Evening star., 1936-02-16
Fifty Years Ago
I'm The Star

The lengthening of the national his
torical perspective fifty years ago is IL
lustrated by the fol-
4ne nlstorlcal lowing in The Star
Persnective. Of February 8, 1886:
s"The famous Sew
enth Regiment of New York proposes to
make an excursion to this city on the
18th of April to celebrate the twenty
fifth anniversary of its Journey hither
in 1861 to aid in SuppreSSing the re-
bellion. The regiment will be welcomed
now as then, and it will find a good
opportunity on Pennsylvania avenue to
show its skill in marching. The occasion
of the visit suggests that we have already
reached time when the Civil War has
become invested with an historical
aspect. The centennials. so to speak,
have begun. First We have the quarters,
then the halves, then the full century.
AS impatient parents celebrate during
the first year of their child'S life the
monthly birthday, the Nation starts of
with quarter r-centennial. But time will
bring the genuine article soon enough.
1t is difficult for some people, and especi-
ally some in political life, to realize that
a quarter of a century has passed since
the outbreak of the Civil War and that
children yet unborn when Lee sur
rendered at Appomattox are now exer-
cising the right of suffrage"
A condition prevailed at the Capital
fifty years ago somewhat like that of
r today with reference
Fotomac FIooo to the possibility of
Apprehended. a Potomac freshet.
The Star of February
12, 1886, says:
The news received from the upper
Potomac this morning is not Of re-
assuring character. The efforts to clear
the ice from the harbor, so as to give
passage to the flood expected from the
mountain district, were renewed. The
tugs E. D. Hartley and Mary Lewis, en-
ployed by the Citizens Committee, went
down last evening as far as Fort Foote,
where the ice is packed and gorged. The
tugmen reported that the gorge extended
as far as they could see. This morning
the tugs, after breaking the ice for
some distance in the Washington Chan
mel, went down below Alexandria and
attacked the gorge. Rivermen and wharf
owners thought it would be folly to start
the ice out of the harbor before an out
let had been made below Alexandria, as
the broken ice would only make the
gorge worse.
"A telegram was received at the Signal
Office this morning from Harpers Ferry
stating that the waters in the Shenan-
doah rose four feet during the night and
the ice had broken up in that river and
was running out rapidly. A report from
Chain Bridge announced a rise during
the night of two feet nine inches. Two
men from Fort Myer patrolled the river
from Chain Bridge to Cabin John Bridge
during the entire night. Early this
morning Lieutenant Thompson, the COM
mandant at Fort Myer, sent out a de-
tachment of men from Fort Myer to
establish telegraph line from the
Chain Bridge to be connected directly
with the Signal Office If the ice gorge
at the Aqueduct Bridge has not been
magnified it will block the rising water
until it gives way and then the water
on the river front will be likely to reach
far beyond the banks. The ice gorge
reported farther down the river. near
the forts, may also be instrumental in
causing floed."