Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-19
GENERAL CASEY'S OPINION
It Would Be Wrong to Make Sewer Of
Rock Greek
1t Would Make the Park Undesirable
Besides Being Hurtful to the
District People.

Gen. Casey. chief Of the corps of engin-
GERS of the army and president of the Rock
Creek Park commission, is outspoken in
his opposition to the proposed use Of Rock
creek as an outlet for the sewage of Ken
sington, Md. He said to a Star reporter
today that Rock creek wss one of the chief
attractions Of the park and should never
be degraded into sewer. If it were
straight, Deep swiftly running stream, 1t
might possibly carry of whatever polluted
matter was emptied into 1t, but such is
not the case. 1t is a shallow. slowly NOV
ing stream, with many bends and eddies.
Gen. Casey said that much Of the sewage,
empted into 1t at point SO near as Ken
sington, would be deposited along the
banks of the stream in the park and would
practically render the park an undesirable
resort for people in search of pure air and
recreation.
A Bad Thing for the District.
He said 1t stood to reason that the use
Of the creek in the manner proposed would
be bad thing for the residents of the Dis
trict, and, without even considering its
hurtfulness from a sanitary standpoint,
he would say, for the sake of Rock Creek
Park alone, that it should not be per-
mitted. He had read the views of Gen.
Bcynton and Mr.. Ross Perry on the SUBJ
ject, as printed in The Star, and Endorsed
them heartily. Although he had not in
vestigated the matter he felt satisfied that
there was legal way of preventing the
proposed pollution of Rock creek.
Would Stand by Legal Proceedings.
Mr.. Perry, he said, was a lawyer and
knew more about such things than he did
and 1t was certain that ii he should ad-
wise legal proceedings for the protection
of the park, the members Of the commits
sion would stand by him. Gen. Casey said
that the question had not been considered
by the commission, and he was not sure
that the case called for any action on
their part. What he did know, however,
was that it would be a great wrong to
make a sewer Of Rock creek.
From the Remington Point of View.
Mr.. Frederick Benjamin of Kensington
has sent the following statement to The
Star:
''Kensington is much f1attered at the at
tcntion she is receiving from The Star and
the distinguished member Of the park COM
mission, Gen. Boynton, in regard to the
proposed sewage system which the town
standpoint there are just one or two points
which, while they might not affect a preju-
diced Washington opinion, should not be
lost sight OF. They are as follows: Kensing-
Its situation, geographically, is such that
1t is naturally drained by Rock creek,
stream which has its origin in the north
west part Of Montgomery county, Md.
There are about seventy-five houses in
Kensington now and the number Is steadily
increasing. At present there is no need OF
a sewerage system for Remington, but its
public spirited citizens wish to anticipate
the need and provide system while 1t will
be economical to do 30. and before the
sanitary conditions prevailing in Washing
ton are repeated here and endanger the
health Of the community: Rock creek is
h0 mt 1rro In for pvfn nd lnf
a foot Of sewer pipe is laid 1t will receive
tho drainage of the town via the surface
and the small stream which skirts the town
and empties into the creek. Rock creek in
its meanderings traverses more than two
miles before it reaches the so-called Rock
Creek Park and Is fed in its course by a
number Of springfield streams, which. with
the rainfall, flush and purify its waters.
The danger of early contamination Of the
water Of Rock creek to q degree that will
endanger anybody's or anything's health Is
extremely remote SO far as Kensington is
concerned. kensfngton might be five times
its present size and still there would be
less contamination of Rock creek from the
towns sewers than now exists in the Poto
Alexandria has as great ground for COM
plant against Washington for emptying It's
sewage into the Potomac as the latter city
has against Kensington. This is capable
cares to take the trouble. There are more
impurities poured into Rock creek from the
point where 1t leaves the Geological Park
to its mouth by several hundred per cent.
than the little stream gets throughout its
entire course from the source to where it
enters Rock Creek Park Before Wash
ington arises in Its might to smite Kensing-
should remove it's very apparent beam
In conclusion beg to submit that the peo-
pie of Kensington are humane and have no
wish to add an atom, q bacteria or a mi
crobe to the already burdened atmosphere
of Washington. but they recognize the
force of the primal law of 'self-preserva-
ton and propose to observe it,