Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-24
THE ROCK CREEK PARK.
The Measure Considered In the Hous
Today.


THE AMENDED BILL AZ REPoRrED By CHAIR
MAN aRoUT-rHE DISTRICT TO PAY HALF OF
THE FIRST COST AND OF THE COST OF MAIN
TEsANcr-SAMED IN HONOR OF COLUMBUS.
In the regular course of human events Dis
trict day in the House rolled around again to-
day and Mr.. Grout appeared in the House this
morning with look OF grim determination
and bundle of documents in relation to the
Rock Creek park, which was the great order of
the day.
The committee on appropriations consumed
large amount of time before the District
committee obtained the right Of way in
non-concurring In large number of
the Senate amendments to the urgent de-
hciency bill. The matter was settled at length
and conference committee agreed to.
THE PARK BILL TAKEN UP.
1t was 1:90 when Mr.. Grout obtained the floor
and moved that the House resolve itself into
the committee Of the whole for the consider
alton Of the Rock Greek park bill The motion
was agreed to and Mr.. Burrows took the
CHAIR. The bill was thereupon read at length
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill, with the anne ndments proposed by
the committee, provides "that tract of land
lying on both sides Of Rock creek, beginning at
hlIngle ford bridge and running northwardly,
Following the course of the creek, of a
width not less at any point than four hun
dred feet including the bed OF the creek,
OF which not less than fifty feet shall be on
either side OF the creek nor more than five hun
dred feet on either side south of Broad branch
road and Blagden mill road and of such greater
wlcth north OF said roads as the commissioners
designated in this act may select, shall
De secured, as hereinafter set forth, and is
perpetually dedicated and set apart as public
narE NIL
loyment OF the people of the United States, to
Dc known by the name of Columbus Memorial
park: provided, however, that the whole tract
so to be selected and condemned under The pro-
Visions OF this act shall not exceed 1900 acres.
COMMISSION TO SELECT THE LAND.
The chief of engineers of the United States
army, the president of the board of Commits
sioners and the Engineer Commissioner are APP
pointed commission to select the land and to
have the same surveyed by the assistant to the
Engineer Commissioner in charge OF public
highwaya
The commission Immediately after making
the selection, shall make application to the
Supreme Court of the District of Columbia at a
general or special term by petition containing
particular .5 description of the property
owner or owners thereof and his, her or
their residence, as far as the same
can be ascertained, and the court is then au-
thorized and required, upon such application
and without delay to ascertain and assess the
damages occasoned by the taking Of the land
to each owner or u any person having legal
claim to said damages, in the manner provided
with reference to the taking of land for high
ways in the District of Columbia.
APPRAIsING THE PROPERTY.
The fee-simple of all premises so apprCpri-
ated for public use Of which an appaisement
shall have been made under the order and di-
rection the court shall, upon payment
of the appraised value to the owner
or owners, respectively, or to such
persons as shall be authorized to receive
the same for any such owners, be vested i'll the
United States, and if, in any case, the owner or
owners of any portion Of said land shall refuse
or neglect, after the appraisement of the cash
value of their lands and improvements by the
court, to demand the same from the commits
sion, upon depositing the appraised value
in court to the credit of such owner or
owners, respectively, the fee-simple of all such
lands shall be in like manner vested in the
United States. And the commission is author
lied and required to pay to the several owners
or to such persons authorized the appraised
value of the several premises as specified in
the appraisement by the court or to pay into
court by deposit as provided the appraised
value.
The court may direct the time and manner
IN which possession of the property condemned
sary, enforce any order or issue any process
for giving possession.
That no delay in making an assessment of
compensation, or in taking possession, shall be
occasioned by any doubt which may arise as to
ownership of the property, or any part
thereof, or as to the interests of the
respective owners, in such cases the
court shall require a deposit of the money
allowed as compensation for the whole prop
erty or the part inidispute. In all cases, as
soon as the commission shall have paid the
compensation assessed or secured its payment
by deposit of money under the order of the
court, possession OF the property may be taken.
HALF TO BE PAID BY THE DISTRICT.
To defray all expenses of inquiry, survey,
assessment, payment for lands taken, and all
other necessary expenses incidental thereto
the half of the sum of 81 200, 900, or so much
thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated
out OF the treasury and the other half is
hereby appropriated out of the revenues of the
District OF Columbia, and one-half of the sum
which shall be annually appropriated and ex-
pended for the maintenance and improvement
OF the lands as public park shall be charged
against and paid out OF the revenues of the
District of Columbia, i'll the manner now pro-
vided by law in respect to other appropriations
for the District of Columbia: and the other
half shall be appropriated out of the treasury
OF the United States.
UNDER JOINT CONTROL.
The public park authorized and established
by this act shall be under the joint control of
the Commissioners of the District of Columbia
and the chief of engineers of the United States
army, whose duty it shall be as soon as practi-
cable to lay out and prepare roadways and
bride paths, to be used for driving
and for horseback riding respectively
and footways for pedestrians; and whose duty
it shall also be to make and publish such regu-
lations as they deem necessary or proper for
the care and management of the same. Such
regulations shall provide for the preservation
from injury or spolation of all timber. animals
or curiosities within said park, and their reten-
ton in their natural condition, nearly as pos
sible.
DIFFERENCES IN THE BILL.
This bill, as has been stated in The STAR,
differs from the one which passed the Senate
January 2S. in dividing the original appropria-
ton of 81, 200 900 between the United States and
the District and in naming the park Columbus
Memorial park.
Mr.. CIRCUIT SUBMITS THE REPORT
Mr.. Grout in his opening remarks said that
the project Of establishing such park was
so familiar. to the House that it was
unnecessary to 60 into any extended
remarks. He would for the present then
merely submit the report from the committee
on the subject. The report, which has been
printed in The STAR, was then read.
Considerable discussion followed as to the
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