The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-14

/ Chairman Of the Comm issiOn An
/ pointed to Suggest New Schemes
| md Plans for the Benefit of Wash
| inEton Has Returned From Europe
| United States Senator Mcmillan Of
/ Michigan in the last Congress moved for
| a commission Of architects and land
| sCapists who should examine into the sit
uatiOn and recommend plans for the beau
trying Of Washington city. Senator Nc
| MILAN has for twelve years sat in the
/ Senate. and was last winter elected for
Il third term He is a man Of great
wealth and OF refined and accurate taste
and has iustiiabIe and immense pride
in the Capital of the country. He has
Travelled in foreign lands. but he thinks he
b has never seen a capital that in its natu-
raj aspects equals the Capital of the Unit
cd States. nor one so susceptible TO the
I highest order of architectural and land
scape improvements Congress respond
ed 20 his suggestion by authorizing the
appointment Of the commission for which
he moved and men were appointed upon
the commission who stand respectively at
the head Of their professions. All of them
had had 20 do with the architectural and
landscape preparations for the Columbian
Exposition. d. II. Burnham. of Chicago,
is chairman. and with him are associated
William Law Olmsted. jr.. of Boston.
/ Charles h. Mckim. of New York. and
Augustus St Gaudens. the sculptor. These
gentlemen have spent some months in
travel and study in all the splendid cap
itals Of Europe. gaining all possible points
and information TO guide them in the
great work that has been imposed upon
them. They returned 70 New York Aug
ust l, well provided with material for
their report to Congress next winter ID.
H. Burnham has returned 20 his Offices
in this city.
Tine commission" said Mr.. Burnham to
the writer, after having viewed with the
greatest care every great OF beautiful
capital in Europe and deeply studying ev-
cry problem which each separate capital
presented. returned home with the settled
conviction that the general plan Tor the
laying out and utilizing and beaUtifying
Of Washington which IS commonly cred
tied to Pierre Charles rEnfant, but which
historically is as much George washing
tons plan as IEnfant's, must be adopted
in order TO secure the best results from
the artistic labOrs and the expenditure Of
money which are now proposed. do not
mean that the commission will find it nee
cssary to adhere to all the details Of the
plan OF L" be fixedly limited to its defined
scope. What l do mean Is that the joint
plan Of Washington and rEnfant fitted
admirably at the time II was made the
natural topography Of The place and pro-
vided-liberally for that day-for streets
and avenues and public buildings The
topography Is unchanged in the main and
the outlines OF the plan are as fitting and
accommodating now as they were then.
But the commission is left free 10 recon-
mend extensions. to devise artisticaHy
new landscape features, to perfect the
system CT streets and avenues. to bring
. fOrCeful water into the city. 10 indicate
sites for additional public buildings. etc
This the commission does recommend in
its report. which in due time viii be sub
mitted to the President and to Congress
You said that historically the original
plan which IS commonly credited to IEn-
FAINT was as much George WashfugtOu's
as it was the FrenChmau's. Is there evil
dence extant that such was the factZ''
IN our Investigations we came upon
letters. memoranda. and documents which
prove that George Washington was the
author, at least equally with L-Enfant, OF
the original plan, and that after the plan
was completed the Frenchman was under
the direction OF the eye Of Washington
the whole time. The first President was
eminently practical. but, besides. he had
an artistic sense, as Is abundant ~ shown
10 the present day at Mount Vernon. StiU
more Is this shown IN the .particit,ation I'M
the drawing OF the plan for the laying out
and beautifying Of the National CaDitaI''
II Mr. Burnham mauifests an interest
IN one feature OF the proposed improve
ments more than another II is that of
aqueduCts and fountains which are 20 be
recommended in the commissions report
There Is the AnscOstia River at a couven-
lent distance, and competent engineers
have estimated the fan and weight OF the
waters OF that river that may certainly
be conducted into most parts Of the CITY
from which estimate Il is also certain that
a system Of fountains may be provided
that shall surpasS those az Versailles and
equal those at Rome. The climate Of
Washington is milder than that OF Yer
sailles. and consequently the fountains
VIII play during more months ia each
year, while the greater supply OF water
viii keep the fountains active every day
and night that they are not sealed with
frost me fountains OF Versailles are
sun SIX Gays out or seven IN the warm
season and are frozen up during the long
winter months The fountains OF Rome
however. play every, day and night OF the
entire year. Next to Rome then. Wash
ington may have the finest fountains in
the world
You spoke Of aqueducts; that has
Yes. The waters Of the AnacOstia Riv-
er will be brought into the city through
AqueducJs, and. or course, these should be
bAAlA " tfl21L lbl ItlLll4l It's Out llltlI ilsl
need not be very great. I am OF opinion
that when this feature. OF our pian-esDe-
C1ally this featuTe-is exhibited 10 tie
Congress IL will at once be REGARDED as
supremacy important and that there will
be little hesitation in adopting it,"
Mr.. Durham is full Of enthusiasm. as
he says every one Of his associates also is
- view OF what ne considers the near
prospect Of 50 Improving Washington
city Is that Il shah become the most mag
nlhcent and beautiful capital I'm the world.
Chicago Chronicle