The times., 1897-07-27
Commissioners Likely TO Adopt
Them for the Third Section.
ENGINEER RICHARDS REPORT
Rough Character of the Country
the Principal Reason Assigned
Rectangular Avenues TO Be Cut
wherever Practicable-Pla Plans Sub
mittec 10 Landscape Engineer.

J
ADOPT winding streets III the section OF
the city lying west OF Rock Creek Park
the third section OF the highway extension
plans.
panied by Mr. w. z. Richards, civil as
s.stant 10 the engineer commissioner, last
FRIDAY nlade d lour Of the section.
Yesterday Mr. Richards submitted the
pians, lCaelher with an exhaustive letter.
AFTER stating that leOause of tie tolos'
ralsny OF the country II VIII lie necessary
in Some instances To substitute curving fur
the usual rectangular streets, ,he letter
gives The sonowing outlines OF tar Iians:
"At the beginning or our studies IL was
well unde TsIood that such weil-estabiisneu
lines as Massachusetts, Connecticut. WIS
oonsin and Nebraska avenues, ana the
| Conduit Ridge ana woodley roads must
! beInCo rporatedln our plaas wthoutchalge'
and also that the Subdivisions of Oak
View, Cleveland Heights, Wesley Heights,
ATnsleigh Park, etc, which were lad out
iii conformity to each other, should form
q nucleus around which the hole plan
should be built.
These subdivisions lie in wide ridge,
which runs toward a steep and broken
! country at the Conduit road, and on ttts
Rock creek side drains into section filled
with SHARP ridges and deep, narrow ra-
vines. 1ne following is special ex-
| PLANTATION OF the special features and the
reasons for their incorporation i'll the
plans:
AS tue best means OF advancing our
work, the plan was divided into fouI di-
visions. bounded thus; Between George
town Potomac River, Wesley Heights ard
District of Columbia line; between Wiscon-
sin avenue. District OF Columbia line, and
Wesley Heights; between Wisconsin ave
nue., uTant road, aud Rock Greek, and city;
| between Wisconsin avenue, District of Co
| lumbia line and Rock Creek.
First is teImed road division; second,
Massachusetts avenue division; third. Con-
ncctlcut avenue division; and fourth. Broad
Branch division.
In the Conduit division the prominent
typographical features are shelf or bern
| ttoIdcIing the hanks of the Potomac; two
main ridges, with steep and long slopes;
two long and narrow valleys.
AT the end Of those ridges are promi
nenJ points of exceptional outlook, and
these We're selected as places for parks
/ OF several acres in extent. being connected
| by al avenue following the very tops of
the ridges.
Another avenue touching one OF these
| parks has been located from point OH
Arizona avenue or Foundry branch and
! rUuaing northwest parallel To Massachu-
Getts avenue understanding to the boundary
Of the Dalecauia reservoir 1t offers
for this section the easiest grade ana most
direct lire for crossing these high ridges
'.The New Cut and Ridge roads are
retained with Slight changes, as they are
judged 20 be trunl. lines Of travel for the
| future as well rs the present The Con-
duit road, Of coHise. admitted no change.
ION the bank above the Canal road an
avenue following the top ecge and CON-
maEdnG a full view OF tile river has been
located upon lines approved by Mr Ohm
sted.
1.-The whole system above tie Conduit
road is very generally tied upon east and
west or north and south streets Curved
streets nave been thrown in whatever ia
vorable and very few east and west streets
have heen carried into or over the vale VS..
In fixing onr grades o per cent was
used as a maximum on the streets and c
the aggregate is not heavy and due to the
small ridges and valleys Long blocks are
a feature Of the plan, as they allow "a bet
ter arrangement Of grade in conformity
with the natural surface
This division, because OF the number of
recorded streets and avenues. admitted of
very little choice in the location of new
highways. About one-third has been sub
| al nd
adapted to right line extensions. The To-
cality bordering the Tuniaw road and the
crossing Of Foundry Pranch by Massachu-
seits avenue presented rather knotty
problem, and although the resulting plan
may be criticised at first, it is still pre-
seHted as a plan best for future use The
valley of the Foundry Branch is too deep
and narrow at the avenue crossing to al
low OF streets running into either by di.
rect or curved line. Bridges VIII cost
more than grading and the cnly alternative
is to raise the valleys level.
"Tunlaw road has been retained and
widened, and will, by the opening of ar
east and west street below Frankfort
street, afford good highway from Wesley
Heights to the city.
The remarkable stretch OF country along
| CoHHfCiicuG dNeiIue EXTENDED may be dptly
termed the bad lands OF the District If
is by far the most difficult to treat of the
four divisions. and the final plan is not
satisfactory in all parts. Further study is
needed OF the tract bordering the Pierre,
Mil road and some treatment as an iso.
lated part appears TO be the only course.
"Some OF the features laid down in the
plan seem natural and Indispensable A
winding street running in the general di.
leCtion Of Connecticut avenue and located
near the head Of the large rayine extends
from the Kiingle road to the Chevy Cha Sc
circle. West OF this street the system i.
rectangular, while east OF it curved high
ways are proposed over most of the area.
THE present boundary OF Rock Creel
, is to be rectified so as to border The
curved highway which forms the eastern
limit OF the plan
1.-The deep ravine trending eastward,
from Connecticut avenue TO Rock Greek
Park offers natural entrances TO the low
levels OF the park, and are bordered by
curved streets 500 or GOO feet apart. the
space between being recommended as ad
ditions TO the park
THE tracts Contiguous to Broad Brancl,
| Will III general allow direct extension. The
Rectangular system west OF Tenleytown /,
! continued Il: Connecticut avenue and ther
| broken on account OF the valley a few
hundred feet east A curved avenue ii
! projected along Broad Branch from Roc,
Crees Park 10 the District line. Broat
Branch road is retained throughout ant