Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-20
Thoroughfare Named in Honor of
Former Engineer Commissioner.
ACTION TAKEN BY BOARD OF CONTROL
Resolution Expresses Appreciation
of Capt. Beach's Services.
COST OF ROAD

AS mark Of especial honor to the former
Engineer Commissioner of the District, Cap
tain Lansing H. Beach of the United States
army, the board of control of Rock Creek
Park has decided to name the principal
thoroughfare in that magnificent reserva-
ton the Beach driveway"
Captain Beach, as Engineer Commission
er Of the District, was secretary of the
board Of control. From the first day of his
term Of office Captain Beach took a lively
interest in Rock Creek Park. He was anx-
fous that the reservation should be deyel-
oped and made accessible to the public as
soon as possible His efforts were untiring,
1t Is stated, and 1t was due principally to his
energy that the present driveway, which
will henceforth bear his name, was con-
structed
At the last meeting of the board of con-
troll of the park, held several days ago, the
president, Commissioner John w. Ross, was
directed to prepare a suitable resolution ex-
pressing the gratitude Of the board for the
exceptional service rendered by Capt.
Beach, whose successor was then chosen in
the person of the present Engineer Commits
sioner, Maj. John Biddle. The board of con-
troll Of Rock Creek Park is composed of the
District Commissioners, Messrs. Macfar-
land, Ross and Biddle, and Gen. Gillespie,
the chief of engineers of the United States
army. AS stated, Mr.. Ross Is the presiding
officer.
Not Sufficiently Explicit.
1t occurred to the members of the board
that while the resolution was particularly
desirable, it was hardly adequate to express
publicly and lastingly the value of Capt.
Beach's work. So it was that today Mr.
Ross drew up an order which recites that
In recognition of the panstaking and eff
fcient services of Capt. Lansing H Beach,
late Engineer Commissioner of the District
of Columbia, in the careful utilization of the
limited funds placed at the command of the
Rock Creek Park board Of control in the
erection of bridges, the construction of
roads and the general Improvement Of the
park, the road constructed under his direc-
ton along the banks of Rock creek from
the Klingle Ford road to the District line
shall be named the Beach driveway"
The Beach driveway, extending as stated
along the bank of the creek from Klingle
road to the Military road a distance of
nearly three miles, has lately been macad-
amized throughout its length. the work
being completed under the direction of
Capt. Lansing H. Beach. A portion of this
road south of Pierce Mill road was only
to 1897, the other 2oOO feet near the
klingle road being located, built and mac
adamized under Capt. Beach's direction.
Description of ThorOughfare.
The most beautiful part of the creek
drive. as well as that portion which has
required the heaviest work lies between
the Argyle Mill and the Military road, a
distance Of 1000 feet. This road did not
exist previous to 1898, that region of Rock
creek being accessible only to pedestrians
and few daring horseback riders. The
cost of opening and completing this road
has been about $4,000 the matchmaking
having been done chiefly with rock taken
out at points cut. during the construction
of the road. About 1900 yards Of solid rock
were removed during its construction, as
well as similar amount of earth required
in the various fills.
Although the road has a length of about
one and a third miles the creek falls in
that distance about seventy feet, or an
elevation equal to the fall Of the creek
from the boundaries of the park to George
town, distance of three miles, The road
however, climbs this elevation by very
gradual grade and appears to be almost
level. The grade of the road can be read
lily imagined by drawing line from Lin
coin Park straight to the cornice of the
Capitol.
A rustice stone arch is now being built
across Rock creek on the line of this
road at a cost of $4,000, with span suf-
fcient to allow for the greatest floods to
pass under it's roadway. The creek has
been known to rise about twenty feet
above it's bed and the elevation of this
road is very near the line of this food
level Other roads known as ridge, or
high level, roads are being built in differ
eQt portions of the mark