Evening star., 1936-09-20
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star
Fifty years ago an accident occurred at
the Aqueduct Bridge, spanning the Poto-

mac just above
ois AeaA al VIC the present site
Aqueduct Bridge. OF the Key
Bridge, and con-
structed in part to carry boats across the
river from the Chesapeake g. Ohio Canal.
The Star of September 81, 1886, says:
lone of the large braces supporting
the trough. with the beams supporting
the floor, gave way and the floor fell out.
making an opening of twenty feet wide
in the bottom of the trough. A clerk in
the canal Office who was looking out Of
the window at the time saw the timbers
fly and the water rush out by the new
born Niagara into the river. The clerk
at once gave the alarm and men were
started out to close the gates at the ends
of the bridge troughs. The one at the
Virginia end was closed, but the gate
at the District end. over which a great
torrent Of water was roaring. would not
close. The gate lies on the floor of the
trough and closes upward, like a door.
The men, after working for a few
minutes, went for help. and while they
were gone the force of the water brought
the gate up itself. Still it did not close
completely and reduced stream of
water continued to run through and
pour out into the river. Before the gate
was closed the water in the Georgetown
level of the canal was reduced two feet.
A canal boat was lying near the bridge
and it began to drift toward the trough.
The captain was away, but the captains
wife and baby were there. The captains
wife, filled with alarm, with a Shrek,
seized her baby and leaped to shore"
"The accident to the floor of the Aque-
duct yesterday" says The Star editorially
r.r September 81, 1886,
Heeu ioi Ne" directs attention
Bridge Urged. afresh to the immi-
nent need of a new
bridge to connect Washington with the
Virginia shore. The act which passed
Congress last session gave six months as
the term within which the Government
was to acquire title to the old bridge
property If at ALL Three of those months
expire today and, so far as the public
are aware, not a step has been taken.
The Secretary Of War was severely criti-
cized in some quarters for his inaction,
but the blame probably lies rather with
the Department of Justice in settling
or failing to osettle-complications Of title
preliminary to a valid transfer of the
property. It is possible that the discus
sion of lateral projects, such as that of
q memorial bridge, has tended to make
the Department of Justice slower than
it would otherwise have been, on the
ground that the people would prefer
waiting to see whether more money
could not be obtained from Congress.
This is not as it should be. The first
thing needed Is a bridge, and a free
bridge. Whether 1t be memorial struc-
ture or one devoid of sentimental asSo-
Citations Is q secondary consideration.
"The public have lost all patience with
the years of delay in providing this
needed bridge. They are in no mood to
wait another long series OF years Tor
possible grand memorial bridge. The
construction of a bridge on the present
piers would doubtless supply the need
in quickest time. The present Acqueduct
Bridge has as fine set OF piers as the
art of engineering can provide, and they
are firmly enough founded to support
substantial causeway. The owners. when
they can be ascertained, will be very
foolish to refuse a fair offer; for the
alternative proposed in the act OF last
session-the building of q new bridge at
q point a trifie higher up the river
would render their property practically
valueless. This is a subject in which
every citizen of the District and OF the
adjacent country in Virginia has per-
sonal interest; for whatever makes the
District marriott more accessible to the
raiser Of farm produce cheapens living
for the District and increases the proflts
Of the husbandman. Between the sew
eral parties concerned, it seems as II
sufdcient pressure could be brought TO
bear upon the law officers OF the Govern
ment to hasten their movements"