Evening Star Newspaper, June 2, 1929, Page 100

8 THE National BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. HOSE of our Washingtonians who are accustomed to travel over our more or less modern bridges—some mucn less rather than more—must admit, if their recollections go back far enough, that they are a considerable improve- ment, whatever their present condition may be, over the District bridges of 50 and more years ago. And yet, who among us would for the world surrender the keen pleasure it affords us today to recall to mind those old creaking, rickety structures, or to say one word which might detract from their glory or leave in doubt ‘our gratitude for the bridges that carried us ‘over in our youthful days? ‘Some folks might wonder what there is in an old bridge to think of or to admire, but the sentimental and reflective mind can see much in an old bridge to muse upon, to think of, to dream of, as it were; the part it has played in the history of the neighborhood and the im- portant events with which it might have been associated. Indeed, Longfellow has poured out his soul most beautifully in his poem. “The Bridge,” which, a long time ago, was set to music and sung by many an old-timer when- ever the opportunity presented itself. Time has passed since it was written, and yet it is still popular and still beautiful. You, of course, re- ‘eall it; in part it goes like this: “I stood on the bridge at midnight, ¢ As the clocks were striking the hour, - And the moon rose o’er the city, Behind the dark church tower. “I saw her bright reflection In the waters under me, Like a golden goblet falling And sinking into the sea. “And like thos: waters rushing Among the wooden piers, A flood of thoughts came o’er me That filled my eyes with tears. “How often, oh, how often, I had wished that the ebbing tide ‘Would bear me away on its bosom Q’er the ocean wild and wide!” ASHINGTON has had several historic ! bridges whose praises might well be sung in poetry—particularly the Potomac, or Long Bridge, whick in recent years gave way to its ‘successor, the Highway Bridge. Though not the earliest bridge in the Dis- “trict, yet the Long Bridge was, during its entire existence, a very important link between the North and the South, and during the Civil War it was the principal military route for the Union Army. It was originally constructed in 1809, but not “without a struggle on the part of the George- town merchants to prevent it, since it was looked upon as threatening their commercial _interests by blocking up the channel. The necessity for the bridge was broached in Con- gress, subsequent to which a charter of 60 days was granted to the Potomac Bridge Co., in- ‘corporated February 5, 1808. Under ordinary conditions, the flow of water "past this point in the Potomac River is rather !swift, and naturally, during heavy freshets, the SUNDAY ST’IHVQ.HVY.\QTTN'C'I'UNA D. €, YONE 2, 1929—PART 7. S Capital’'s Historic Bridges - The old Long Bridge. Photograph taken near the end of the Civil Woar. The Spans That Have Yielded to War and Flood— Played Their Part as Links n Potomac Country—ILong Bridge Suc< ceeded by More Substantial Structures. force of water striking a bridge here is very heavy. Twenty years after the bridge was built and when the ice was breaking up and the river was swollen, the bridge was considerably damaged by having not less than 14 gaps made in it. The company found itself financially un- able to repair the damage, and Congress, by an act passed July 14, 1832, purchased the right and title to the bridge for $20,000. Upon ex- amination of the damaged structure, it was deemed unwise to attempt to repair or restore it, and Congress, on June 30, 1834, appropriated $130,000 for the erection of a new bridge, which was completed in 1835, and on October 1 of that year it was formally opened by President Andrew Jackson and his cabinet, who walked the one mile across it, returning in carriages. EVIDENTLY the bridge erected by the Gov- ernment was not & permanent job, for on February 10, 1840, the new bridge was nearly destroyed by ice, the draw being almost car- ried away. Freshets injured it again in 1856, 1860, 1863, 1866 and 1867, and in 1870, part of the causeway and the south draw were washed away, while the freshet of seven years later also injured it considerably. 8till in the memory of many is the disas- trous flood of February, 1881, which covered the lower part of the city from the Washington Monument to the Capitol with several feet of water, Pennsylvania avenue, upon that occa- sion, taking on a typical Venetian appearance. Upon this occasion a part of the Long Bridge gave way under the pressure of the ice and Approach to the old Benning Bridge from the Washington Side. Photograph taken about 1895. water, and, in doing so, permitted the flood to subside. However, this was repeated in 1889, when the Avenue was again flooded and much damage was done. Though the bridge acted as a dam, especially at such times, when the ice in the river was breaking up, yet Congress, to make matters worse, authorized the Washington & Alexan- dria Rallroad Co., on March 3, 1863, to extend its tracks down Maryland avenue and across the Long Bridge, provided it did not interfere with the regular travel over the structure. The exigency of the occasion may at this time have warranted the concession, but the railroad company appears to have taken ad- vantage of the situation by completing, in the following year, a bridge close to and parallel- ing the original structure and subdividing the old spans by piles driven at the distance of 11 to 18 feet. In doing this, the design of the original bridge was altered from a truss bridge to one on piles. Naturally, great indignation egsue.i, but noth- ing was done, and probably could not be done to relieve the situation, other than build a new bridge, and, of course, this was a question of decades rather than days, for it was many years afterward before the Long Bridge was forever removed. From a military standpoint the Long Bridge also had its troubles back in 1814, when the British burned the Washington end to prevens & surprise attack from Gen. Winder’s nonde- seript troops, who, in turn, in self-defense, set fire to the south end to keep themselves out of harm’s reach. At the close of the war, the Washington Bridge Co. was paid a part-of its Joss by Con- gress, since it was shown that the southern portion had been set afire by the American forces. It was the intention of Dolly Madison to have made her return to Washington by this bridge, after having had to leave so abruptly on August 24, 1814, when the British captured ‘Washington, but finding the bridge not usable, she was forced to cross the stream in an Army boat used in transporting munitions of war over the Potcmac.. At first, Col. Fenwick, who was in charge of the boat, peremptorily refused to let her return in this way, but Dolly made herself known, and it is said she “was driven in her carriage into the frail boat, which bore her homeward.” Close to the south end of the Long Bridge, at the time of the coming of the white man, was an Indian village, with other Indian vil- lages nearby. THE first bridge to span the Eastern Branch was early known as the Eastern Branch, or Kentucky Avenue, Bridge, and was located where is now the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge. It was provided for by the Maryland legisla- ture on December 24, 1795, when an act was passed incorporating the Eastern Branch Bridge Co., and granting a charter for 30 years to Daniel Carroll of Duddington, Thomas Law, William Mayne Duncanson, George Walker and Matthew Wigfield, who were authorized to con- struct a bridge from the foot of Kentucky ave= nue to the land of Matthew Wigfield. It was to be 20 feet wide and have a draw of 30 feet and have stone abutments. The stock war