Evening star., 1933-12-17

Messrs. wells. Ouieley g. DUNCAN, lessees
of the Alexandria Canal
m. L. LUDINGTON,
"Brevet Brigadier General
and Chief @. NJ Dept. Of Washington"
However, the bridge was never satisfactory
to the Georgetown people, who fought for a
free bridge at every opportunity, and in 1881
we find Col Albert of the Engineer Corps,
U. S. A., calling for bids for a bridge of TINS
nature to span the Potomac at the Three
Sisters" The Corrugated Metal Co. of East
Berlin, Conn., represented In Washington by
Messrs. Jarvis 6S Douglas, submitted offer
to erect the bridge for $4,000. This course,
it seems, was pursued because the stockholders
of the Aquedifst Bridge could not be brought
to terms although it appeared that the Fed
eral Government actually held a majority of
the stock, and probably could have forced
sale at the time. but rather considered Its
advancement of money a gratuitous con-
tributor toward building the bridge in the first
instance.
The idea Of placing the bridge at the Three
Sisters" abandoned, though a constant
effort kept up to have legislation enacted
for frees bridge at Georgetown. Finally. in
December, 1885, the Riddleberger bill, appro-
priating 900 for the purchase of the
Aqueduct Bri6ge-or. if this could not be ac-
complished, for the building of a bridge at the
Three Sisters"-passed the Senate and be-
came a law on June 81 following and the
old bridge bought from the trustees for
s87 500. which amount did not include other
small claims subsequently paid.
To the Government it really meant the buy
ing of a right of way and the masonry piers
for the bridge was soon condemned and plans
made for erecting the present structure, which
was done under the supervision of Col. Peter C.
Hams, Engineer Corps q. S. A, who came
here to take charge of the extensive improve
ments of the Potomac flats, and for whom
Hams Point is named
Every bit of the old bridge removed
except the piers, and, said at the time
mot a stick of timber nor scrap of iron of
the old structure was 10 be found In the new"
Even the piers were stripped of their copings
and recapped with handsome edge of hard
stone. The entire work was done by the Mount
Vernon Bridge Co., the contract being let
March 23 1897
THE opening of the bridge, which is
being removed, took place on Saturday,
April II, 1888. with probably the greatest cele-
bration Georgetown had held since John
Quincy Adams turned the first spade of earth
in the western canal enterprise short dis
tance above the Little Falls on July 4, 1928
when Georgetown had population of only
about 5000 people, and the assembling OF the
biggest crowd since the Hanlan-Courtney boat
May 10. 1880. The business houses were
gay1y and profusely decorated with bunting,
and some of the private residences were trim
med in flags and streamers. The old home Of
Francis Scott Key, nearby, was decorated. and
one side was lettered: 'This is the home
of Francis Scott Key" and on the front ap-
peared: "The author of The Star-Spangled
Banner"
stand erected just to the west of the
Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge where M street
and the Avenue merge, in the space where the
fountain formerly stood. The honored guests
included Commissioners Webb and Wheatley.
Gen w. H F. Lee and Others and at the
I1oa Off fhn do vu1ic foil flor ft,a
exercises at this point were concluded. was
the chief marshal. Austin Herr, his chiefs of
staff, Otto Reinecke and James j. Walsh, and
the following aids B. Louis Blackford Newton
Brewer, Arthur Synder. Henry Matthews. Col.
George H. Armes, R c. Gwynn, S. A. Dough-
erty, E. R. Rust, Charles Fickling. Samuel E.
Wheeler, Harry Payne Richard wallach. VIII
liam Collins, Lewis Cunningham George Lock-
hart. Arthur w. Ferguson, Ed Blunt Albert
Niblack. Benjamin Miller, Ed Cooley. E--R.
Reynolds H W. Elmore, George w. Ofutt. :
The first division included Marshal Robert
Heiston. Aids: Robert Weaver, Warren Pick
ren, William Weaver, Platter Green, Thomas
Hyde, jr.; Gen. Gibson and staff; Sd ARTILLERY
Band battalion Of Sd Artillery. U. S. A., under
command of Col. Loder; Light Battery c, Sd
Artillery, q. s. A, under command of Maj.
Turnbull buglers. squadron u S. Cavalry.
under command of Col Carpenter; band, Ma
tional Guard. District of Columbia; Col. Moore
and staff, Washington Light Infantry Bat
TALON. comprising Company A, Capt. w. N.
Dalton; Company B, Capt. B. r. Ross; Com
pany c, Capt. John c. Entwistle; Company d,
Capt John S. Miller; Company A, I'd Bat
talon (Union Veteran Corps) Capt. T. B. Har-
rison; Company B, I'd Battalion, Capt. E. r.
Campbell; Company A, Sd Battalion, Conti-
nentals Capt. w. W. Mills; Company B, Sd
Battalion, Emmet Guard Capt. W. H Murphy:
Drum Corps; Company c, Sd Battalion Colum-
bia Rifles Capt A. v. Robinson; Company D,
Sd Battalion,\ Washington Merchants Rifles.
Capt j. J. Costinett; Company A, 4tn Bat
TALON, Corcoran Cadet Corps, Capt. e. G. Ed
wards; Company G; 4th Battalion, National
Fencibles Capt G. s. Domer: Company D,