Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-15
Corporation Relies on Char
ter Rights and Enabling
Act Provisions.
FREE BRIDGE PROVIDED
IN SENATE AMENDMENT
Construction Continues in Face of
Proposed Revocation of Com
pany's Charter.

Work preparatory to actual construc-
ton on the toll bridge at Great Falls
has been started, it was announced to-
day by the Great Falls Bridge Co., de-
spite the action of the House in at
taching a rider to the Cramton Park
purchase bill. providing for revocation
of the charter of the concern.
In the Senate yesterday Senator
Glass introduced an amendment to
the Cramton bill providing for a free
bridge at the Falls, to be built by the
Government. A House amendment also
asks for this.
Harry A. Seay, president of the bridge
corporation. in making the announce
ment explained that the company was
complying with the provisions of the
enabling act for construction of the
bridge, under which the company was
required to begin operations by March
of this year. The act provides that
the bridge must be completed in two
years.
Seay pointed out that the firm has
already spent large amount of money.
including engineering costs, and has
permit from the War Department grant,
ing permission to construct the bridge
The National Capital Park and Plan.
ming Commission, he said, has approved
plans for the bridge.
AT the time the company began bust
| ness, Seay said, there was no thought
OF George Washington Memorial
Parkway. which is to include the Great
Falls area with riverside drives down
TO Mount Vernon, Va, and Fort Wash
ington, Md. The bridge companys
the pending legislative situation, the
company has rights under its charter
Further, he said, the parkway in Mary
| land and Virginia Is conditioned on
those States paying their respective
shares, and if the Legislatures of those
States do not acquiesce, there will not
be any parkway
Accordingly. Seay said, his company
! is going ahead with plans and has
! signed construction contract with
Merritt, Chapman & Scott of New
! York. The associated engineers In
this work. he added. are the Strauss
! Engineering Corporation of Chicago
/ and Meigs, Long 81 Beale of Phila-
/ delphia and Washington.
Contractor Testing Ground.
| testing out the ground for the foun6a-
tions of the bridge and Is boring down
to bedrock for the abutments on the
/ Virginia side. Seay said.
The bridge, which will cost approx
! mately $l,800,000. will be of concrete
and steel and will be supported by 10
piers. 1t will be 1879 feet long. ex-
elusive of approaches. Plans provide
for illumination at night, up to the
! falls and down the gorge, and the light
ing equipment on the bridge proper
will be Of the indirect variety, the
| lights being placed in the curb. so as
| to avoid glare and resultant accidents.
| Seay explained
The bridge proper will be 43 feet
! wide. with a 30-foot roadway, insuring
an 8-foot walk on the Great Falls side
! and a 5-foot walk on the lower side.
! Seating benches will be provided, under
the plans Of the company.
! Seay pointed out that the company
was given a charter in 1928, but the
chief of Army Engineers contended that
the construction would occupy Govern
ment land. 1t was then necessary to
! go back to Congress and get consent to
occupy Government land and this has
been given, he pointed out. This delay.
accompanied by the inauspicious flnan-
cial market, brought about postpone
| ment of construction until this time, the
I! president asserted.
| Meanwhile, Representative Cramton,
Republican, of Michigan, author of the
now-famous park purchase bill, said
| yesterday that the bridge company
| HllRLlC go dn6dQ ana complete con-
struction before the Government &C.
/ quireS the expanse for the parkway.
Amendment Would Bar Toll.
! The Schafer-La Guardia amendments
| to the Cramton bill, specifically provid-
| ing for "a free bridge across the Po-
tomac River at or near Great Falls
! and prohibiting the toll bridge shall be
built within the confines of the pro-
posed parkway are an assurance that a
| free bridge will be built. Representative
Cramton. author of the legislation, said.
| He pointed out that the bridge COM
pany which previously got authority
| from Congress to erect toll bridge
there. might still go ahead and COM
! plete the erection before the land to be
occupied by the abutments is acquired
by the National Capital Park and
| Planning Commission. In that event
| the bridge would be built along plans
approved by the Planning Commission
and the Commission of Fine Arts and
| could be forthwith acquired by the
Government. In this way the desired
bridge authorized in the George Wash
ington Memorial Parkway legislation
would be more promptly built and
opened for trafic.
In discussing the bridge question
Representative Cramton says:
IF the privately. owned bridge is
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