Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-08
THE CITY'S PARKS
Continued from Ninth Pags.)

| Sontlnued from Ninth Page.)
Of beauty, centered with their equestrian
! statues Of great Americans; the historic
Potomac more beautiful than the Thu
| or Tiber. spreading its heaving bosomv far
to the southward-an conspire to make our
city the Eden of America
In 1851 Mr.. A. j. Downing, the cele-
brated landscape gardener Of America, be-
gan the improvement Of the Smithsonian
grounds, and designed other improvements
but his death and the war between the
states" prevented the prosecution of this
work until 1857. Since that time the con-
troll and improvement of the public grounds
have been assigned to the chief engineer
| United States army, War Department and
| under the able and efficient management OF
the engineer officers detailed for this spe-
cific work our beautiful and extensive sys-
tenn OF public squares, parks and depart
ment grounds is largely due. The general
government, through this bureau, expends
provement and care of the public grounds
and buildings. including the monument
but not including Rock Creek Park Zoolog-
ical Garden and Soldiers Home
There are 80 highly improved squares
parks and spaces, embracing 2I5 acres,
about 90 of them partially improved, con-
tanning 125 acres. and $50 spaces unim-
proved. making in all $50 acres; total acre
embracing 341 acres; number not available
DDS containing " acres.
| The Geological Park contains I66 acres
| The Rock Creek Park, LBS acres.
Soldiers Home Park. AIS acres.
| The number of acres devoted to squares
parks and spaces within the city limits and
adjoining is about 5000 acres. and the
amount annually expended by the city and
general government upon the squares parks
and spaces and public grounds, not includ-
ing the care and improvement OF the mon
ment and the Capitol grounds, exceeds
100000. aggregating. perhaps. $4,000 an
nually. This amount does not include cost
of maintaining Rock Creek Park, Zoolog-
zeal Park and Soldiers Home. The aggre-
gate cost Of care and maintenance of all
the squares parks. circles and spaces within
and without the city exceeds 100000 an
nually.
The distribution Of these public squares
and parks of the city has been wisely made,
those sections likely to be most affected by
malaria, zymotic diseases, receiving the
most considerable attention. The govern
ment reservation south of the Executive
ment, and the Treasury. containing ~
acres has been gracefully and handsomely
4 thrown into parking lawns and charming
driveways and thoroughly drained and
The Monument grounds including those
OF the bureau of engraving and printing
and fsh commission, contain seventy-eighi
acres: are artistically laid of into grace
| fully sloping mounds. extended lawn-sur-
| face and drive-ways. 1t is estimated tina,
| 100000 persons have visited the monument
| since its opening to the public five years
ago. an average of 200. 900 yearly.
| The Smithsonian grounds, midway be-
| tween the Executive Mansion and the Capt.
toll. and about the center Of the business
| sections of North and South Washington,
containing ffty-eight acres nine acres OF
| which are in drive-ways and walk-ways
| and embracing the Smithsonian building
! National Museum and Army Medical Mu.
| scum. are noted for their refreshing shade
! graceful curviag walks, restful views and
| yiCraS MI drixr
Henry and Seaton parks, connecting the
| Smithsonian grounds and Horticultural gar
| dens. contain thirty-four acres. and are
| annually improving In appearance and con-
| dition. and afford an airy, healthful space
| to the people Of this section.
Thus from the Executive Mansion on the
| west to the Capitol in the east is one con-
| tinuous park of 2lO acres of restful shade
and healthful walk-ways and delightful
| drives, thus converting the fats and
| marshes and lowlands of the Potomac into
| lawns Of beauty and acres of forest foliage
In the north and west of the city are the
following highly improved and ornamented
| squares: Lafayette Square. Franklin
| Square. Farragut Square. Mcpherson
Square and Mt Vernon Square. together
| with Dupont Circle, Scott Circle Iowa Cir
| Gle, Thomas Circle and Washington Circle.
judiciary Square OF twenty acres. near the
| center of the city, is one Of the most useful
and popular in the city. At lunch hour. in
| good weather. the seats are filled with jaded
| clerks enjoying the hasty lunch before re-
| turning to their accustomed desks and
| sedentary life work.
The Capitol grounds. with fits grassy
| slopes to the westward and its green swards
| and luxuriant shade TO the eastward,
| adorned with imperishable monuments to
| great men and great deeds. with the mas
sive Capitol building browning its summit
| and lifting its massive dome and liberty
| loving goddess high in air, is the GROWING
glory of our city and the pride of the ma
| ton.
East Washington.
| Whilst East Washington has not been the
| favorite recipient OF the city's benefcence,
| ii has not been wholly neglected. We have
our Lincoln, Folger. Stanton. Marion and
Garfield parks, and smaller parks and spaces
of symmetrical beauty and adornment. But
| the time has come when a concentrated
effort should be made to reclaim the hun
dreds of acres Of marsh and flats bordering
our eastern limits. extending from the Re
| form School grounds on the north to the
| Pennsylvania avenue bridge on the south,
| and convert them into an East Washington
park of unexcelled beauty and of unsur-
passed picturesque appearance. The thous-
4 and acres of miasmatic flats that now bor-
der the sluggish stream, emitting zymotic
| exhalations far into the city and enveloping
| US in misty clouds of insidious mHls ria,
should be lifted from their buried depths
| and transformed into rolling lawn surface,
| extended meadow views, beautiful land
scapes with delightful driveways. with here
and there the encompassed water forming
the attractive lake. The city owes IL TO
| the health Of the people and the general
| government cannot longer allow this dis
| creditable spot upon the city's disc. TO say
nothing of the invaluable acquisition to the
| city's limits. The fats of East Washington
are disgrace to the nations capital
| With the fats converted into a park and
| linked with Minnesota avenue on the south
and Prospect avenue extended on the north
| connecting with Soldiers Home and Zoo
logical Park: thence by Massachusetts, ave-
nue. to our Lincoln Park, we would have a
Gordon OF parks ard driveways unexcelled
| by any American city. Shall We have Il?
| Or must these disease breeding bottoms
| continue TO make inroads upon the city's
health, destroy the beauty OF our eastern
borders and remain as a sad reflection upon
1 our civilization.
The Flats Project.
| Mr.. J. d. Croissant offered a resolution
recommending immediate steps to be taken
by Congress to secure title to the flats TO be
| dedicated and improved as a park That
a broad boulevard be at once secured and
dedicated connecting the Geological Park
| Soldiers Home and East Washington Park:
| that a bridge be built across the Eastern
| branch at South B street. and that copies OF
the resolution be sent to the chairmen of
the District committees of both houses Of
| Congress.