Evening star. [volume], December 16, 1902, Page 16, Image 94

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
period. In 1851 the corner stone of the
Capitol extension was laid. and from this
beginning the great work was actively
prosecuted. A commencement had been
made in the improvement of the public
grounds, known as the Mall, in accordance
with the plans of Mr. A. H. Downing, a
distinguished landscape architect of those
days, whose death shortly afterward pre
vented the carrying out of the plans under
his personal direction. Nevertheless the
work went on and improvements were
made in the grounds south of the Presi
dent's house, and a system of drives and
walks were laid out in the Mall, then de
scribed as a marshy and desolate waste.
One reason, no doubt, for the attention
given by Congress to the beautifying of the
public grounds was the fact that a begin
ning had just been made of the expenditure
of the money given by James Smithson and
the walls of the building of the Smithsonian
Institution had just been erected, while to
the west arose the column of the Wash
ington monument. which was gradually as
cending skyward. and in the year 1852 had
reached the height of over 11 fGet. Large
sums of money were beng expenided-in the
erectlon of new build;ngs and the enlarg
ing of old buildings at the navy yard. A
site for the Government Hospital for the
Insane had practically been selected, and
plans were being made for establidiUing the
Soldiers' Home on the grounds then re
cently purchased north of the city.
Lafayette Park. where the statue of Jack
son had just been erected, was laid out
with walks and surrounded by a fence.
The triangular space on the north side of
Pennsylvania avenue between 13th and 14th
streets was improved. and later Market
space. on the north side of Pennsylvania
avenue between 7th and Nth streets, was
handsomely laid out. The front of the city
hall had recently been completed and that
building no longer bore the appearance of a
ruin, as it had, for so many years.
The agitat!on on the part of the citizens
to have the city supplied with water re
sulted in a report made in the year 1853,
by Captain Meigs, and marked the begin
ning of the enterprise of the Great Falls
aqueduct. The city authorities spent large
sums of money at this time in an effort to
get the canal in a navigable condition, as
that waterway had become so choked up
that vessels could no longer come in from
the river at 17th street, or from the Eastern
branch, and pass through the center of the
city at Pennsylvania avenue and 7th street.
It was necessary to unload the boats, laden
with wood and other supplies, at the wharf
at 17th street. and have the cargoes taken
Into the city on scows. During the year
1852 nearly $50,000O of the revenue of the
city was expended on this waterway. When
it is considered that the entie revenue of
VIEW OF EARLY WASHIb
the city that year amounted to about $230,
ON0. it will be recognized that the municipal
authorities considered the canal of consid
erable importance.
Some idea of the growth of the town may
be gathered frern the records of the dwell
ings erected during the year 1852. A total
is shown of W2, which was nearly 200J more
than that of the previous year and over 30)
more than in the year 185), while during
the year 184 only 1S4 dwellings had been
built.
Radical Changes.
The increase in the population and the
expansion of the business of the city led
to the enlargement of many of the facilities
of municipal life. It was at this time that
the city council had under consideration
plans for the establishing of a paid fire
department in p ace of the volunteer com
panies. Then, too. the public schools were
enjoying a degree of prosperity which they
never had before. A few years previously
the system of requiring a fee from the
parents of those scholars who were able
to pay, and allowing the children whose
parents were shown to be poor to at
tend without charge, had been abolish
ed. and, with it a discrimination between
rich and poor, which had such a disastrous
effect on the schools. Instead of four
schools there were fourteen, and the at
tendance had increased to 2,50. The school
trustees were urging the need of providing
a superintendent. and also for adding to the
system by establishing a high school.
It was evident that the citizens were no
longer satisfied with the transportation
facilities of the city. as during that year
no less than two petitions were laid before
the council asking permission to !ay rail
road tracks for horse cars from the Capi
tol to Georgetown, and also from Pennsyl
vania avenue to the steamboat wharves.
In the year 1853 was chartered a steam
road known as the Metropolitan railroad.
which was intended to be a line from
Georgetown northward to Point of Rocks
and Frederick. Md. The city authorities
were conferring with the directors of the
Alexandria and Orange railroad, with a
view of having them extend their railroad
to some point near the District line. A
little later the Baltimore and Ohio had au
thority from Congress to build their line
to what Is now known as Shepherd's Point.
and in the year 1854 the tracks of theWash
ington and Alexandria railroad were laid
on the Long bridge and on Maryland avenue
to 1st street and along the latter street In
front of the west gates of the grounds of
the Capitol to the~ Baltimore and Olin
tracks at New Jerse., avenue and C street.
All these activities are Indications of a
growing, prosperous community. In fact,
the city was going ahead so rapidly that
the enrnnrate authonetie= found It diffcul
January fell five degrees below zer3, and
snow lay on the ground for a depth of seven
inches. The Potomac river for three miles
below the Great Falls was bocked with ice
to the height of thirty feet. Opposite
Georgetown the ice on the river was a foot
thick. The steamer with southern mails
and passengers for the south was all day in
reaching Aquia creek. Of course, danger
was apprehended then, as so often since,
to the structure of the Long bridge, but it
seems to have come out damaged but still
good for use. The importance of rebuilding
the Potomac bridge. as it was then called,
was frequently urged at that time. There
was, of course, no railroad track over the
structure, but it led to the Alexandria turn
pike and was the most direct route between
Washington and Alexandria. Fourteenth
street was the thoroughfare that led to
the bridge. and to accommodate the travel
an iron bridge was built over the canal
where it intersected this street. This bridge
contained a draw, so that when the canal
was in a navigable condition vessels could
pass up into the city. An iron bridge also
spanned the canal at 12th street, while
there were bridges at 7th street and one
about 3d street. From the south end of 7th
street ran then, as now, the ferry boats,
making hourly trips to Alexandria, while
the northern end of that important thor
oughfare had been made a plank road : 11
the way from the Boundary to the Dis
trict line.
In the spring of 1952 appeared the last in
stallment of Mrs. Stowe's famaus story.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin." which had its first
publication as a serial In the columns of
Lhe National Era, a weekly paper published
n this city.
GTON FROM ANACOSTIA.
.o keep pace with the street improvements,
ind so it was announced by John T. Maury,
he mayor, in his annual message, that
iouses were being built beyond the limits
if graded streets and paved footways.
Sanitary Improvements.
While looking after the material interests
if the citizens the corporate authorities
were not unmindful of the city's health,
Lnd the board of health called attention to
he insanitary conditions of the alleys and
nade provisions for vaccinating the poor.
From the same source came a measure to
'rohibit the establishment of burial grounds
within the limits of the city. A proposition
was also made to the city council that a
)lan should be adopted for numbering the
mouses of the city, as it was found the
nethod followed in the directory of 1853,
is in prev:ous issues, of designating the
'esidences by stating that they were on
he north side of a street. between such
Lnd such a street. was unsuited to the new
:onditions.
One of the events of the year 1952 was
he May day procession of the school chil
Iren of the city. A large proportion of the
)upils, headed by the board of trustees and
heir teachers, marched to the Capitol,
vhere they were received at the east front
)y the President of the Senate and the
speaker of the House. A petition was pre
ented to these officials asking the kindly
nterest of Congress in the public schools in
he District, and the document was received
nd acknowledged with appropriate
peeches.
It may be interesting to note that the
vinter of 1&52 was the coldest known for
orty years. The mercury on the 19th of
THE U. S. BOTA1