Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-19
AN OBSERVATORY CIRCLE
Report Of the Roasd Of Appraisers to Fix
the PRICE of Land
Secretary Hcfbeyt Approves All the
Recommendations Made-Parcels OF
Land and Their Estimated Value.

secretary HerDert today approved the re-
port made to him by Commissioner J. w.
Ross, Mr.. Fred E. Waggaman and Capt F.
v. McNair. U. 3. n, constituting the board
of appraisers 10 determine and fix the price
at which certain plats Of ground. situated
within the limits of the United States naval
observatory grounds, shall be sold and to de-
termIne the value Of certain parcels Of pri-
vate property to be purchased" as pre-
scribed by sections and s of the joint Ieso-
luton approved August l, 1894. Those Sec
tons provide for the establishment Of IAN
observatory circle as a provision for guard
Ing the delicate astronomical instruments at
| the United States naval observatory against
smoke or currents of heated air in their
neighborhood and undue vibrations from
traffic upon the extension of public thor
oughfares in the vicinity
The Land and It's Price.
The board has made an elaborate report
of their proceedings. They heard the
property owners in regard to the value of
the respective plats of ground and carefully
inspected the typographical contour of the
several plats. After a personal examination
of the premises the appraisers determined
and fixed the price at which the public land
shall be sold and the parcels of private
property shall be purchased as follows:
Public land for sale-Plat to north and
east of Massachusetts avenue ,449 acres,
$i41, 4o451; plat to south and west of Massa-
chusetts avenue, 1.21S acres, SIS, 5696 SO; total,
1o.161 acres, at $3.50, O24.20.
The board recommends that plat north
ana east, l4,4i9 acres, be subdivided for
sale as far as practicable, in areas, more
or less, as follows: Grounds bordering
Massachusetts avenue in lots 100 feet
front by 300 feet Deep amounting to seven
acres, more or less, and that the remainder
or the plat be divided into lots containing
al or anh tirlur to and
two-tenths acres. more less; the front
divisions to be sold for an average price of
not less than 80 cents per square foot, and
the remaining lots for not less than an
average or 10 cents per square foot.
A Map of the Circle.
The board incloses a careful map Of the
observatory circle described in the joint
resolution, showing the location, quantity
and character Of each parcel OF the prop
erty. described in section of the joint res
olution, to be taken to complete the circle
with the names of the respective owners
inscribed thereon; and the appraisers have
dc termined that the following is just COM
pensation to acquire by purchase legal title
to the several plats of ground, not now be-
longing to the United States, that are sit
uated within the said circle: Plat east,
Normanstone. 1,732 acres, owned by Alfred
w. Fleming, estimated value, S15,OS9 IL;
plat west. owned by Robert Weaver, s.645
acres. estimated value, $37 ,6576 81: plat west,
owned by Theodore Barnes, O.3S9 acre, esti-
mated value, $f05o.07 plat west. owned by
Philip Young, OLA acre, estima ted value,
A.6G5.2S; plat west owned by John A. Bar
Der, O425 acre. estimated value 81, 22156;
plat north and wes., Dumbarton, 1895 acres,
owned by John ". Thompson, estimated
value, $S5,976.55, making a total of 1913
acres, at an estimated value of sl49 $50. 26
The difference in favor of the government
in selling 15.767 acres for $1GO,024.20 and
buying 1913 acres for $l49, 66026 is sl0.3G3 "a.
An Outlet Avenue Proposed.
The board closed it's report as follows:
LAS result of establishing the Observatory
Circle the attention of the honorable Sec
rotary of the Navy is invited to section
Of the joint resolution, That no street. ave-
nue. or public thoroughfare in the neigh
borhood of The buildings erected upon the
United States naval observatory grounds
shall extend within the area of the observa-
tory circle therein described AS the law
now stands all streets extended would
terminate at the circumference of this cir
Gle, unless an outlet is secured by an ave-
nue., say ninety feet wide, opened immedi-
ately without and contiguous to the area
of the observatory grounds. The property
owners or representatives of the said own
ers south of the observatory from the
observatory lane to Massachusetts avenue
and on the north Of the observatory from
the Industrial Home School to Massachu-
sets avenue, are in favor of such an ave-
nue. being opened"
Held for Public Uses.
The several tracts and parcels of private
land embraced within the proposed circle.
already enumerated. have been held as con-
demned for public uses. In accordance with
the terms of the joint resolution. The cir
Gle, as required by the terms of the resolu-
ton, has a radius of 1000 feet with the
clock room of the observatory as center.
Although there is nothing in the report to
that effect, 1t Is understood that the men,
bers of the board, as well as most of the
persons directly interested, favor the estab-
lishment Of a speedway wide drive
around the circle, in a direction opposite to
that which will be taken in extending
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