Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-24
BEAUrIFrING WASHINGTON.
Dreams of Clty's Founders to be Realized
in Marble and Landscape.

Dreams of CIty's Founders to be Realized
in Marble and Landscape.
New York Tribune.
AT the brief special session OF the
Senate held last March, just after
President MuKInley's second inaugura-
tion, a resolution was passed authoriz-
Ing the committee on the District OF
Columbia TO prepare aud present plan
for the development of the present park
system of the city OF Washington. 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 architects of the unquestioned
status of ID. II. Burnham, +. L. Ohm
sted, Jr, and Charles f. McKim. These
recognized leaders in their profession
studied the chief capitals Of Europe for
hints OF park development and arohi-
tectural groupings useful in celebrating
the noble ground plan on which WASH
ington was originally plotted and built.
The full result OF the Commissions
iabors abroad will not be known ofici-
ally until after Congress reassembleg,
but it ia gratifying, though not alto
gether surprising. TO learn from a state
ment made recently in the Chicago
Chronicle by Mr.. Durham that practi-
onlly no departures need be or will be-
recommended In the embellishment Of y
the capital from the, singulAly broad
and felioitous outlines of q future seat
OF government drawn over 100 years ago
by Washington and l'Enfant.
snMr. Burnham testifies unreservedly
to the general adequacy and beauty Of
the design on which the city of WASH
ington's crude beginnings were made,
and toward the realization Of which il
has struggled through century of
gradually Frightening expectations.
The Commissions, he says, latter
having viewed every great or beautiful
capital in Europe and deeply studying
every problem which each separate
capital presented, returned home with
the settled conviction that the general
Plan for the laying out and utilizing
and identifying of Washington, COM
torioally RS much George Westinghouse
as pEnfsnt'a, must he adopted in order
to secure the hest results from the
artistic labors and the expenditure of
money which arc 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.. Buruham says. will be 10
devise new landscape features, to carry
to completion the present system OF
streets and avenues, to bring water into
the city to supply projected group of
fountains and to indicate proper sites
for statues and additional public build
ings. The Anacostia river, it Is suR-
gested, can be drawn upon the water
necessary TO maintain system of
fountains surprising that Of Versailles
and eluaing that Of Rome.'
But whatever the details OF the plan
TO be reported by Mr.. Burnham and
his associates, il ia evident that it will
attempt no radical Innovations. but
will 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 nave ever been constrained
to measure their growth ON such q
vast and burdensome scale Of architec-
tural requirements, and Washington's
PAST has been too largely record of
shabby contrasts between artistic
promise and artistic performance. At
Inst, however, under the vigorous i'm
pulses Of national growth, the Federal
district is beginning to realize in stons.
in bronze, in marble, in park and
landscape l'Enfants and Washington's
dreams of future seat of government
beside the Potomac. An early accent
ance by Congress Of the Park Commits
sion IS plans will undoubtedly do much
to hasten and broaden that realization.
Certainly the present generation should
live to SIZE Washington take on new
and surprising architectural beauty,
giving it in dignity and outward at
Effectiveness what il already 'en Joys ia
political importeuoe-a foremost place
among the capitals of the world.