Evening star., 1917-03-30
RAILROAD BRIDGE
PLANS REJECTED
Army Engineers Fear Propos-
ed Riverside Structure Might
Obstruct Potomac Channel.
SUGGEST BASCULE TYPE

The War Department has approved
| the recommendation of Gen biack'
chief of engineers of the army ana
rejected plans submitted by the wash
! inston- Newport News Short Line for a
| railroad bridge across the Potomac
| river between Riverside, Md, and
Metompkiu point, Va. about fifty miles
| below Washington,
| These plans provided for g. standard
| railroad bridge, with a draw swinging
from a pivot pier, giving an opening
| 200 feet wide on both sides. Congress
| athorized construction of bridge oy
| the railroad company at the point m
dicated provided it should offer no OBJ
struction to the navigation of the river
| Col. FIag!er, the United States en-
| gineer officer in charge OF TINS en-
! gineeriug district. in notifying the
| company of the action of the war De
| partnent, said the chief OF engineers
| ais opposed to any structure that Will
| Introduce an obstruction In the chan
mel of the river by q center pivot pier
AS proposed. or that will limit the
overhead clearance by a fixed bridge.
Suggests BascuIe Type Bridge.
Ion the other hand, however" said
the officer, provided the opening is
lnot less than 800 feet wide in the clear,
the needs Of navigation, present and
prospective, viii be fully met by a
bridge of the doubie-leaf bascule type,
with its attendant unlimited vertical
| clearance"
| 1T is pointed out that the enormous
traffic in the Chicago river is accom- i
| 1nodated by bridges of the bascGIe
| type.
| "A bridge the bascule type over the
! Potomac river, to afford at least u 500
foot clear width of opening and Ner-
| tical clearance of nowhere between the
banks less than thirty feet above high
| water" Col. Flagler continued, viii
receive favorable consideration AS the
| proposed bridge will be located about
| fifty miles below Washington and VIII
span the course Of all boat traffic on
! the river, a vertical clearance OF thlrty
| feet above high water is deemed deSlr-
| able, in order to obviate the necessity
| of frequent operation of the draw tor
the passage of the smaller class Of
boats"
| Following instructions from the War
Department the officer said that a fog
| signal of the most modern type and
adequate tenders must be provided at
the bridge, and he suggested, also, the
desirabiIity of constructing "a slightly
| superstructure fer the approach spans
No Objections to Other Bridges.
1T was stated that there were no Spe-
ciai objections to the plans of the
bridges to be erected by the railroad
company over the York river at York
town and over the Rappahannock-ri river
at Leedstown, Va, but attention was
called to the general public demand for
highway facilities on those bridges, as
well as on the proposed bridge across
the Potomac. Provision of facilities OF
THAT character is admitted to be op-
tional with the railroad company, as
they are not required by law.
The officials of the War Department
have not been informed of the purposes
of the railroad company, but 1t is as
sumed that objection will jbe made Il
the increased expenditure involved il
the construction of the bridge to meet
| the views of the army engineers. ThE
proposed railroad viii open Il section
of country poorly equipped with rail
road facilities at present From River
side, Nd, the road would follow tht
Maryland bank of the Potomac river tt
this city and connect with the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad near Shepherds