Evening star., 1932-10-30

time they erected bridges at Second street and
Pennsylvania avenue and at New Jersey avenue
and street southeast. In describing this
cary bridge in later years Mr.. Hines said:
The bridge as well as 1 can remember, was
constructed in this manner: There was a cause
way or rather two small wharves. constructed
OF logs and filled In with earth on each side OF
the creek They were built close 70 one
another that . large scow could scarcely pass
between them. On these wharves, or cause
ways the bridge was erected low and not VIDE
enough for two carriages to pass over side BY
side"
THE same author in speaking Of the great
Tiber freshet Of 1902 CT 1904, says: "A
number of the citizens went to Seventh Street
Bridge to catch wood. My brothers-Daniel
Jacob and Matthew-and myself had small
boat scow fashioned, fastened to tree be-
tween Eleventh and Twelfth streets. With this
We padded across the creek and Joined others
who were catching driftwood. We had the
advantage Of them as we could 60 into the
middle Of the creek and there select some OF
the best wood and bring it to shore. We cut
it up, ready to cart away, which required two
or three days We then crossed the Tiber with
our cart at the little old bridge at Seventh
street and went down to where the wood Lay
for the purpose of carting it away. but just as
We we're about putting on the first lead we
hearQ IL CnunQer III a OHccSiOAA
and saw the heavy black clouds Whlrlng along
at an awful rate.
Toward evening when the clouds began to
clear away, we started on our return home,
intending to cross the bridge at Seventh street,
but when we came within sight of 1t We found
the water tumbling ever the bridge like cata-
ract. carrying with it cows hCgr wood, with
occasionally a few articles of household furni-
ture. Finding We could not cross the bridge,
we turned southwark and pissed along the
canal as it was called, until we came to Flauts
lanyard Cfully half mile out OF our way).
and crossed over little foot bridge which
Spanned the canal"
There were also bridges over the canal at
ur-and- a-half and Tenth streets. at Mary
land avenue and Third street. at Second and N
streets southeast, and no doubt at other desir-
able places.
Undoubtedly there are many men and women
living in Washington and elsewhere who remem-
Der this cid canal and the bridges which con-
nected it with what some folks still love to call
the island and they probably recall as well
when small excursion boats came up the canal
as far as Twelfth street. Indeed, to the younger
generation as they view this area today, such
statements regarding old Washington may seem
almost unbelievable. But If this Is true now,
what will the people Of hundred years hence
think when they read the early history OF the
Nations Capital, when many OF the things we
SPEAK OF LOQdy WILL De CUSOiele dAAAioSt
forgotten, and when, no doubt, they will still
be finding portions Of this canal, parts of old
canal boats and early equipment of this old
waterway?
DERHAPS few today recall Goose Egg Island,
I located about 600 feet to the northwest OF
the Washington Monument and in the center
Of the large triangular r-shaped canal basin which
extended from little west of Fourteenth street
along Constitution avenue to Seventeenth street,
south to line drawn due east and west OF the
Monument and thence by straight line to the
starting point at Fourteenth street.
Not far from here, on the Potomac, was the
cid Sycamore bathing ground, where bathing
suits were unknown and where sometimes it
took unsuspecting boys hours to bite out the
knots tied in their garments by mischievous
rascals who immensely enjoyed what seemed to
them huge joke, but not So by any means,
with the other fellow. In addition to this being
a popular bathing place for boys, it was also