Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-08
WILL COST FORTUNE.
washington's Unique Plan for Ex-
 tension of Streets.
Millions to Re spent in Widening ThorouShfares and Extending Them in Accordance with
 Most Modern Ideas.
Especial Washington Letter.l

M MERE nave been created 1TeaL-
 CT Chicago and Greater New
 New York, and soon there is to be created Greater Washngton, al though that appellation will not likely be given to the national cap- ital city. Unlike all other cities in this country, or in the world. with the exception of St. Petersburg, Rus- sia, the plans for the capital of this republic were laid out on geomet- rical and scientific ideal of the gifted genius, LfEnfant, and on scale of. grandeur which seemed at that time to be beyond the likelihood of realiza- ton in many centuries.
 It is not to be supposed that the most sanguine believers in the great possibilities and probabilities of the nation, at that time, anticipated or even dreamed that the original limits of the proposed city would be passed within single century. No active effort was made to provide for the enlargement of the city's plan until some 10 or 12 years ago, when the people suddenly realized that per- nicious system, or rather lack of system, in suburban subdivisions, was rendering the extension of city streets impossible on their present lines. What had been done in other cities was being reversed here. The Greater Washington was growing into a ''cow-path city" A string of sub- divisions along Boundary street from Massachusetts avenue to First street had been made without the direct ex- tension of single street or avenue and with very little regard as to con- nections with each other; some, of them, in fact, shutting off communi- cation with adjacent subdivisions. Streets had been laid out along the old roads or parallel to them, and in width no greater than city places and alleys.
 The northern limit of the original city was called Boundary street. Eff teen years ago, when houses were erected beyond that original limit, and lots were laid out by real es- tate speculators, the commissioners of the District of Columbia. the three men appointed by the president to govern this portion of the repub- lie, in. which there is taxation without representation, changed the name of Boundary street to Florida avenue.
 At that time six avenues of the. original city were blocked at Bound ary street, making them end at the bottom of the surrounding hill, in little suburban street about half of their generous width, The congress was again and again appealed to for aid in this matter, the plan being to extend the city streets by condemna- tion through these irregular patches, and then make all new additions con- form to the city plan. Failing to get the legislation desired, some law was requested to prevent spread of the evil in new subdivisions. This brought forth the act of 1888, regulating all future subdivisions in the district. A number of subdivisions were made in accordance with this law, which were of course, laid out after the city sys- tenn, so that when the city streets are extended and the intermediate tracts are subdivided, the whole will form one harmonious plan.
 Continued efforts were made to have the first idea carried out. and the result was the passage of the act for n "permanent system of highways" This act provides for the recording of extension plans with the surveyor and for condemnation proceedings. There has therefore been no neces- sity for q hurriedly prepared plan of extension, and the commissioners