Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-16
4Wn

how railroad bridge. and winch bisccts
Potomac Park. dividing the improved
portion from that which is now being
improved You may or may not mediate
upon the fact that these tracks crossing
the reclaimed land of the Potomac river
we're a tens, and interesting question
generation ago. 1t was a question which
was involved with that of the illegal rail-
road occupancy of the Mall. of the large
reservation at the intersection OF Mary
land and Virginia avenues and of certain
streets and reservations i'm South Wash
ington as storage depots and shifting
Yards.
The matter of the location of the rail-
road tracks over the new-made park
land. raised from the river at great cost
was associated intimately with the ques-
tons of the demolition of the Long bridge
and its replacement with a modern struc-
turc and with the elimination of grade
crossings in the city. The Long bridge
was i'm possession of the Baltimore ana
Potomac Railroad Company by virtue of
an act OF Congress approved June u,
lS1O--an act which authorized the rail-
road company to take possession OF ana
extend it's tracks across the bridge under
the condition that the company main
tain in good condition the said brldge
for railway and ordinary travel
The Campaign for the elimination of
grade crossings in Washington. the re-
moval of the railroad tracks and terminal
from the Mall and the tearing away of
the Long bridge and the building of
bridge which would not dam the Poto-
mac river and cause disastrous flooding
of the city at periods of high water was
one Of the great campaigns conducted by
the people of Washington and the friends
in Congress of the National city. In that
campaign The Evening Star took lead
ing part. The older people of Washing
ton recall the bitterness of that long con-
test, and the files of The Star for that
period are a revelation TO those persons
whose acquaintance with local history is
scant. That campaign is too big a ques-
lion TO be more than touched upon in an
afternoon ramble, but man may con-
slider a single feature of ii while looking
at the vine-grown embankment under
which are two openings-one on the
Washington channel side and one on the
Virginia channel side-which admit of safe
and easy passage between the northwest
and southeast sections of Washington's
remarkable river park.
The first Long bridge was built in 1909
the act of Congress authorizing the con-
StruCtlOn OF Drl0Se from the END OIL
Maryland avenue to AleXanders Island
having been approved by President JEFF
ferson February ). 1905. The bridge was
built by a private company. which was
authorized to charge tolls. The company
was called the Washington Bridge Com
pany. and the sale of stock up to the
sum of S2o0,OOO was authorized. In the
list of the incorporators, officers and
stockholders may be found the names of
many of the representative men of early
Washington. The north and south ends
of the bridge were burned in August
1914. and the bridge was destroyed by
freshet February 3D. 1881. BY an act of
Congress approved July a. 1882 the
United States bought the rights and prop
erty of the Washington Bridge Company
and directed the reconstruction of the
bridge.
Up to that time the bridge had been a
structure built piles from shore to
shore. Various acts of Congress NAV be
consulted. and there was great deal of
indecision to what type of bridge
should be built. There were numerous
plans and a number of changes of plans
but in 1854 Congress decided to rebuild
the bridge somewhat after the model of
the Older structure. but TO construct a
causeway 1850 feet long ION the shoaI or
shoals over which the present bridge
passes. by filling up by a solid embank-
ment. in part. if convenient of earth OBJ