Evening star., 1924-09-07

1oT ever wv dHo SHiio III VIC
Nation
Creation of this span will give to
the traveller panorama that has few
equals in the world" states the mes
sage which accompanies the plan.
Approaching Washington over the
brow of Virginia hills, he will obtain
an an-embracing view of the me
mortal bridge, the historic Potomac
River, the Lincoln Memorial, the
avenue of statues, Government build
ings, parks and flower gardens called
the Mall, and far in the distance the
glstening white dome of the Capitol.
Through the trees, up to the
westward a glimpse of the Arlington
mansion and Arlington National Mill
tary Cemetery also may be had
This vision of the American pill
grim, gaining a complete view of his
Capital inspired the distinguished
group which adopted the present
plans for the bridge-a group con-
Sisting of the late President Harding y
Calvin Coolidge. Frederick II. Gill
lett, speaker of the House of Repre-
Sentattves, chairman of congressional
committees on public buildings and
grounds. the engineer officer in charge
OF public buildings and grounds and
members of the Commission of Fine
Arts.
Besides providing a magnificent en-
trance to Washington, the proposed
bridge has another motive-that of
memorializing the binding together
of the North and the South.
The span not only is to cross the
Potomac River, which was the divid-
ing line between Confederate and
Union States in 1S61-64. but is to be
constructed on a line joining the Lin
coin Memorial with the Arlington
Mansion of Gen. Robert f.. Lee.
a third DurDOSe the project
to provide a direct and dignified
boulevard from the Capitol building
to the Arlington National Cemetery.
as route for the nations fallen he
roes' journey to their last resting
place.
Still another motive is to carry the
Capital City's beautiful Mall across
the Potomac River and up the Airing
ton hillside to the grave of L'Enfant,
the French American engineer who
planned the city of Washington.
A fifth objective is to convert the
waste piece of land known as Colum
hia Island into a picturesque recrea~
ton park for Washington residents and
isitors.
UGH a bridge has been advocated
for over so years by the Nations
leaders. President Andrew Jackson
first proposed it. Daniel Webster in
dorsed it. AS orator upon the occasion
of laying the cornerstone for extern
sion of the Capitol, July 4, 1851, Web
ster declared:
Before US is the broad and beauti-
ful river. separating two of the origi-
nal 13 states. which a late President,
d man of determined purpose and in
flexible will. but patriotic. heart, de-
sired to span with arches of ever
enduring granite symbolic of the
tah lich
and the South. That President was
Gen. Jackson"
Then, only a decade after this ut
terance. came the Civil War During
this clash between North and South
the dream of Jackson and Webster
was shelved. But when civil strife
ended, there was a revival of senti-
ment in favor of the bridge, and it
was sought as memorial to the re-
united country.
President Mckinley, who had served
In the Union Army, was strong ad-
vocate of the structure. United States
Senator John w. Daniel of Virginia,
who had served i'll the Confederate
Army. was another.
Although many agreed that a me-
mortal bridge should be erected, dur
ing the last decade of the last CEN
tury, there were disagrecments over
its location
One group of congressman and en-
Slneers wanted the span to extend
from the Naval Observatory grounds.
above Georgetown. to the National
Military Cemetery grounds at Airing
Ton. second group advocated build
ing the bridge from the foot of New
Hampshire avenue to the Arlington
grounds.
But these differences ended in 1901,
"hen commission was appointed by
the Senate to consider development of
Washington's park system This COM
missions report contained recon-
mendation that the memorial bridge
ne placed near the Lincoln Memorial,
site, rather than at a point farther
upstream
Advantages of such a location were
pointed out by the 1901 commission
as follows:
The proposed Lincoln Memorial,
Nocated on the bank of the Potomac,
the axis of the Capitol and the
washington Monument, makes a
startins point for the bridge that
becomes especially convenient when
this road point is considered as a !
place of divergence and reunion of
driyeways leading to the Rock Creek
Park system on the northwest, and
to the Potomac Park system on the
southeast.
Moreover the establishment of this
concourse allows the bridge to cross
the river at the angle most con-
venient, taking into consideration
both the channel of the river and the
main objective point--the Mansion
House at Arlington"
This location gained support, and
two years ago Congress definitely
authorized the bridge, created a
commission to make and report a
plan and furnished it with funds for
that purpose.
MEMBERS of the commission are
the President Of the United States,
the President of the Senate, the
Speaker of the House OF Representa-
tfves, chairman of the committees on
cublic buildings and grounds in both
Houses of Congress and the engineer
officer who has charge of public build
tngs and grounds.
''Under President Harding the COM
mission adopted specifications which
were given to the architects, and last
Spring President Coolidge trans
mitted to Congress the bridge COM
missions report" said Col. c. 0. Sher- |
r1ll, engineer officer in charge of
public buildings and grounds and the
commissions executive officer.
President Coolidge recommended
that work be started without further |
delay. Even though the congress
sional session almost was spent, the
Senate committee of public buildings |
and grounds adopted the recommen-
dation and the House committee held |
hearings on the project.
''There appears to be unanimity as |
to the excellence of the bridge MANS |