Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-24
BEAUTIFYING WASHINGTON.
Dreams of City's Founders to be Real
lied In Marble and Landscape.


lied In Marble and Landscape.
From the New York Tribune.
At the brief special session Of the Senate
held last March, just after President Nc
Kinley's second Inauguration, resolution
was passed authorizing the committee on
the District of Columbia to prepare and
present a plan for the development OF the
present park system Of the city Of WASH
ington. The committee was empowered to
employ the assistance of experts in framing
it's scheme for the Identification Of the
federal district and wisely chose and sent
abroad on tour of inspection three archi-
tects of the unquestioned status Of d. II.
Burnham F. L. Olmsted, jr.. and Charles
F. McKim. These recognized leaders In
their profession studied the chief capitals
Of Europe for hints of park development
and architectural groupings useful in elab-
Grating the noble ground plan on which
Washington originally plotted and
built The full result of the commissions
labors abroad will not be known officially
until after Congress reaSsembleS, but 1t Is
gratifying, though not altogether surprls-
ing to learn from a statement made re-
Gently in the Chicago Chronicle by MIR.
Burnham that practically no departures
need be or will be recommended In the en-
bellishment of the capital from the singu-
larly broad and felicitous outlines of fu-
hundred years ago by Washington and
IEnfant.
Mr.. Burnham testif1es unreservedly to the
general adequacy and beauty of the design
on which the city of WaShingtOnS crude
beginnings were made, and toward the re-
alization of which 1t has struggled through
a century of gradually Frightening expec-
tations THE commission he says, after
having viewed every great or beautiful cap
ital in Europe and deeply studying every
problem which each separate capital pre-
scented, returned home with the settled con-
viction that the general plan for the laying
out and utilizing and identifying Of Wash
ington commonly credited to PEnfant, but
historically as much George Washington's
as rEnfant's, must be adopted in order to
secure the best results from the artistic Ia
bors and the expenditure of money which
are now proposed. The outlines of that
plan are as fitting and accommodating now
as they were in 1900 or 1901" What the
commission will do Mr.. Burnham says, will
he to devise new landscape features, to
carry to completion the present system of
streets and avenues, to bring water into
the city to supply a projected group Of
fountains and to indicate proper sites for
statues and additional public buildings The
Anacostia river. 1t is suggested. can be
drawn upon for the water necessary to
maintain system of fountains "surpass-
ing that Of Versailles and equalling that Of
Rome"
But whatever the details of the plan to
be reported by Mr.. Burnham and his assoc
ctates, it is evident that 1t will attempt
radical Innovations. but win contribute to
the development of the capitals charm and
beauty along the lines laid down with such
splendid courage and foresight century
ago Few cities have ever been constrain-
ed to measure their growth such a vast
and burdensome scale of architectural re-
ouirements, and Washingtons past has
been too largely record of shabby con-
trasts between artistic promise and artistic
performance. At last, however, under the
vigorous impulses OF national growth. the
stone, in bronze In marble, in park and
landscape rEnfant's and Washington's
dreams of future seat of government be-
side the Potomac An early acceptance by
Congress of the park commissions plans
will undoubtedly do much to hasten and
broaden that, realization. Certainly the
present generation should live to see WASH
ington take on a new and SURPRISING archi-
tectural beauty, giving it in dignity and
outward attractiveness what 1t already en-
Joys in political importance-a foremost
place among the capitals of the world.