Evening star., 1922-12-18
LINCOLN MEMORIAL
|. SELECTED AS SITE
FOR NEW BRIDGE
President and Others Make
Personal inspection Be-
fore Giving Decision.
STRUCTURE WILL RUN
TO ARLINGTON CEMETERY
Plan to Extend New York Avenue
Abandoned-Span Will
Have Draw.

| Following a personal inspection OF
the two proposed sites for the Airing
| ton Memorial bridge, headed by F<~si-
! dent Harding today. chairman ss 'he
bridge commission, the commilA.Sn
decided that the plans will be Ne
pared for the construction OF the
low level bridge from the Lincoln
Memorial across the river to a point
on Columbia Island. from which spot
! three roadwxys will carry the traffic
to points in three directions.
1T was after personally viewing
this proposed site>for the bridge and
! the proposed continuation of New
| Yory avenue that the commission
reached the conclusion that the bridge
! from the Lincoln Memorial, although
i IL will require the construction of a
| draw bridge, was by far the more
preferable.
! Memorial ROadways.
! In reaching this conclusion the
commission directed the engineers
who will make the plans for tFis
bridge to provide for a handsome ard
artistic terminus on Columbia -
land which will be somewhat in TIE
! form of a large memorial arch, which
will incidentally serve as a ROAD
f, point for the commencement of the
! three separate memorial roadways'
one of which will lead directly to the
Lee Mansion in Arlington cemetery
one leading to the territory north and
west of the cemetery, and the other
leading to the south and east of the
cemetery.
| Each OF these three roads will be
beautitied by an archway where roads
| will lead from them as arteries into
| the cemetery grounds.
! Drnw Bridge Objectionable.
! It was while standing on high
mound just north of Arlington Gene
terry from which the view afforded
! wide perspective. and from which
! "A clear idea could be obtained Of the
TWO imaginary proposed bridges. that
! President Harding made the remark
I that after taking everything into con
sideration that if this commission was
| out to furnish the city Of Washington
! with a bridge to afford its citizens
! and tourists a means of transporta-
] tion between the two shrines-the
Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington
proposed from the Lincoln Memorial
! directly across the river was the
! more preferable.
] However there were certain obj@c-
! tionable features even in this site that
presented themselves in the Presi-
! dents mind the most notable OF
which being the necessity for
draw in the bridge and the fact that
cOnSldtraple excavation dHu
! ing work would he necessary on Co
. lumbia Island. In fact. he considered
! the latter the more objectionable OF
! the two.
According to the preliminary plans
| of the commission the approaches 10
! the bridge will be constructed at "A
point barely two hundred feet south
west of the Lincoln Memorial. and the
| bridge itself will not reach an alu-
; tude at any time of more than Sixty
| feet The draw probably will be
/ placed at point nearer the Nr-
Einia end of the bridge.
Thanked by President.
! The party consumed more than an
! hour and half on the trip. and upon
its arrival back at the executive office
the President personally thanked
! each member of the Fine Arts Com
mission for giving the members of
the bridge commission the benefit OF
| their ideas and their assistance re-
garding the idea for the site.
! Accompanied by the members of the
bridge commission. the President went
directly to his office, and after less
than half an hours discussion the
commission made the decision in favor
of the low-level bridge from the me-
mortal Col. Sheriff.. executive Of
acer of the bridge commission. has at
his disposal an appropriation of s29.-
600 to be used in preparing the plans
for constructing a memorial bridge,
and he will at once direct the ensi-
neer force of his office in preparing
the preliminary plans and drawings
| for the approval OF the commission.
Meet in Executive Ohices.
The two commissions met in the Office
of the President at 10 80 o'clock. and
after briefly discussing the matter of the
| ,oc,t;on of the proposed memorial
| II,r 1iny announced
ferred TO visit the section the priuee
4 will traverse and TO view the surround
ing country and every affecting element
! from close hand. ..
we're Vice President Coolidge. speak
J or Cillett, Senator Fernald of Maine.
( REPRESENTATIVE Langley Of kentucky
and Col. G. O. Sheriff; oincer ,i IN
grounds; members Of the bridge COM
mission. and Charles Moore, chair
man; James z. Fraser OF New 1orN,
Louis Ayres of New YORK, hehry ~.
! lincoln Memorial; II. Siddons Now
| bray of Connecticut and n. J.. Caem-
merer, secretary. all members of the
| Commission of Fine Arts.
! Leave White House.
! The party in White House automo-
biles went direct!s- to New York avenue:
the continuation OF which CIV wol,a Gr;nl .Hau
l III
| nroposal. and which will skirt the west
| houndary Of the Arlington cemetery
grounds The party alighted first on
their tour of inspection at the naval
| hospital grounds.
Col. Sheriff. explained TO the Presi-
! dent the proposed construction OF the
bridge as il would be II run across the
river from New York avenue extended.
From the hospital the President and
! party proceeded to the Lincoln Me
i morial At this point. Mr.. Moore.
chairman Of the Commission of Fine
| Arts. explained to President Harding
| the plan as proposed by the Commits
| sion of Fine Arts for the construction
| of the bridge. across the river from
the memorial.
Walks Across Bridge.
Once more taking to the cars. Presi-
dent Harding and the members of the
| two commissions swiftly crossed the
| Highway bridge. skirtipg Arlington
| cemetery. The entire party left the
machines at two sites, at about the
point through which the bridge would
| come.
The President and others then pro-
ceeded by automobiles to the south
i end Of the Georgetown bridge.
The most striking incident OF the
whole trip came when PIesident
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