The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-31

I otAAu leu = size
/ O. L. ingalls,, Assistant Engineer, has
] forwarded to Engineer Commissioner
Beach. report upon the conditions which
surround The historical spot known as
Braddoek Rock. Mr. Ingalls, encloses a
| tracing showing the rock ana its sur
roundings at the beginning of the nine
teeath century, and by means of it draws
! vivid comparison Of the landscape now,
with what it was 100 years ago.
Braddock Rock is known upon the Dis
triet records as Reservation No. 4, and is
part of the old Naval Observatory grounds.
The reservation originally extended as far
south as lower Water Street. which. Mr.,
ingalls, says. at the time of the returns
made by NichoiGs King in 1903. was locat-
ed almost entirely IN deep water. Contfnu-
j ing, the report says:
In about the year 1888, the chesapeake
and Ohio Canal was opened for navigation
I Previous to that year a point of rock ex-
listed on the river front, south of the old
F., Observatory and extended a considerable
I distance into tbs water, forming landing
/ place which was well known before the
I founding of the present seat OF Govern
Eent, and in some way received the name
/ key Of all keys from the early settlers.
! This rock seems 70 have been widely
known and frequently described il surveys
mace as early as the year 1864
The construction or the canal ebliter-
ated the greater portion of this historic
landmark. which. according to tradition,
formed the landing place OF General Brad
dock, IN 1455, when he journeyed overland
from Alexandria TO the French frontier
during the colonial wars. The remaining
portion Of the rock, which the historical
societies OF Washington are endeavoring to
preserve. is located partly within the right
OF way of the OLD canal and partly upon a
strip Of land adjacent to the canal and or
( iginally no doabt formed part of Reser-
vation 4. although at present act within
the enclosure.
The question whether General Braddock
ever landed at the point mentioned is very
doubtful. and nothing but tradition re-
mains to prove its authenticity.
The best record Of BTaddock's move
ments IS taken :rom an account OF his ex-
petition by Ninthcop Sargent in which be
states Or April II, 1855, four companies
OF the Fourty-foUrth Regiment under
Lieutenant (af, erBard GoTernoT) Gage, and
q detachment OF seameB from Alexandria
landed from the boats Of the Sea Horse
ana tbs Nightingale. and pitched their
tents al Rock Greek. April Il General
BraGdock arrived a. Rock Greek and gave
orders fer Transporting stores The troops
marched from Rock Greek to Ovens
House. fifteen miles onward 70 Frederick
fRockvilIe).
The landing Of Braddeck upon this rock
aud his encaIapmeat on Observatory Hill
have often been referred to in recent years,
yes the assertion or assumption that such
are the facts cannot be authenticated by
any eontemPoraneous record and would
seem to have no authentic facts to sus-
tain them
Warehouses for shipping purposes are
known TO have existed as early as the
year 174S on the vest bank of Rock Greek,
which row forms q part OF Georgetown.
These warehouses soon became centres of
trade, and all Principal roads IN the vicin-
ity led TO them and 10 tEe landings The
read TO Frederick, over which Braddock
Journeyed. being one OF the number. could
have been reached from Observatory Hill
By crossing Rock Greek, which is supposed
to have been fordable at a point some
distance from its mouth.
In spite OF all this controversy rela-
tive to Braddock's movements, this an
eient rock was q historic spot for many
reasons, one OF which is that il formed
one Of the boundary marks of the town
laid out in 1867 under tie name of Ham
burg, which lost its identity when the seat
OF Government was established, within the
OF NEiEH II was IGCtGUe4-
The foregoing facts would seem to fur
nish sufficient reason for endeavering TO
preserve what remains of this historic
rock, entering, as IL does, so extensively
into the earliest important events asso-
ciated with what is now the site of the
city OF Washington
''The strip of ground between Potomac
Park and the Observatory wall through
which the canal passes. seems to have re-
ceived little attention during recent years,
and, while other dumping grounds we're
more convenient. was principally used for
that purpose by certain parties engaged in
nanufact turing industries IN the vicinity
Of Twenty-sixth Street Recently, how
ever. this small strip OF land has been In
vaded by ash CATERERS, and is RAPIDLY be-
ing filed with an undesirable clsss Of ma
teriaI The ground Will in all probable
ity. at no distant day. become part of
Potomac Park. and until a clearer under
standing is had relative to future devei
opments In that vicinity I would earnest
~ recommend that every effort be made
TO prevent IN the future all dumping of
every class of material along the line of
the cid canal between Twenty-third and
TweDty-sixth Streets
In forwarding this report to his asso-
GATES the Engineer Commissioner rec
commended that an order be issued that
all dumping be forbidden within the lin
its mentioned. He advised this for two
reasons. one Of which was that the So
cisty Of Colonial Danes are about TO suit-
ably mark Braddeek Rock, and that the
dumping Of refuse is rapidly covering up
the rock. The other reason was that the
filing up of the place has reached point
where II VIII be necessary to make exca-
vations for the street which VIII I2ss
there within a short period, and that no
further deposit Of material should be al
lowed.
The Board OF Commissioners have con-
Cured in these recommendations.
The Commissioners have received from
Charles White, ir. OF AS Street south
west. q statement relative to the errone-
ousz advertisement and sale Of lot 11s.
square 779. which led to the issue of a
deed to the parties buying the let. He
row asks that the sale be set aside and
the title restored to him. Mr.. White In
forms the Commissioners that the said
lot assessed on the books of the Assessors
once to Charles White and Charles
White. jr. was advertised and sold and
decided under the name of Charles White
and others -.arJies with which the oxner
of the lot has no connection. He states
that on account of this erroneous adyer-
tisement, the sale was not noticed by