The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-04-28

which was the longest masonry arch bridge IN
the world (single span, Dds feet) for nearly 90
years; the Francis Scott Key bridge, built in
1920 by Tyler TO replace the old AQueduct
bridge connecting Georgetown with Virginia. and
the Arlington Memorial bridge, which is being
constructed under the direction Of Mehaffey
which is TO cost S15OOOO00 and which will con-
meet the Mall with the Virginia side leading to
the Arlington memorial.
The imprint Of the army engineers Is strong
upon both the highway and railway systems
of the country. The famous old Cumberland
road, from Cumberland, Nd, TO St Louis, the
first national highway, was constructed and
maintained by officers of the corps Of engineers,
from 1924 to 1S40 The Alaska road commission,
consisting of three army officers, has constructed
and maintained LOO miles of wagon roads, 600
miles of sled roads and 400 miles Of trails.
All of the roads in the Yellowstone, Mount Raj
ner and Crater Lake national parks were built
by army engineers and the Virginia highway
system was laid out and constructed in 1870
1850 by Crozet, first professor of engineering at
West Point, as chief engineer, assisted by J. R
Anderson.
The Baltimore & Ohio railway was surveyed
and constructed by Mcneil Whistler and six
other army engineer officers These and others
also surveyed and assisted In the construction
of many railways. among which were the Erie,
the Boston & Albany and the Northern Central
The New York Central, then the Hudson River
railroad. was built by W. C. Young who was
connected with it in various capacities from 1929
to 1850, being chief engineer from 1913 to 1851
and president from 1851 to 1852. He was the
first railway executive who required cross-ties
along the entire roadbed
Mention of river and harbor work at the be-
ginning Of this article recalls the fact that this
work begun by the corps Of engineers In
1924 when West Point was the only engineer
ing school In the country. On this account and
also because there was then no continuing civil
service and because fertilization construction
already organized service of the army,
these works were put under the charge Of army
engineers From that time to this they have
been in charge Of the development of this work
and up to the present time the investment Of
the government in these projects is over 81 600.
100000; their upkeep requiring s2oOoO0O0 q
year. The corps of engineers has charge
of 200 harbors, POI rivers and So canals.
The principal navigation projects which have
been developed under the supervision of the
army engineers are the following: the Great
Lakes, including the locks on St Mary's river
the channel Of the ST. Clair and Detroit rivers
and all harbors and breakwaters the Amer
lean side; the Mississippi river regulation, con-
sisting of dredging to maintain nine-foot chan
mel from the port Of New Orleans to St Louis
100 miles, harbor depths from New Orleans
to the sea, 100 miles: six foot channel from
ST. Louis to St Paul. 600 miles; and extensive
bank protection work which has called for the
most extensive leyee construction in the world
the Ohio river canalization, comprising so locks
and dams, forming a nine-foot slackwater chan
mel from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi, 900 miles
the Columbia river jetties to permit traffic over
the bar at the river mouth dredging the New
York harbor to maintain 10 foot channel, re-
moving the Hell Gate distractions and the
maintenance Of smaller channels; the dredging
and maintenance Of harbors with depths Of from
80 to 10 feet in the Chesapeake bay, Charleston,
Galveston. Los Angeles, Honolulu and other har-
bors; and making plans for the Intra-Costal wa
terway. an inland waterway along the coast.
eventually TO extend from Boston to Corpus
Christi, Texas.
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