Evening star., 1901-06-18
BEAUTIFYlNG WASHINGTON
PRAISE FOR COMMISSION IN CHARGE
OF THE WORK.
'Ghe Hope Encouraged That a Serious
tiona1 Capital Is Under Way.
From the New York Evening Post.

EVERY Intelligent visitor admireS the pos
. sibilities of Washington. Frederic Harri-
son, for example, has just expressed the
>opinion that the youngest capital city Of
the world bids fair to become, before the
twentieth century is ended. the most beau
tiful and certainly the most commodious.'
Mr.. Harrison points out that Washington
IS the only capital which has been laid out
from the first entirely on modern lines,
with organic unity of plan. unincumbered
with any antique limitations and confu-
sions.
Nothing. indeed. could be better than
LEnfant's original plan for the city, yet
a century has borne fruit in only frag-
rnentary attempts at it's development, and,
this English observer well says. Wash
ington still has the air of an artificial ex-
pertinent in city architecture" Millions OF
dollars, for instance. have been expended
upon public buildings. but these have been
designed Independently OF each other, and
set down. as a rule, wherever there hap
pened to be a vacant space or somebooy
with Influence had land for sale Sena-
tor Mcmillan of Michigan. however, last
March induced the Senate to vote enough
money from its contingent fund for the nee
! essary expenses Of commission of ex-
rerts. selected through the agency of the
american Institute of Architects, to work
out comprehensive scheme for the beau
tifcation of Washington. The choice fell
upon Daniel H. Burnham of Columbian ex-
position fame. Frederick Law Olmsted, jr,
the eminent landscape dTChIect, anu SNotS.
F. McKim of New York. The commission
prevailed upon Augustus St. Gaudens to
act with them iH advisory capacity.
Special Features.
Had the country been searched from end
vto end, another such group could not have
been brought together. The spirit In which
these four men. recognized leaders in their
respective professions have made the gov
ernment free gift of their time and tall
t. Eya 10 of Oatr ria SIN a q
can be found in the history of the arts of
peace. For more than two months they
have spared no exertion, ana IL IS expected
that they will have their report finished by
September. In it's fullness it will not be
disclosed till then, but few of it's special
features are already known. One of them
is the connection of the more important
parks and pleasure grounds by generous
driveway. to make them all essential
ly parts of one system. This has been in
geniously planned SO as TO include In the
panorama woods. mountain streams, the
Potomac river, with the hills beyond the
city's dock, and shipping. several monu-
ysental structures. and possibly a section OF
the historic Chesapeake and Ohio canal and
noble boulevard the border of the Dis
trict.
The commission have given much thought
also to the metanorphosis of that part of
Rock creek which winds through the west
ern quarter OF the city. In its passage
through the National Park north of Wash
ington. and thence through the Geological
Park-the latter already charming speci-
esque and beautiful; but as soon as it
crosses the city's boundary its unkempt
banks become an eyes0re and its sluggish
current a menace to health. The commits
sion are preparing to redeem 1t and bring it
into the landscape as an ornamental fea-
ture.
Treatment of the Mall.
\ third object which they have consider
ed carefully Is the Mall. This was one OF
the finest things in L'Enfant's plan;
Peaceful forest in the heart of busy city,
stretching from the Capitol to the river
bank. nearly two miles away But the
fact that streets have been cut across 1t
at intervals has furnished a pretext for
treating each of the parcels separately.
Thus the Washington National Monument
grounds are laid out on one plan, and the
Agricultural Department grounds on an
. other: the Smithsonian Institution has a
park of its own. the next three quadran-
giles have no treatment at all. and the Bo-
taaicai grounds are used simply as place
for planting a green house. All this Is
yatChy and undignified- What the COM
mission will aim TO do is to restore the
relations between al the parts as original
j.. designed by LEnfant, and to treat the
entire Mall unit This Will admit OF
long yistaS from the Capitol to the monu-
Inent and from the monument, pursuing
the same direction for almost the same
distance. to the river, thus afordtng an
rppOrtunity for an imposing water gate as
tie western terminus of the system.
\ bit OF landscape which will receive spe-
,..I attention is the slope from the White
House to the Potomac. A park treatment
far this land, with the river brought into
re background and such a disposal of the
monument grounds will permit of group
i.g there artistic memorials of a few of
the nations great heroes, statesmen and
benefactors. are included in the project.
There will be great satisfaction over the
statement that no countenance will be lent
y to any proposal for radical changes IN the
White House itself.
All this preparation made under auspices
so admirable. encourages nope that at
last a serious movement for perfecting the
capital city is under way.
Confidence in the Commission.
II has gone SO far that the commission
now know what points Will need further
illumination before they give final shape to
their report; and to this end they are about
going abroad not to make any extended
tour, but TO visit certain places where other
experts have solved problems similar to
some of those which are still confronting
them. Nevertheless. the cieverest recon-
noissance is not an accomplished campaign,
and. after the commission have made re-
port satisfactory to the Senate, the House
of Representatives must still be reckoned
with. In view of this it is fortunate that
in all the work they have sketched they
have kept economy in mind, never sacrific-
ing an important demand to close-strung
purse. but. where variant methods of equal
excellence are possible always choosing the
least expensive
Another fact which can hardly be ignored
by Congress is the confidence which the
commission have commanded from the very
outset among officers of the government
generally. The supervising architect of the
treasury, who is to design the new Depart
ment of Agriculture, has volunteered his CO.
operation so as to make the position and
character of that ediice harmonize with
their plan. The Secretary Of War has call
, ed them into consultation, in like manner
with regard to both the Grant memorial
and the additional building at the Soldiers
Home for which Congress has made him
responsible Secretary Gage and Professor
Stratton. who to build headquarters for
the new standardiZing bureau In the neigh
borhood Of the National Park, have sought
their assistance. The same fiattering well
come proceeds from all sides 1t Is spon-
taneous tribute to the wisdom Of inviting
artists TO pass judgment on art questions
and of treating the American taxpayer now
and then TO the novelty of a work of