thirty sixth
and NJ streets, in the city of Wash
ington, to the Great Falls, in the
county of Fairfax, in the State of
Virginia, and another line, departing
from said Great Falls line, to Blue
mont, in the county of Loudoun, State
of Virginia, and, in its operation,
feeds a large and extensive territory,
and, of necessity, runs a great many
cars. 1t also operates "bridge car"
crossing and re-crossing the sac
bridge, carrying passengers and con-
Meeting with the Washington-Vir-
GINA Railway Company and the Cap
ital Traction Company, and thus runs
many cars daily.
"This bridge is in use for wagon
traffic and pedestrians and is useG
by thousands of citizens Of Alexan-
dria county, Fairfax and adjoining
counties, so that many hundreds of
wagons, as we'll as many thousands
of pedestrians must pass and across
it daily. In the town of Rosslyn are
located the freight yards of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company, which
company supplies most of the freigh.
for West Washington, it being
hauled by large and heavy trucks
and large and heavy wagons; and
also this bridge accommodates most,
if not all, of the wagon, carriages and
automobile traffic to and from Fort
Myer and Arlington Reservations,
places which many hundred of sight
seers daily visit.
"This committee desires further to
bring to the attention of Your Excel.
Icncy the further fact That this
! bridge, which was built many years
ago, although at that time it partially
accommodated the traffic using It,
was very narrow, and the placing
thereon of the track for the use of thc
electric lines has so narrowed it rs
to make it not only unsafe for wagon
and pedestrian traffic, but, at times,
owing to this fact. traffic is COM
pletcly blocked.
"This committee desires further 20
state that it is our opinion to he
essential that bridge be made and
constructed at this point of such
width as to carry toubie tracks for
the use of the electric lines connect.
ing the city Of Washington with tnc
state of Virginia, and also TO accom-.
modate the very extensive wagon ard
pedestrian traffic which now uses i
and will, in the future, Increasingly
use this bridge.
"This committee is advised (and IN
fact it has been rumored for many
years. that this bridge is unsafe,
and this committee, with much r.
spect, bcgs leave to refer Your e.
cellency to the reports FLEE with II"
War Department, covering the condl-
tions with reference to its safety
"This committee dsres further to
invite the attention of your Excel
lcncy to the report recently filed with
the War Department by board APP
pointed for the purpose OF suggesting
if possible, the relieving of the con-
gested conditions at the Rosslyn ard
of this bridge, in what is known as
the meek Of the bottle" and in this
connection. respectfully urges that
some relief should be had also in this
ecial connection.
at is the honest belief of this com
mittec that d serious public necessity
exists for the immediate improve
ment of the bridge in question. an"
this committee most respectfully
urges that your EXcellency will cor
slider this matter and take such ac-
| ton. or make such recommendations
as will, in your wisdom bring about
such relief.
Respectfully,
(s) W. W. MALONE,
President.